Kristie Pryor

I spent the last three months testing wall sconces in my own home and a few friends’ places to put this guide together. We installed them in bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, and living rooms, switching between hardwired, plug-in, and battery-operated styles. Modern wall sconces have come a long way from the bulky brass fixtures of the … Read more

If you have ever stood in a hallway staring up at a builder-grade “boob light” and thought there has to be something better, you are not alone. The best semi flush ceiling lights solve that problem beautifully. They hang just 4 to 8 inches below the ceiling, giving you more decorative presence than a flat … Read more

I spent the last three months living with twelve different flush mount ceiling lights in our home, swapping them room by room to see which ones actually held up to daily life. After installing everything from bargain-basement 12 inch panels to a $130 smart RGB ceiling fixture, our team narrowed down the best flush mount … Read more

I have spent the last three months testing pendant lights, linear chandeliers, and mini-pendants over my own kitchen island, and I learned that the right fixture can completely change how a kitchen feels. The best kitchen island lighting fixtures do three jobs at once: they illuminate your prep surface, anchor the room’s visual focus, and … Read more

A crystal chandelier transforms any room into a statement space, and after spending three months comparing dozens of fixtures, our team put together this definitive guide to the best crystal chandeliers available right now. We tested these pieces in real dining rooms, foyers, bedrooms, and kitchen islands, evaluating sparkle quality, build construction, ease of installation, … Read more

I have spent the last three months testing and living with eight of the most talked-about linen sofas on the market, and I am ready to share what actually holds up after real daily use. Linen has a reputation for being delicate, but the modern crop of performance linen and linen-blend sofas tells a different … Read more

Finding the best sleeper sofas with mattress used to feel impossible for me. Years ago, I bought a cheap pull-out for my first apartment, and the metal bars gouged into my guest’s back so badly I still feel guilty about it. After that experience, I started treating sleeper sofa research like a science project. For … Read more

I spent the last three months testing 10 of the most popular l shaped sectional sofas on the market, sinking into cushions, hauling boxes through doorways, and yes, letting my dog shed on every single one. My living room looked like a sectional showroom for weeks, but it was worth it. By the end, I … Read more

I spent 60 nights testing flood lights in my driveway and backyard, dodging motion alerts at 2 a.m. and staring at color temperature until my eyes crossed. The best smart outdoor flood lights in are not the brightest ones or the most expensive ones. They are the ones that actually deter porch pirates, sync with … Read more

I’ve installed low voltage landscape lighting in my own yard and helped neighbors pick systems for their gardens, and I’ll tell you this: the best low voltage landscape lighting transforms a flat, forgettable yard into a layered outdoor space that pulls you outside after dark. After three months of testing eight kits and spotlights, comparing … Read more