the local supplier might be a good place to ask about who they have had clients use in the past.

I looked to find a lighting designer too and couldn't so wound up winging it.

Doc5MD - Unfortunately - I was mistaken. The local supplier does not carry lighting.

CPArtist. ugh- that isn't good news!! I WANT to hand this off, lol. :-)

I found I had good luck finding them if I used the word "interior" when searching for lighting designers. The bad news is that there wasn't a single one to be found within a day's drive.

I would ask at a lighting showroom nearby. They should have names.

I found one in my local area. She was very proud of her services. I determined that if I sat down with a floor plan and a pencil, I could figure out the basics. I made a list from the rendering of the number of recessed, ceiling light/fans, under cabinet and wall sconces I would need. Then, I mapped out how they would need to be switched. I did the same thing for my exterior lights. I made a corresponding list of the total of each type of light.

When I was ready, I presented this list to my GC for his review and budgeting. My electrician and I walked through the house with the plan and marked all of the switch and fixture locations on the appropriate stud with a Sharpie pen in the language that his electrician would understand.

I saved myself at least five thousand dollars. I think I did a pretty good job of it, too. I used the savings to buy better lighting fixtures and fans.

It's just a matter of being careful, taking your time, formulating a plan and using common sense.

My favorite local lighting store has a couple of great designers on staff, and their pricing was actually better than the price for the same fixtures online. Plus, they delivered them when the electrician was ready to install. In the instance of a broken sconce, they delivered a replacement, no questions asked. In the end, it was worth it to me to know I have someone local to deal with if there’s an issue with something down the road, also.

Many Inderior Designers (not a decorator) can produce a lighting plan for you. Like many things, it will carry a small job premium unless you hire one for more extensive services. Which you can probably use, since you have 9726 decisions to make when building. Plus furnishing it when it’s complete. You’d do well to make the connection to help you with the whole project.

Or, a lighting store with a designer on staff may help you with a plan if you source a certain dollar figure of product from them. You will generally get better service, and the little bit larger price that you may pay will go for that plan. Plus, they take the responsibility of ordering the fixtures and making sure everything is labeled correctly for each room, and they are there if there is a warranty issue.

Our interior designer put together our lighting plan and overlay for the builder. She also selected all the fixtures, we then changed almost all of them because she selected way outside our budget, but the builder/electrician are buying them all and installing all. Our electrician did a walk through with us and also had additional ideas for specific fixtures and locations of lights. He was/is very helpful. I would start with the electrician.

This is one area where I would have loved a real professional. No one around here as CP mentioned. I would have gladly paid a premium for assistance from someone that is an expert.

so much better than sending lights back that do not work and second guessing yourself constantly.

I found one on Houzz and I think she had an option to do a $XX consult. I have retained her services because she can manage some of the challenges we have in our volume of space, and provide decision making. My lighting budget isn't huge - but expecting her to make the most of it in creative use of less expensive fixtures to achieve the look we're going for.

I would start with a general idea of what you want (and where) in terms of recessed versus non-recessed (and all the more "fun" stuff) and then go through your house with an electrician.

For example, my husband I plotted out where we wanted to use recessed LEDs versus fixtures on the plans (as well as electrical outlets, switch plates (and motion sensors versus dimmers versus regular), timers, considered where we would want to have lighting over art, etc. We already knew we wanted a certain chandelier, and recessed in certain places. Other fixtures though were still more up in the air. Then we met with the electrician at the house and walked through with our plans and also listened to his recommendations and made some changes. He was fantastic. He had lots of feedback, positive and not so much negative as much as "steer in another direction", and if we were like "what would you recommend for this room" he would ask questions about what the room would be used for, etc, and make recommendations on that.

Once we were done that we knew exactly where we would be putting fixtures, and then I just went shopping myself at a design/lighting store, and looked at their inventory and catalogues. The ones offered by my builder were not great, and while they could source others they had to mark them up and so it made better financial sense to go on my own. The design/lighting store actually was very competitive price wise as they offered me a "house discount" and price matching. I purchased all my fun fixtures through them, but the recessed LEDs from my builder/electrician. The store labelled all the fixtures for the rooms, and did provide some advice and direction in a couple areas where I was a bit more torn.

I generally hate shopping and "choosing" but that was actually one of the fun parts of it all for me and I discovered a real love for lighting stores, ha.

I am very happy with how it all turned out.

However, as Virgil noted, my builder could not install them before me before close due to warranty issues. I had the electrician come back the day after we closed to install all but the chandelier - we are waiting to put that up until they complete a punch list in the room it will be in to avoid the dust and debris getting onto the crystals. I can't wait to see it go up!

Cyndy ....

Another reason to have a pro and even purchase lights through that person...or their source...I have several sconces that have to go back because they have curved metal and after installation the electrician noted they were slightly “crooked” or bent. I really don’t want to deal with this. Not just in my master bath but in two bathrooms upstairs. Online shopping is not always what it is cracked up to be.

if I had a lighting store here I would have been better off going through them. Worth considering. You may find their prices are comparable as I did with my plumbers plumbing supplier.