Hi downlightforyou,
Thanks for your very detailed and helpful advice! I think I know what I should use now for my main door foyer ceiling. I personally loooooove the effect of glass (I haven't tried crystal before) but I will definitely consider all the types of suggestions you have as they all sound good.
As for the balcony, I really like your matt black lamp post idea unfortunately my balcony has no windows and it can get very windy at times. At this point, I am considering either a ceiling mount or short hanging. May I know what do you mean by "4FT T8 x 2"? And what is the white powder coated fixture you mentioned? Do you know of any lighting shop that have a good collection of these? Sorry I'm really a beginner at these...
Cheers,