Looking for lighting inspiration (or really any inspiration!)

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

My SO and I have made little to no progress on decorating/renovating our home since we moved in, but I am determined to make some progress! The previous owners had a very Adirondack-country style--think pinecone wallpaper and alllll of the oak. We're not in a position to do major renovations, so we're trying to do what we can with furniture, paint, and lighting to make the space feel more like us--inviting and cozy but a little more modern. Thus far, we've acquired a couch, a side table, a rug, a little thrifted MCM chair that I love, and not much else!

Right now, I'm struggling with lighting in the combined kitchen/living room space. When we moved in, there were three mismatched stained glass semi flush mounts. We do not like them at all, so we recently swapped the living room light out for the industrial/rustic light you see below (Kichler Barrington--we hoped it would tie in the wood stove, which we intend to keep.)

We're keeping the Barrington light, but now I have no idea what to do with the other small stained glass lights in front of the two doors.

I could do two more of the Barrington lights, but then would that be too much of the same thing all in one pretty small room?

But if I were to do something else, I don't know what would coordinate well. Our ceilings are crazy low--less that 8 feet. (I try to tell myself its the charm of our c. 1860 home, lol). We're definitely limited to flush mount or semi flush.

Any suggestions or inspiration pictures would be so very appreciated! Seriously. I love this home, but it flummoxes me so sometimes. Thank you!

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Comments (4)

aprilneverends
9 years ago
my advice would be: go on the big site where people are selling vintage..and I'd start with Etsy. search there for vintage lights..mention flush mount/semi flush mount. even better type "mid century modern" when searching.

I'll tell you why-this was a time of lower ceilings. So there were plenty of very nice lighting for lower ceilings. and it was mostly great quality too. hardly comparable to what it is out there now..in normal price range i mean

look what they've got there. almost all my lights are from Etsy, Craigslist or EBay , and I have..well not that low but mostly standard ceilings except for the entry and the living room. when I was searching for the lights i understood very fast that my options in new are either too expensive or too bland.

even though since then i saw more and more new central lights for standard ceilings appearing. it's like the manufacturers heard me lol

yet still, if they're cheap the finish is not as great..they look nice but only from the distance, or on the picture in the internet. and if it's great-they stop being cheap lol

so. i'd really check into vintage

but if you'd rather not, for various reasons..

check Shopcandelabra-http://www.shopcandelabra.com/lighting/ceiling-flush-mounts/flush-mount

they have several options that are more modern/rustic/industrial that you might like, along very traditional ones

(they have semi flush mounts too..http://www.shopcandelabra.com/lighting/ceiling-flush-mounts/semi-flush)

the choice is not bad, the pricing is over the range..given it's a very expensive store, generally speaking-i was pleasantly surprised recently to see there more options

it won't be as great price/quality correlation as if in buying vintage. but it will may be faster and simpler and not bad. say i'd rather recommend them than West Elm that recently carries several flush mounts.

check CB2 as well. didn't hear anything especially amazing about their quality but i saw them expanding their choices

but make sure to read the return policy really well. restocking fees, etc. especially when it's free shipping))

you can find good deals in similar lights on Gilt.com and OneKingsLane. com..also, check the return policies-Gilt became really bad in it lately. On the other hand they often run additional promotions, coupons, etc. they have pages upon pages of lights. and collaborate with some well-known sellers from Etsy that make lights of their own rather than sell vintage. you can find them yourself on Etsy when looking for new lights-all sellers there are extremely polite and responsible, for 99,9% of the time, and are a pleasure to deal with. some new lights made in US and sold there are really cool. but then, as always, it won't be cheap. on the other hand, there is something real nice in supporting local smaller shops that are just starting out, rather than huge chains that are already doing quite well.

that's a cool home..I wish you luck:) Have fun with it..it has a big potential
lyssalea thanked aprilneverends
miniscule
9 years ago
Lovely cozy room! I think it would work well if you continue with the industrial/rustic choice you have already made - not too much and suits the space.
lyssalea thanked miniscule
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aprilneverends
9 years ago
i respectfully disagree. there are separate zones..entry, living, nook..why to put the same lighting everywhere? it's not like it's a long vestibule, or some other place that supports similar lights. if you can have different lighting-I'd rather have different lighting. it would be a missed opportunity not to look for that. or so i feel. i agree it's lovely and cozy-so i'd go with it and spoil it and let it be all the lovely and cozy it wants to be-and I think different lights will be right within this attitude.
lyssalea thanked aprilneverends
lyssalea
Original Author
9 years ago
Sorry I'm so late replying, everyone work and travel kept me offline for a bit. I appreciate all your help though! I'm so clueless and so badly want to create some kind of cohesive style, so the more help, the better!

April -- Thank you for the thoughtful and thorough response. Somehow, I'd never even thought of eBay. I'll check it out , as well as the other links you provided.

miniscule - it's encouraging that you think the light works for the space. Perhaps my instincts aren't too terrible. Thank you!

mayrarod - Inabsolutely want more light in here somehow. We have a wraparound covered porch on the house that I love, but it (plus the giant maples out front) means that we don't get a ton of natural light in that room. Eventually, I think I might like to paint the kitchen cabinets white (or replace them entirely), which might help. In the meantime, I'm considering painting just the island, either in white or a gray. I'm a little too scared of tackling all the cabinets. I also really,more ally want to replace the press-back bar stools. It's just so much warm-toned wood in a small space!