Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Shopping for Pendant Lighting

There are so many little projects going on in my house right now that sometimes my head spins when I start to think about everything on our to do list.  Just to name a few -  we are in the process of picking out things for the nursery, installing base boards and trim, reconfiguring a wall of cabinets in our kitchen and designing a buffet/credenza with coordinating cabinets in our dining room, we are desperately in need of rugs in every room of our house since we removed all the carpets, we are picking out throw pillows, choosing curtains for the dining room, designing a moving island for our kitchen...and the list goes on.  Of course the nesting mother-to-be in me would like all of it to be done before the baby arrives but that is neither financially feasible or realistic.  Plus Mike will kill me if I add one more thing to his summer-to-do-list.   

One of the items on my list is to pick out a dining room light fixture.  Our dining room has a flat roof with no attic space above so the possibility of can lights is out and we currently have this horrible 70's style, stained glass, dome light/fan thing going on now, reminiscent of something you would find over a pool table in a badly designed pub and it just has to go.  Here's the thing, I am baaaaad at making decisions - and so is Mike.  Once we do finally decide on something, we often change our mind about it once we have it.  I think it's the downfall of being passionate about interior design and having so much access to great design blogs and sites like Pinterest.  I am constantly seeing things I like and thinking to myself - would that look better than what I have now?!

Here are the three options I am currently contemplating:

Industrial style pendants.  I definitely like the idea of hanging two together like in this arrangement, with some kind of rope cord, similar to this.  These are simple (and cheap) and add a lot to the room without being a focal point.  I love how simple the decor is but what a huge style impact the overall room has.  Green folding chairs with just the right amount of wear and tear, paired with a wooden dining table and funky vintage accessories against shiny white floors gives the room tons of personality and a sense of playfulness.

industrial pendant lighting
Source: In my House via Pinterest

Linen Drum Pendants.  I have always loved the simplicity of a linen drum pendant.  It's really such a timeless lighting choice.  West Elm has some great options.  In the past they've had more colors to choose from but I really do love this natural linen look.  We are considering going with a dark grayish blue or navy color in the dining room and I love the contrast of the natural linen against the dark colors - very dramatic...

linen drum pendnant lighting
Source: West Elm

Oversized and unique pendants. I love this light fixture.  It would be super easy to make - it looks like it's a giant Japanese paper lantern paired with a cord light and mounted to the wall - easy and inexpensive.  This room has some amazing architectural elements like the medallion on the ceiling and the crown molding which is a great contrast to the more modern paper lantern.  This room is a great mix of high end and low end pieces.  The paper lantern light fixture and Ikea lamp are inexpensive but look great paired with the vintage chairs and antique wooden cabinet, and that white couch looks sooo cozy!

funky and unique pendant lighting


22 comments:

Jennifer Swift said...

I just recently bought a Makati luxury apartment for sale in Metro Manila since we are moving for good. One of the things I always consider when buying an apartment or a house is the space and the quality of the building. The better the quality, the safer it is for me to put some accessories like pendants, decorations and furniture.

Mark Regan said...

I've been trying to find a place rent a house in liverpool. I'm not sure if what they told me was accurate but they said that most of the houses their have a similar design such as this.

Mark Rolands said...

I've checked the apartment loan rates lately and most of the offers were pretty deceiving. If ever I find a furnished apartment with a good interior design, such as this, then I won't even think twice in buying it.

Mike Juniors said...

I could pretty much relate to this because I had to apply for a refinance mortgage lead when I bought a new house just last year. But of course before buying the new house, I had to make sure it was well furnished and the location was good.

Unknown said...

I hope the apartment loan rates here is lower compared to the other apartments I've inquired. I'm pretty short nowadays, that's why.

Unknown said...

Houses like this are what quality mortgage leads handles. I've seen some of good houses and they actually have good deals and offer. Better check it out.

pendant lights said...


i am so excited by read of your blog's content.really great post.Thanks for sharing.
Pendant lighting fixtures

Unknown said...

I think it will really be good to study some laws and several provisions under the florida condominium law to be able to ensure that you are safe from abuse that could possibly made by your landlord. There's nothing wrong with taking extra care when it concerns your protection.

Unknown said...

The west elm pic looks like it came from one of those properties for sale in east london. It's got that elegance about it.

Unknown said...

If I will be living in a hotel in new orleans, I want those furnitures in my room. Very beautiful furnitures.

Anonymous said...

Rusty green dining chairs are in! Unless you have plans to buy commercial property, then go for the brown nice chairs on the last picture for your lobby.

Unknown said...

Awesome place indeed! I do wonder if they have a design that looks like this is retirement communities long island ? I bet my granny would love this home design.

Unknown said...

My wife and I are planning to go for any flats to rent in east london. The arrangement of the furniture is what we wanted to do or to have on the flat we will renting.

Unknown said...

I love the simplicity of your house! You didn't need to accessorize it too much and that makes it easy to look at. When my friend rented an apartment in canary wharf, I was the one who designed her interior - she said it lacked accessories that's why she called me a 'minimalist.' Oh well, I think the simpler the better.

Olivia Mocatta said...

My aunt says I needed home improvement. After seeing your photos, I realised that I just need to brighten up my home instead. Maybe I just have to throw out some stuff to lessen the mess and change my curtains to white or beige.

Hugh Griffin said...

Is it possible to redecorate the place where you are living even if you are just renting on it? I've rented a place in canary wharf and been wanting to do it so badly.

Shirley Dunn said...

Maintaining the order and cleanliness of that dining table could be very stressful especially if you don't have the time to do it by yourself. That's when cleaning services come into play. Actually, there are so many house owners and even companies that really hires them for cleaning houses, offices and so on.

Natasha Du Croz said...

Your chairs look absolutely stylish! Even the antique style! Thanks for the idea, I know a place where I can buy similar furniture. All I need is to brighten up my home!

Brianna Plante said...

You're right about the vintage accessories on white floor! I've always thought they would look better on natural-colored wooden floors, but you seem to make them look so lovely and simple on white floor. Thanks for the idea!

Jaysey said...

I love the house! The furniture look comfortable and stylish at the same time. I would love to fill my house with them, but my problem is, our house is infested with termites. I guess I'll spend money on pest control first, before furniture.

Marla Young said...

From the last picture: I have the same carpet in our basement! I didn't know the chairs would look good with white shag carpet. Too bad I didn't buy them.

Kiera Craig said...

The last picture of the living room is lovely, but I'm afraid that won't work on my house with kids wandering around like chicks! Perhaps I can still find other available colors online, aside from black just to prevent obvious dirt!