Here's a weird little fact Steven Buchwald has uncovered: Many people are intimidated by lighting.

The director of trade sales for C Lighting in Buckhead works with buyers, architects and interior designers on a daily basis, and he's constantly amazed at how many of them are fearful when it comes to making a lighting purchase.

T. OPDYKE III/Special (ENLARGE)

Add color to your lighting with glass pendants in a rainbow of shades.

T. OPDYKE III/Special (ENLARGE)

C Lighting stocks the traditional as well as the one-of-a-kind, such as this lilac neon chandelier.

T. OPDYKE III/Special (ENLARGE)

Brighten a bar area with this martini-glass wall sconce.

"Lighting is artistic, and aesthetically, you want to pick just the right thing, but there is also a science to it that puts people off," said Buchwald. "You have to calculate things such as distance and brightness. If you have a 10- by 20-foot room with minimal sunlight, you need to figure out how many lights would be right, or you wind up with 20 recessed cans [lights] that make the ceiling look like it has chicken pox."

Oh, the pressure. And who knew there was math involved?

But the staff of C Lighting, a 12,000-square-foot showroom off Pharr Road, is adept at figuring out what buyers need while helping them pick lights that show off their personalities and set a mood.

BEST SELLERS

Rail systems — what used to be called "track lighting" — are big. Today's contemporary designs are sleeker and less conspicuous. They also can be used to hang a row of pendant lights.

TRENDS

Light doesn't have to be white anymore. Buyers are adding dashes of color to their fixtures.

"Swarovski makes crystals in custom colors, so you can have a traditional chandelier with pink, green, amethyst or cobalt blue crystals," said Buchwald.

LEARN ABOUT LIGHTS

Once a month, the store hosts seminars featuring lighting experts or vendors. The program includes a cocktail reception and costs from $15 to $25.

IF YOU GO

C Lighting
333 Buckhead Ave.
404-760-1119
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday-Saturday
http://www.clighting.com

IN THE AREA

C Lighting is a few blocks from the heart of Buckhead Village, brimming with art galleries, shops, restaurants and pubs.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND

"We strive to find things out of the ordinary," said Buchwald. "Atlanta tends to be more traditional, but it's starting to break away bit more."

As Buchwald states, "Our showroom reeks of contemporary!" There's a pale purple neon chandelier; geometric wall fixtures; sleek halogen desk lamps; lightweight mobiles that look like waterfalls, spilling over with tiny white lights. There's the whimsical — a wall sconce that's a martini glass with multicolored ice cubes; a ceiling fan with airplane propeller blades.

But there's also plenty in store for buyers who want a smashing Schonbek chandelier, with multiple tiers of lights and swags of Swarovski/ crystals, or a set of classic hanging pendants for the breakfast bar. In between are table and desk lamps; bath and kitchen lighting; and lights to showcase your art collection.

"We have access to more than 200 lighting lines, from very traditional to very state-of-the-art," said Buchwald.

Prices range from less than $100 to $40,000.