I absolutely love the industrial farmhouse aesthetic that this vanity light gives to our master bathroom. It was designed so that it can be mounted with the shades facing up or with them facing down instead whichever you prefer which gives   you some flexibility on where you can install it. The glass shades are frosted white and they allow lots of light into the space without being too bright, harsh, or blinding me. For my installation I ultimately decided to mount it with the shades facing up because that was how it looked best along with everything else I have in the room. I really adore having the option to mount it with the shades facing in either orientation. The actual installation process was quite simple to do and only took me about fifteen minutes to complete.