We found a piece of industrial metal at a salvage place and Metro Lighting did a wonderful job of turning it into a pendant light. Everyone compliments it and asks about it. Lawrence and his assistant Cora immediately understood what we had in mind and came up with a great design. We were given options on different finishes, suggestions on CFLs we could use and offered alternative materials that were more budget friendly. It was fabricated in house. Berkeley is very lucky to have this local business! Many thanks. read more

Metro Lighting is a wonderful place with beautiful lighting needs and great customer service. Lawrence really wants you to be pleased with your purchase and will custom make the lightning so it would be perfect for your home. He is very patient and has excellent ideas. The lighting I purchased today for my living room really makes the room look magical. I couldn't be happier. read more

My wife and I recently bought two light fixtures from Metro lighting. After we brought them home, we realized that they had installed the wrong fixture on the wrong light - essentially switched them. I immediately called to have them fixed and Lawrence went above and beyond to help us resolve the issue, even going so far as to hand-deliver a missing part to our home. We are incredibly pleased with our experience. read more

This place is outstanding...every aspect of it. When I was doing a remodel and needed to purchase lighting fixtures, it was a daunting prospect. I don't like shopping, and I'd never been in a lighting store with fixtures I liked. But, as soon as I stepped into the Metro showroom, I found numerous fixtures I loved. The challenge was to figure out which would work best in my applications. I went to the store numerous times to make my decisions, and it could not have been a more positive experience... and this from a person who doesn't like shopping. Lawrence, Christa, and Cora could not have been more helpful. As a custom store, they made modifications to standard designs so that the fixtures work perfectly in my home. I ended up buying 6 fixtures, and I love each and every one of them. They've transformed my house. read more

LOVE this place - beautiful fixtures, nice folks to work with. I had them make a custom fixture for our new bathroom, plus a pair of sconces, and they did a beautiful job. Beautiful store to browse in. read more

A nice, if limited, selection. This is a place for you if you are into craftsman/mediterranean or somewhat contemporary lighting.

I had a floor lamp custom made at Metro Lighting on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. When I picked up the lamp I noticed the base was too small in proportion to the height of the lamp. The lamp was top-heavy. A co-owner said that if he had had a larger and heavier base when he was making the lamp, he would have used it. But he did not attempt t acquire one. Instead he gave me a list of lamp stores where I might be able to find a heaver base. (After I had just paid $500.00 for a lamp!) Soon after I got the lamp home my kitten knocked it over, breaking the piece that attaches the shade to the base, leaving the shade hanging from a wire. When I brought the lamp back to Metro Lighting for repair I asked if there is anything they can do to make the lamp more stable and less of a potential fire hazard. The co-owner suggested mounting the existing round base on a heavier rectangular base for an additional hundred dollars. I couldn't believe that he didn't offer the heaver base for free to correct his own negligence. The lamp is stable now but it does not look right because of the rectangular base (it was designed for a round base). And I burn my fingers when I switch if off because the switch gets so hot. (Metro Lighting told me that no one else has ever complained!) I think that it was very unethical for Metro Lighting to accept my order in the first place when they did not have the proper components to make a stable and safe lamp. I'd like to return the lamp for a full refund. I've imagined just leaving it on their doorstep to be rid of it. This lamp would definitely not earn a UL stamp of approval. read more

I bought 4 lights with their fixtures from Metro Lighting. They were quite nice, although the one made by their glass guy had more imperfections than you'd expect. Of course some imperfections come with hand-blown glass, but the edges curve where they shouldn't and the glass is transparent in spots--not top work. When we went to install the lights, we realized that there were still gas lines in our ceiling and we needed bigger canopies. We called to order new ones and Lawrence told us that we'd get "some discount" for the ones we'd originally purchased. He acknowledges that he said that, but when we went to pick up the new canopies today, there was no discount. The woman who helped us said she would check with Lawrence, who later called us. He decided not to give us any discount at all, which they only told us ONCE WE HAD GIVEN THE CANOPIES BACK. Out of the kindness of our hearts, apparently, we gave them something we paid full-price for (about $700). Some of the people who work here are great and competent, and then there are the others. read more

The first thing everyone comments on when they enter our newly remodeled home is, "Wow! Your light fixtures are gorgeous!" Lawrence and Christa were fabulous to work with, had lots of good ideas and found great solutions to challenges. We needed to 'customize' several of the fixtures due to space constraints and every time, their solutions were brilliant and just perfect for the spaces! The most fun was talking out ideas with Lawrence, watching him do quick, beautiful little sketches and then finally getting to see the special pair of wall sconces he made for us! We cared about being as energy conserving as possible and Lawrence was really knowledgeable about all our bulb options. Their showroom lets you try various shades over a variety of bulbs and you can really see the different light effects. It feels really good to have put something into our home that not only makes us smile, but we know will stand the test of time. If you want quality, supremely fine craftsmanship, great value, really knowledgeable staff and a fun experience purchasing lighting for your home or office, run to Metro Lighting! read more

I can't say enough good things about Metro Lighting. We underwent a major kitchen remodeling project last year in our circa 1916 home. The kitchen design is a mix of old and new, with vintage-type details on the cabinetry, a farm house sink, etc. The kitchen island stands as a different piece of furniture in its design and surfaces. This gave us an interesting slate to work with. We fell in love with a particular fixture at Metro for our island pendants, and used this same design in other lights in both the kitchen and an adjacent mudroom but each fixture has different glass globes. In fact, Lawrence sent us to Rejuvenation to look for the globe on the fixture above our sink as I couldn't find what I wanted at Metro. (And he cheerfully used that globe with his fixture!) We also selected beautiful lighting fixtures for a powder room that was part of the remodeling project. The quality of the lighting is superb, as is the service of Metro. Personally, I think lighting fixtures are a very important design element in a room. I notice them everywhere I go. We couldn't be happier with our Metro lights. They're unique, fitting to our new kitchen and adjoining rooms, and almost every guest comments on them. I wouldn't hesitate to do business with Metro again, and we recommend them to anyone who asks about our beautiful fixtures. read more

We bought our first Metro Lighting pieces about 13 years ago, soon after we bought our house. We have loved them from the moment installed and when in Berkeley, we always drop by to admire the lights. We also dreamed someday of remodeling our house and putting more pieces in place. That day recently came, and we jumped at the chance to work with Metro lighting. We now have several unique lights for different areas of our house that are awesome! Everyone wants to know where they came from - from our architect to our designer to our neighbors. Lawrence and Christa are so easy to work with. They worked with us to get the perfect design and sketched several options, then emails went back and forth to get things just right. We chose some of their featured lights, modified another and then had them make another design from scratch. These are quality, unique pieces that can have both a modern and antique element. You can't go wrong with these pieces and with the staff/owners. read more