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

Whether it has to do with a simple home improvement or a more in-depth renovation, a permit for electrical work is required to obtain permission from the governing authority to go forward with the project. Permit pulling—requesting a permit from a governing authority, which could be State, County or City —can be challenging for homeowners who are not familiar with electrical plans. but the process of pulling permits for electrical work is fairly straightforward if you understand and meet all requirements for electrical contractors.

Each city, county and state can have varied building codes, so it is important to use a professional who is versed in navigating this process. Permit pulling requires first submitting an official application that includes a schematic of what electrical work is going to be done. There will be a permit fee involved to cover the application cost, the review and the inspection. Once a plan is approved, a permit will be issued, and work can begin. On-site inspections will be conducted to ensure that all of the work conforms to the permit as well as building codes and plans. Depending upon the size of the project, there may be more than one inspection, usually a rough and final or possibly partials of either. These inspections serve to protect homeowners from faulty or possibly hazardous work. A code official will come by at the project end in order to provide all required documentation. Final approval will only be given once full code compliance is met which could mean NEC, UBC or IBC regulations. If the homeowner is completing the electrical work as a do-it-yourself project, it may take multiple visits from the code official before a final approval is provided, depending upon the skill level of the homeowner.