Annapolis Lighting

Bottom Line: Whether you are looking for a simple pendant or Liberace’s chandelier, you can find it here.
Annapolis Lighting is a great place to shop for indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, replacement parts and ceiling fans. The collection in this store is large but its even larger on line. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, be sure to grab someone to help you because they may be able to point to your desired item in one of their catalogs. Also, the sales staff can help find lighting options for a wide range of budgets from high-​end to wallet-​friendly.
It can get busy in here on the weekends so if you are needing some hands on help I recommend coming right when they open; otherwise, you could find yourself waiting a long time for a sales person to become available. Also, before buying here, I recommend checking for better prices online elsewhere. I was surprise to find one of the chandeliers I was interested in sold elsewhere for significantly less.

I walked into Annapolis Lighting today on a recommendation from a friend. I’ve been looking for a replacement shade for our chandelier for almost a year with no luck. Annapolis Lighting didn’t carry it, but Kim, the representative that helped me out, told me that if I called with any numbers or additional information on the light, she would research it for me.
When I called (after hours!), she did some cursory research and asked for a photo of the chandelier so that she could verify the vendor and the style. I’m waiting on the results now.
I’m floored that someone would take the time to research an obscure light fixture for me on her own time. I was already pretty convinced that my next lighting purchase was going to be from Annapolis Lighting simply because of their expert curation, but Kim’s customer service sealed the deal.

I’ve been here three times at the suggestion of my electrician. Each time I go, I am sorry that I did. I’ve got to preface this review by saying that yes, I am fussy about what I choose to put in my house, and I like fancy things. I have renovated before and done some of my own electrical work. I shop for home décor and fixtures in different cities when I have the chance. I have a degree in astrophysics and another one in photography, so I know a couple of things about lighting, electricity and signal transmission. I am probably not their average customer, I admit, and as I said, I am fussy, but I admit it and I try to be nice about it. I still need some help and I still would like to take the time to make an informed purchase. I prefer to trust salespeople if they know what they are doing — I learn stuff and I get a better solution. Unfortunately, none of that has happened for me at Annapolis Lighting.
The Good (and why they get two stars from me instead of one):
–They have a large selection of lighting and ceiling fans, probably the largest in the Annapolis area, and the quality is okay. It’s not what you would find in the best shops in a larger city, but it’s good, and the inventory works well with the styles of homes in the area.
–Displays for different kinds of lighting help with decision making.
–The repair and parts center seems to have most of what you need and they have a nice selection of lampshades.
I must have missed the coffee and snacks referenced by Unilocaler Nina.
The Bad:
–Some staff attitude is off the charts with self-​importance. I have not spoken to every person there, but the three I have spoken to so far seem to think that they are right about everything, know all there is to know (even when they are wrong, they stick to it), and are affronted if you correct them or suggest that they might not have it quite right.
–If you ask for something outside their floor selection, it’s apparently offensive and annoying.
–They are *always* super busy. Even on a Tuesday morning, they were busy, let alone a Saturday afternoon. When I was there last weekend, there must have been 20 people standing around the desk waiting for service and all the employees were hopping busy. There is usually a long wait to speak with anyone. Problem is, when you do get someone to help you, you get the attitude mentioned above.
Last time I was there, I went to buy some recessed lighting. I hadn’t bought recessed lighting since 2010 and I knew a few things had changed. Now there are more LED fixtures available, and I hoped maybe they’d been coming out with more color temperature choices. After waiting around for about 30 or 40 minutes, I finally got someone’s attention but he was helping someone else. I said that I needed to talk to someone about the recessed lighting and it might take a few minutes since I was concerned about color temperature and fussy about it. He said «well, you’ve got the warm color at 2700K and daylight at 3000». I said «No — it’s not 3000» (it’s 5000, for the record, feel free to Google) and he was offended, looked at me like I was a idiot and in a condescending tone said he was certain it was. I shrugged, said «hmm — perhaps I ought to wait until someone’s free.» and he was further insulted. I made what graceful exit I could and left. I mean, hey, what do I know? I only work in rocket science. Maybe because I am a middle aged woman you think I’m uneducated? If you want to talk down to me, I guess that’s your business decision, but I’m not going to give you my money after that. Other visits went just as badly. The first time, I went for a bathroom vent fan that was better looking than the standard on the market and asked if they had anything like that. The woman who «helped» me seemed too busy and annoyed and said it was unlikely I’d find anything. I did find something, online and elsewhere. Same with the ceiling fixture I needed for the same bathroom. I also shopped this fixture at Fergusons, but they were super nice and seemed to understand what I was looking for, even though they didn’t have something to fit the bill.
Maybe when you’re the only game in town, you start believing that you don’t have to question your own thinking, your stock, or your attitude. I don’t know. It’s upsetting because as I said, they have a good selection, and I would have happily bought my recessed lighting there if only someone could have taken the time to really help me or even be concerned about selling me what I wanted. There are some ceiling fans there I’d like to know more about but I don’t want to go back because they are so consistently unavailable and full of attitude.

Went there looking for a touch lamp. They explained that what was needed was a plug-​in adapter which they no longer stocked. We went next door to Home Depot and bought one, took it back to the store, purchased the lamp we wanted. They tried it out on the lamp to make sure it worked. Thank you Joseph S. and the lady behind the desk. These people were so kind and helpful. Even if you don’t purchase anything you’ll walk out with a smile on your face. They have some of the most unique lighting and accessories I’ve ever seen.

These guys are pretty cool. They offer Keurig coffee and snacks like pretzels to get you to light shop longer. You got my attention. Now just have a big pointy sign to the bathrooms.
I was amazed by all the chandeliers and huge light fixtures. You need a really big room or lobby to hang them. There are several options for light bulbs and they even stock the old fashioned decorative ones (cheaper at Home Depot). One day I’m going to buy a water fountain for my living room — they also have those. A good light makes all the difference and it should make a statement.

I’ve been hunting for a modern fan recently — been to Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc. — Annapolis Lighting also did not really have what I wanted in their show room. But, when I told the very friendly and helpful salesperson what I was looking for — she pulled out several catalogs and spent the time until we found what I was looking for– ordered it and I picked up today — a week later. Very pleased, perfect lighting for our family room.

This place really does have just about everything possible to do with lighting. The sales staff is incredibly helpful, answering all of your lighting questions, and if you come in and describe what you need, they’ll give you the perfect light. Were I lighting my home, I’d come here first.
I’m reposting this under all 3 listings for the exact same place in the hopes that Unilocal stops repeating itself, lol.