This is a beautiful fixture. I YouTubed many videos so hubby and I felt confident we could do this (we are not handy people). The problem we had was that the instructions were horrible. They put instructions on like 5 different of their products on a piece of paper (so small, too!) and I wasn't sure which set of directions applied to our product. None of them made sense. We eventually figured it out, but a clear and concise set of instructions would have raised this to five stars. I also don't think the instructions were written by a native English speaker. Too bad because, like I said, it is a beautiful product.

This is a really nice looking fixture and the price can't be beat! I'm going to include some installation tips from my perspective since there seem to be some complaints in that area due to the instructions. First of all, I've installed fixtures before AND I had read the other reviews before purchase so I didn't bother with the instructions. In my opinion, it's pretty straightforward anyway. Before you get started, have a pair of light work gloves handy since you'll have your hands in the fixture's insulation...trust me on this one! If I recall correctly, the mounting screws for the fixture were already in place in the bracket, so don't remove them - just check them to make sure they're screwed in far enough to be secure Next, install the mounting bracket, which should be quick and simple if you're replacing an existing fixture (which I was). Then, wearing gloves, I separated the insulation to make two holes through the fixture where the screws would need to come through. That visibility allowed me to line up the light perfectly so I could connect the wiring without worrying about having to twist the fixture into place and, hence, your wiring in the process. This also allows better access to tighten those screws up after your wires are connected and you slide the light into place. Once I got the screws nice and tight, I plugged the larger part of the hole where the screw head went through before adjustment, thus avoiding the possibility of the light being shifted in the future during a bulb change, etc. I actually just used smaller wire nuts to plug the holes and taped over only them with electrical tape to keep them in place. I hope this makes sense! I felt that this made the whole fixture more secure since it is the only means for keeping the fixture in place. Last, just screw in the threaded rod to attach the globe and adjust it as necessary. FYI, the rod does NOT screw through the fixture and into the mounting bracket - it is solely for attaching the globe - this is one area where I felt the design could have been improved. Overall, this took me about twenty minutes alone and it may have been faster if I'd had someone to help hold the fixture while I connected the wiring. The light is very attractive and the price is excellent considering the high quality, so I'd hate to see someone pass on it because of unclear instructions. I highly recommend you give this beautiful light a chance!

I was initially hesitant to buy this after seeing what some of the reviewers were saying, but I made the purchase and am happy I did. While the installation was a bit horrendous, the product looks great and pairs nicely with the $50 sets we already had. While I can definitely tell you which of the lights is higher quality when directly comparing them, I wouldn't even notice otherwise. The only tell-tale signs are that the more expensive lights have design features that seem intentionally difficult to produce (although not directly lending to the overall aesthetic qualities) and the finish is a bit softer. The marble dome is nearly identical.

Since other reviewers noted problems with the installation, and that was the most aggravating portion for me, I'll speak to some of the problems I had. I've installed my fair share of these things and I can tell you, this was the most unnecessarily aggravating one for me. I received the correct parts: I had all the bolts (two for the frame and two for base attachment), I had the bracket, I had the post and finial and I had the instructions - I set about to installing it. The only thing of value in the instructions was the diagram of the unit, and I only referred to that after questioning my installation, as outlined below. I'd recommend not even trying to read them - they will only confuse you.

I took down my old unit, and started with the bracket installation. I realized that because of the shape of my housing, I wouldn't have the luxury of using all four bolts. I would need to use the longer ones to secure the bracket to the housing. This is where the "unnecessary" aggravation comes in. The bolts provided were just barely long enough, but it took me a long time to get that realization. At first, I did what I would normally do. I attached the bolts with only enough thread to keep it secured and went to attach the base plate. It's the keyhole type where you have to push the heads of the bolt or screw through an opening and then twist it to secure it in place. This needed to be done with both bolts.

I tried a couple times and failed, not seeing the bolt at all. "Are they too short," I thought. I stuck a screwdriver through the opening of one of the keyholes, having to pull back insulation (I should have worn gloves), and guided it to the screw, all the while pushing the base plate up as well. I looked and saw that there was a significant gap between the top of the base and the head of the bolt. I backed the screw out as much as I felt comfortable and tried again.

I can't saw how many times I did that until I finally moved the bolts to where they were almost literally hanging by a thread. I managed to get the base plate to the head of the bolt only to have the bolt drop off. I did this for, gosh, oh-so long before I was finally able to guide both of them through enough and still keep them attached to screw them in and secure everything. I feel like all of that could have been avoided by as little as 3mm of extra bolt. Gosh.

So, while I wish they had slightly longer bolts, and that the insulation could have been secured to the base a little better, the product itself looks great after being installed and we've had no problems with it whatsoever. I'll likely buy more of these for upstairs (albeit I'll be throwing in a bag of bolts too).

***Updated review @ the bottom***

I have yet to install this fixture (& I know it could potentially pose some issues & take a bit of time according to many other reviews). But for now, I rate this as a 3 out of 5 stars because the color of the fixture is NOWHERE near the example online or remotely close to a dark brown (picture to follow). I think I will just paint it dark brown with a spray paint I have kicking around, though it's something I should not have to do, it should have been the right color to begin with. Anyway, I will see how the installation goes & take a picture or 2 when I finally have the time. I did order 2 of the satin nickel ones; maybe those will come in right?

********Update: So the brown color seemed disappointing at first, but once it was installed it actually looked darker. I also installed 2 satin nickel ones in my hall & they look great. The first light was a challenge but after it was figured out the other 2 went much faster. I did just purchase 2 more of these for the last rooms that need replacing. For the price, you can't beat it.

Needed a little change in my room, and this was exactly what did it.

Two small things to keep a note of:
1) the two bolts provided are way to small and it would have been extremely difficult to try to use them to hold the main plate to the ceiling, so i used the ones I had from the previous light. People that are doing a new install might run into this issue.

2)The directions looked quite confusing, I just threw it away and am glad I did. Took me about 15 minutes to do it.

Overall a great looking product for an amazing price.