Direct Buy definitely isn't for everybody. If you're shopping only for cheapest price & aren't concerned about brands or quality, it's not for you. If you only buy a few very specific brandnames and DB doesn't carry them, it's not for you. I read a lot of the negative comments about it online & most of them just confirmed that it would be a good deal for us. Since we're owner/builders and have to source a lot of things ourselves the membership fee wasn't a big deal - we made it back in the savings on our windows alone. (bought very high-end windows that wouldn't have been able to afford to look at otherwise). We have a very tight budget but expensive tastes so I don't know if we've saved tons of money with DB but we have been able to get much better quality than we could afford elsewhere. Keep in mind that they are franchises so the customer service & sales tactics can vary a lot between locations depending on the owner. Another thing that varies is the local merchants who are associated with DB. We're lucky enough to have lots of good ones at our location so have been able to take advantage of the design services at big lighting, plumbing & tile stores & a high-end local cabinet manufacturer while getting great discounts. We haven't bought everything through DB, it's just one more resource for us. I'm always on the look-out & have found some great deals at store close-out & moving sales. Another thing to consider is that if they carry manufacturers you like, you have each company's entire line to pick from, not just the best-selling items that the stores carry. That's important for us because our tastes don't always coincide with what's most popular in our local stores. It doesn't make sense for everyone, and it depends on what your local showroom is like, but I have no regrets about joining. After reading some of the responses, I don't know why people get so worked up about a company they have chosen not to deal with. If it makes sense for you to join, that's great; if not, don't join but why get so incensed about those who do?

and I remember reading that they should be between 31 and 36" apart (due to space limitations ours are only 25" apart and it seems fine to me - so remember to do what looks good to you in your space despite the recommendations)

General thoughts: I agree with the poster who commented that lights ought to blend into your overall design -- they should enhance your overall look rather than jumping out at you. I vote for "standout fixtures" in the places where they'll really show (probably the dining room table and the kitchen island) and moderate fixtures where other things will distract from them anyway (like bedrooms and hallways). I personally would match metals. Right now the trend is eclectic, but that won't always be true. I think matching is especially important in a small room -- like a bathroom -- but less important in a great room. If you want to go with something trendy -- like the birdcages or industrial-looking light fixtures that seem to be popping up everywhere -- they are something that can easily be changed out in the future. But if I were buying something trendy, I'd look for an inexpensive knock-off, knowing that it's going to look dated sooner rather than later. I wouldn't worry too much about lights in hallways, etc. -- those are small details that seem important at the moment, but really aren't going to be noticed in daily use. I absolutely want low, background lighting in a number of places: I want a rope light above the crown molding in my dining area ceiling. I want rope lighting under the edge of the bathroom vanity so we don't have to turn on lights in the middle of the night. And I like dimmer switches for the major light fixtures. This is a small thing, but it's a goal of mine: I'm trying to avoid specialty light bulbs. In my house right now -- in addition to plain light bulbs, of course -- I have big, fat bulbs over my breakfast table and bar, candle-looking light bulbs over my dining room table, small round bulbs in the overheads in my office, and "Hollywood" bulbs over my sink. The upshot is that I have to keep a variety of sizes of bulbs on hand! Admittedly, with the new, long-lasting bulbs, this isn't the headache that it was a few years ago, but I figure that if I choose better for our next house, I can have only ONE TYPE of bulb that'll work everywhere. Yes, I've already bought the dining room chandelier, and it has "upturned" globes that hold . . . standard bulbs! Another of my goals: Though every room needs an overhead light, I want to minimize the number. For example, I am putting a wall sconce at the top and bottom of the staircase instead of an overhead pendant that I can't reach -- even with a ladder. As people go higher and higher with ceilings, it's important to think about how you're going to change those light bulbs! Admittedly, I'm not quite 5' tall, so this is maybe more important to me than it is to other people.

I took some photos but don't know if I will ever get them posted. Plus the lighting was bad because I just shot them without any adjustments with off indoor lighting. It was an upscale old folks home where my uncle lives. The whole place appeared to have been designed by a very smart and capable decorator. Everything was color coordinated on all the floors, although each had a unique personality. But the whole thing was designed to give off a warm. cozy and upscale vibe. Problem for me using it would be that none of my things would match those colors. I have that "northwoods" color scheme going with maroon, blueberry, taupe, brown, forest green, tan, plum and sage. It'll be interesting to see how I pull off blending my mom's "spring/fall" color palette with my "winter/summer" one. I can use her colors if the intensity and tone is right. For example, I am fine with dark rust, watermelon or terra cotta but peach is death for me.