Surface mounts, also known as flush mounts, are decorative light fixtures that sit on a flat surface. Don’t let the standard apartment dweller “boob lighting” surface mounts tarnish the light fixture type as a whole—there are plenty of well-designed styles to swap your flushed fixture for. Surface mounts are perfect for homes with lower ceilings since they virtually take up no space (compared to the longer hanging pendant or chandelier). P.S. When surface mounts are mounted to a vertical wall, they’re called sconces. It’s all about positioning!