At wits end!

10 years ago

I have a decorating challenge that I've been working on for days and nothing seems to work. I have a beautiful foyer which has an 18 ft. ceiling, a curved staircase which winds outward around a turret, but the area is small (about 9ft X 12 ft) and irregularly shaped due to the staircase. There is a balcony from a catwalk upstairs overlooking the staircase. I want to replace the chandelier because we haven't ever changed a light bulb or cleaned the one that exists (It's horribly ugly as well) because it 2 ft from the ceiling and IMPOSSIBLE to reach due to the curved staircase and railing. A lighting decorator advised me to simply buy a chandelier following the dimension protocol (L + W etc.) and hang it much lower with the bottom at 9 ft. so it can be reached with a ladder. I ordered this one:

http://www.lampsplus.com/products/kichler-denman-16-inch-wide-olde-bronze-foyer-pendant__6m286.html

The chandelier looks great, (We haven't hung it yet.) but the problem is that the bottom of the fixture is enclosed, there is no side door, and the only way to change a bulb is from the top which happens to be 38 inches higher! Also, I'm thinking when it is hung that low that it will really make the area feel even smaller since it is a solid chandelier and so tall. Should I return the chandelier and buy a smaller pendant chandelier and hang it very low, or am I panicking for nothing? One of those motorized lifts really isn't an option because you can't reach the attic in that spot. PLEASE help! I"m exhausted trying to figure this one out!

Featured Answer

apple_pie_order

10 years ago

Return it. Look for one with exposed bulbs that are easy to get to. LED bulbs should last many years.

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Comments (12)

SewingLadyDi
10 years ago
Since the new fixture you have picked isn't solving your problem maybe you should find another better suited to your space
paradisecastle thanked SewingLadyDi
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paradisecastle
Original Author
10 years ago
I not 100% certain that the one I have won't work, but I'm scared to hire an electrician to hang it and then find out that it looks goofy or closes in the space too much. I know it fits the "protocol" but it looks sooo big when sitting on the floor or holding it up in the air by hand. :) How can I know for sure before it's hung?
paradisecastle
Original Author
10 years ago
apple_pie_order, do you think a pendant chandelier would look strange on a 10 ft. chain?
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
Try photoshopping in the big lantern. You might want to start working with a local lighting designer.
ascorsonelli
10 years ago
I thought my dining pendant looked MASSIVE out of the box. Hung, it's appropriately sized. Don't second guess the measurements. And use long-lasting LED bulbs!
paradisecastle thanked ascorsonelli
paradisecastle
Original Author
10 years ago
apple_pie_order, I picked the lantern by taking pictures of it online with my cellphone and holding the phone up in the room. It looked good. I also was working with a lighting designer who was wonderful, but she couldn't order any of the lights that I liked best. I really wish online places would take photos of light fixtures and ceiling fans from ALL angles (including top and bottom) instead of just the side view. A lot of houses here in TN have balconies where you look down on the fixtures and if a ceiling fan has up-lights you can see all the ugly "guts" inside the fan. :{

Oh well, maybe I just need a little more confidence. It's just that it could be a very expensive mistake.
SewingLadyDi
10 years ago
Why couldn't the lighting designer order any of the lights you really liked?
paradisecastle
Original Author
10 years ago
They weren't in her catalogs or they were discontinued. The one I bought was discontinued too, but apparently this online company had enough in stock and I was able to get it through them. She thought this one would look fine, but of course the issue of access to the bulbs wasn't listed in the specifications and I didn't think to ask if the bottom was enclosed. The ugly one I have hanging now is open at the bottom so I just assumed... ;)
bichonbabe
10 years ago
You can hire people to change light bulbs FYI
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
I agree photos from several angles would be very useful, like zappos.com shows for shoes.
paradisecastle thanked apple_pie_order
paradisecastle
Original Author
10 years ago
bichonbabe, I hate to have someone risk their life and limb over a stupid light bulb! I'd rather just hang it where it's accessible and I can do it myself. It's scary enough thinking about someone hanging the new one! We had the turret painted a while back and they had a long ladder leaning on the turret wall across the railing! No way! After this I'm done.