If you've ever experienced a partial power outage, you know just how weird it seems. You thought you had a steady stream of power, so if it was compromised, you’d experience less power throughout the house rather than half on, half off, right? That’s not always the way it works. From the viewpoint of an engineer or a professional electrician, a partial power outage would be better described as a phase loss.

Although the bulk of your appliances run on 110 volts, your stove and laundry use 220 volts, as does your water heater ad HVAC system. That extra amount of power isn't a doubling of your electric flow, but full use of what's available. Your lights and appliances are actually running on half your available electric source in order to cut your bill by using the electricity more efficiently. The power flow coming into your home is actually two sets of 110 volts, designated as “phase 1” and “phase 2” that share a ground to safely eliminate excess power.

What that means in layman’s terms is that you have two distinct power sources. They run together in what appears as a single line, but that’s why you have a breaker box. There’s more going on in that box than just safety circuits to prevent overflow. It directs the power according to your needs.

In the breaker box, that power that is supplied is magnified exponentially. The full 220 volts is sent to those few appliances that need it. The rest of your home, the lights, outlets, television and hair dryer, well, they are actually only running on one phase, or half the available power. That’s why you think in terms of 110 volts, because your plug-in electric units only use 110 volts.

CRI) of 82 to show the true colors of objects and surroundings.

A rocker switch allows for two levels of light, but the fixture can also be dimmed with an electronic low-voltage (ELV) dimmer. Up to 10 under-cabinet fixtures can be joined in a series with our interconnect cables. The low-profile white aluminum fixture has 120V AC operation and is designed to last 30,000 hours—three times longer than equivalent fluorescent fixtures.

The competition is steep and the lighting designs are sensational.  Among the leaders in the race for the most unconventional ceiling light fixture designs of the year, these standouts are exquisitely different and–although they may not fit in with everybody’s interior design scheme–they make for mind-altering artistry that brings the “wow” factor to a select few who are daring enough to shine outside of the box!

TEN:  Attractively AKIMBO

“Akimbo” from Tech Lighting

NINE: Outer bound with ORION

“Orion” from ET2

EIGHT: Unearthing URCHINS

“Urchin” pendant light from Varaluz

SEVEN:  Cultivating CASSINI

“Cassini” from Trend Lighting

SIX: Mixing it up with MIMI

“Mimi” from Maxim Lighting

FIVE: Hoodwinked by HOUDINI

“Houdini” chandelier from Corbett Lighting

FOUR:  Zanny ZIUM

“Zium” from Elán Lighting

THREE: Captivating CATALYST

“Catalyst” from Fine Art Lamps

TWO: Metaphysical MICRO

“Micro” from Eurofase

ONE:  Spellbinding STRANDELIER