The Pharos ceiling fan is one cool cat. This zephyr of retro design combines painted plywood blades, mouth-blown opal-white glass, and a matte nickel-plate finish. A dimming switch and speed control are incorporated in a wall-mounted panel or hand-held remote control. 701 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520; 888-588-3267; modernfan.com.

What a dazzling difference a few Swarovski crystals can make. Witness the Edges pendant. A 50-watt MR16 is skirted with crystals in a choice of nine colors to create brilliant slivers of light. The fixture measures 31/2 inches square by 41/2 inches high. 61 Industrial Boulevard, Plattsburgh, NY 12901; 518-563-7500; schonbek.com

This young manufacturer produces pendant fixtures harking back to the golden age of modernism, from "Scandinavian" to "1960's and '70's." The cut-plastic shades are shipped fully assembled in vibrant colors—including red, blue, green, yellow, and orange—or a translucent white. 9 Calle Quinones, 2nd Right, 28015 Madrid, Spain; 34-91-521-6858; franciscolujan.com.

Shed light in nearly any direction with the Valentina low-voltage table lamp, sold in metallic and transparent finishes. Not only is the techno-polymer arm adjustable, but the double-lighting power-halogen head revolves, too. 2/4 Via Volta, 20090 Cusago, Italy; 39-02-9019421; valentiluce.it.

Remnants of a sea otter's feast with Marie Antoinette styling, the Mussel chandelier is no more than empty shells strung to form a ceiling fixture. Both illuminating and appetizing, this quirky Belgian design is produced on a per-order basis. 32-9-223-31-41; noraderudder.com. circle 600

Wrapped in apple green leather and studded with antiqued brass nail heads, the Munich table lamp brings a clubby feel to any interior. Its paper, silk pongee, and Belgian-linen shades are offered in a range of colors and finishes. 96 School Street, Suite 4, Williamstown, MA 01267; 413-458-9971; broadbeachdesign.com. circle 586

The Mitu table lamp's white silk or crepe shade cantilevers out from its simple blackened- or brushed-steel stand and base. 312 West 20th Street, Suite 1A, New York, NY 10011; 212-463-8157; uniformfurniture.com. circle 605

Raise a red lantern for multicultural modernism. Hiroshi Tsunoda has designed Shikaku, an aluminum table lamp that can also hang as a pendant fixture. The black- or white-painted exterior highlights the fiery-red interior, painted to enhance the glow from an ordinary incandescent bulb. 129 Calle Alba, 08018 Barcelona, Spain; 34-93-320-8370; lookiluz.com.

Taking its cue from couture jewelry, the Metamorphosis pendant is a modern yet whimsical construction of cast bronze, machined brass, and handblown glass. All pieces are made to order, with customizable glass, shade (including the hairy-silk one shown), and metal-finish options. 475 Keap Street, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11211; 718-486-5828; colluraandryan.com. circle 594

Bohemian Chic's playful Metal Ball lamp of stacked hand-formed steel orbs is made in Africa and finished in Belgium. This globetrotting mood maker is 26 inches tall, 12 inches in diameter, and is available in one-of-a kind colorations. 1052 West Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607; 312-432-0100. morlensinoway.com. circle 595

Like its table- and floor-lamp cousins, the modern, die-cast aluminum Melampo wall sconce provides both direct and indirect light with an adjustable silk-and-polycarbonate fiber-blend shade. 1980 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY 11735; 631 694-9292; artemide.us. circle 597

Create your own tropical moonlit night with Maui. Mountable on ceilings or walls, it features a sculptural, crescent-shaped diffuser in white-satin glass. Foscarini Murano Srl, Via delle Industrie 27, 30020 Marcon (Ve), Italy; 39-041-5953811; foscarini.com. circle 612

Conceptual designer Iris Kadouri calls La Paz a "light source within a light source," in which the blown-glass shade echoes the bulb within. Available in pendant, table, and floor versions. 13/14 Hashalah Street, Tel Aviv, Israel 62283; 972-3-604-5415; irisdesignstudio.com. circle 583

Get the best of both worlds with Kaleidoscope. Its height-adjustable light wand with polycarbonate shade swivels 360 degrees. The 22-inch model gives ambient illumination; the 13-inch model is a directional task light. Its aluminum base can accommodate multiple light heads. 1550 17th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107; 415-865-5000; pablodesigns.com. circle 596

Literally taking from nature, the designer's 10-foot-tall, indoor/outdoor lamp features a white birch on brass base or an Oriental bittersweet tree trunk. 786 Westport Turnpike, Fairfield, CT 06824; 203-254-3952; lauraspectorrusticdesign.com. circle 609

Create scrolling text, animations, and other sparkling two-dimensional lighting effects with the iColor Module FX. Its 6-inch-square modules feature a grid of individually controllable LEDs, available in nine or 36 points of light, and can stand alone or be combined in large-scale, multiunit installations. Compatible with a range of controllers. 10 Milk Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02108; 888-385-5742; colorkinetics.com. circle 604

The Helos aluminum wall-mounted luminaire lends a smart industrial look whether indoors or out. It's available in incandescent or fluorescent variations, with clear or satin etched diffusers, and in a full palette of smooth, textured, and metallic finishes. 2388 NW 150th Street, Opa Locka, FL 33054; 800-940-6588; http://www.luraline.com/. circle 613

Designers Afra and Tobia Scarpa give a new look to the baroque chandelier with their Nastro collection. The 109/HLB fixture clusters irregular ribbons of glass—in either white or a color. 11 Mayfield Avenue, P.O. Box 7829, Edison, NJ 08818; 732-225-0010; leucos.com. circle 327

A bewitching aurora of a fixture, Andre Keilani's wall-mounted Thérapie owes its dawnlike quality to a soothing palette of three color acetates—combining the ultimate in ambience, mood, and nature. 24 Avenue du Mont-Royal West, Suite 503B, Montreal, Quebec H2T 252, Canada; 514-808-9483; snowlabdesign.com. circle 322

This manufacturer has jumped through hoops in creating the playful Giukò table lamp. Its white satin-finish globe diffuser is suspended from a ring—available in ebony, maple, or acrylic—all on an anodized aluminum base. 104 Housman Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10303; 718-556-5400; http://www.luxluce.com/. circle 588

Russian Constructivist sculptor Naum Gabo lends his name to the Gabo table lamp. A composition of curves formed by its double shade and sweeping base, the piece is offered in polished or satin brass or nickel, pewtered brass, and aged bronze. 844 Sierra Bonita, Los Angeles, CA 90046; 323-653-9150; http://www.susanfanfadesign.com/. circle 614

Proving that simplicity is not simpleminded, Twist Together is a playful, interactive lighting module of hand-cast resin illuminated by LEDs. Connect the cubes in limitless combinations. 718-722-7340; glide-inc.com. circle 315

With its spun and mouth-blown glass diffusers, the Éttore double-pendant light brilliantly combines two materials. The overall height is 12 inches; there are four inner-glass-diffuser color options. 82 Stevens Street, East Taunton, MA 02718; 800-977-4470; http://www.ilexlight.com/. circle 611

Featuring concentric laminate barrel shades, the Double Drum pendant is available in dozens of color and texture combinations, and may be wired for either fluorescent or incandescent lamping. 51 Aster Street, West Warwick, RI 02893; 877-586-3882; http://www.lumettainc.com/. circle 587

The fluorescent Diffrient Work Light and Task Light bothfeature parabolic aluminum reflector shades designed to minimize glare while optimizing illumination. These lights are available in black or silver finish with five mounting options. 11 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010; 800-400-0625; http://www.humanscale.com/. circle 598