Flos Lighting: A Procurement Manager Answers Six Real Questions

For the last six years, I've been the one who signs the lighting purchase orders at a 45-person architecture firm. That means I've budgeted for Flos fixtures, justified them to clients, and tracked what they actually cost after shipping, installation, and the occasional replacement. A handful of questions come up again and again—from our own designers, from contractors, and from clients who want a “floor chandelier” but don't know exactly what that means. Here are the questions I answer in real life.

1. Is Flos worth the premium?
2. What is the Flos Light Spring Double?
3. Can Flos exterior lighting survive real weather?
4. What should I look for in a Flos exterior spotlight?
5. What exactly is a “floor chandelier”?
6. Does a light switch need to be grounded?

I won't pretend every answer is universal. My context is B2B projects in North America, with a budget that's real but not unlimited. If you're working in a different market or a much larger project, your mileage may vary.

1. Is Flos worth the premium?

I have mixed feelings about the word “premium” because it's often used to hide a lack of value. But with Flos, you're paying for design history, real materials, and a brand that stands behind the product. From a total cost of ownership point of view, that can matter a lot. In 2023, we watched a lower-cost floor lamp get replaced twice in a high-traffic lobby while a Flos fixture from the same project never had a problem. The cheap lamp had a lower invoice price but a higher cost per year.

That doesn't mean Flos is right for every socket. If you just need a code-compliant downlight, don't put a designer's name on it. Spend the money where people actually see and touch the light—in lobbies, restaurants, and focal points. If you ask me, that's the difference between lighting design and simply buying fixtures. A single iconic piece can carry a room; you don't need ten. One Arco, one Light Spring Double, one well-placed spotlight.

One more thing: service. Flos has been around since 1962, and their customer support is part of what you're paying for. When we had a damaged shade in transit, the replacement process was straightforward. That's not the norm in every lighting brand we've used.

2. What is the Flos Light Spring Double?

Light Spring is a portable cordless lamp designed by Konstantin Grcic. The Double version is, as the name suggests, a larger take on the same idea—more light, longer battery life, and more physical presence. We've used it in places where adding a floor outlet would have been a headache: a lounge, a terrace, even a pop-up event. Portable also means you don't have to commit to a location, which is a huge advantage when a client may reconfigure furniture.

What surprised me was the savings. On one project, running floor outlets to a seating area would have meant cutting into two floor finishes. Specifying four Light Spring Doubles instead saved maybe $1,800 in electrical and flooring work, and the lights look intentional. Just check the charging lead time and confirm the color temperature with your lighting designer before you order—those are the two details we had to chase. Also ask whether the dimming is stepped or continuous; for some spaces that matters more than you'd think.

3. Can Flos exterior lighting survive real weather?

Yes, if you buy outdoor-rated products and install them the right way. The first thing I check is the IP rating. IEC 60529 defines these, and for exposed locations I'm looking for at least IP65. That gives protection against dust and water jets, which is the minimum I'd want on an exterior wall or in a covered outdoor area.

But the fixtures are only part of the story. Our electricians always prefer a fixture with a separate junction box so the wire connections stay dry. In a Q2 2024 project near the coast, we specified marine-grade materials for the mounting hardware too. The surprise wasn't the light itself—it was finding that a couple of third-party screws could rust even when the fixture was fine. Now I put “all mounting hardware” into the spec. Also check dark-sky compliance early. Local ordinances vary, and a light that's too bright or too upward-facing can fail inspection.

4. What should I look for in a Flos exterior spotlight?

Beam angle and glare control matter more than raw lumens. People start with brightness and completely miss whether the beam will wash a facade evenly or create hot spots. I also look at CRI, especially if plants or artwork are involved. A high-CRI source makes colors look right; a low-CRI source makes everything feel slightly off. A narrow beam with a sharp cutoff can be the best tool for grazing texture; a wide beam with a soft edge is better for washing a wall. If you're unsure, ask for a photometric file and look at it before you commit.

Then there's the installation cost. For a 2024 facade project, we specified around 18 exterior spotlights. The fixture quote was fine. The low-voltage drivers, cable runs, and trenching added roughly 15% to the total installation. That's the hidden cost nobody budgets for unless they've been burned. So ask about driver placement and whether the fixture needs a special dimming system before you write the requisition.

5. What exactly is a “floor chandelier”?

It's not an official product category. It's one of those decorative terms for a freestanding lamp with enough visual presence to feel like a chandelier—without cutting into the ceiling. Flos doesn't label anything a floor chandelier as far as I know, but plenty of floor lamps work that way. The classic example is the Arco: a marble base, an arched arm, and a canopy that hangs overhead like a pendant. We've specified it in rooms where the client didn't want ceiling modifications and still wanted a statement.

Before you go down that route, measure the ceiling height and the lamp's reach. The Arco's base is heavy for good reason, but you don't want to find out it won't fit under a low overhang during installation. And remember: a floor chandelier is still a floor lamp, so you'll need either an outlet nearby or a well-planned cord run. A freestanding fixture also gives you flexibility when the layout changes; you can move it without leaving a hole in the ceiling. In a historic interior, that can be the deciding factor.

6. Does a light switch need to be grounded?

Here's where I have to be honest about my own boundary: I'm a procurement manager, not an electrician. I don't give wiring advice. What I can tell you is how often this question changes a project's budget. Grounding matters because it's about safety, and local code controls what's allowed. According to the National Electrical Code, most new branch circuits require a grounding conductor. But replacement switches in older two-wire systems have their own exceptions, and the only safe answer depends on what's in the box.

From a cost perspective, I always tell clients to budget for an electrician's inspection if there's any doubt. We once paid a service call—a few hundred dollars—to verify a switch box before insurance raised questions. It was cheap compared to the risk. If you're specifying lighting in an older building, put “electrical rough-in check” in the budget. It's one of those line items nobody likes, but it beats the alternative.