Where are all the cute/fun lighting fixtures?
October 25, 2017 8:06 AM Subscribe
We need a lighting fixture for our bedroom and I would prefer to have something I actually like. Where might I find something that has personality and isn't awful?
Requirements:
-Not crazy expensive; $230ish would be the maximum and cheaper would be great
-It has to be hanging because the ceilings are tall
-I'd like it to be easy to clean, no bowls that will fill up with dust and misery
-My preference is definitely for normal lightbulbs (A19, I think?), not candles and stuff
-It needs to be bright enough that I can actually see stuff when I turn on the lights so nothing that has like one forty watt bulb
-It's for a bedroom so preferably no bare bulbs either, nothing that will sear my retinas
Most Important:
I would like it to have some personality, which I recognize is hard to define, but like if there's a pleasant tasteful light fixture that also looks like a bumblebee or or a pendant lamp with elephants or something that would be great, or alternatively maybe like a crazy chandelier that should probably go in a ballroom (these are easier to find but seem very hard to clean and mostly require candle bulbs), would also be happy with something that makes me feel like I'm in a fancy zeppelin or a Jules Verne submarine but not just "bronze", best case scenario is if it is a charming octopus.
Things Not to My Taste:
-Tiffany glass
-Modern stuff
-Those light fixtures that look like a sculpture of an explosion (there are a bunch of these like this one; I think it could work really well in a certain space but it's not what I want for my bedroom)
-Things that look like an armillary sphere but aren't
What I don't want is for my room to look like it was done by Generic 2017 Designer. I want something pleasant that makes me happy to look at and makes me feel like the room really belongs to me (and my husband, whatever). Stuff designed for a kid's room would be fine (great). Thank you for any suggestions you have, either of specific pieces or places that have more interesting lighting options!
Requirements:
-Not crazy expensive; $230ish would be the maximum and cheaper would be great
-It has to be hanging because the ceilings are tall
-I'd like it to be easy to clean, no bowls that will fill up with dust and misery
-My preference is definitely for normal lightbulbs (A19, I think?), not candles and stuff
-It needs to be bright enough that I can actually see stuff when I turn on the lights so nothing that has like one forty watt bulb
-It's for a bedroom so preferably no bare bulbs either, nothing that will sear my retinas
Most Important:
I would like it to have some personality, which I recognize is hard to define, but like if there's a pleasant tasteful light fixture that also looks like a bumblebee or or a pendant lamp with elephants or something that would be great, or alternatively maybe like a crazy chandelier that should probably go in a ballroom (these are easier to find but seem very hard to clean and mostly require candle bulbs), would also be happy with something that makes me feel like I'm in a fancy zeppelin or a Jules Verne submarine but not just "bronze", best case scenario is if it is a charming octopus.
Things Not to My Taste:
-Tiffany glass
-Modern stuff
-Those light fixtures that look like a sculpture of an explosion (there are a bunch of these like this one; I think it could work really well in a certain space but it's not what I want for my bedroom)
-Things that look like an armillary sphere but aren't
What I don't want is for my room to look like it was done by Generic 2017 Designer. I want something pleasant that makes me happy to look at and makes me feel like the room really belongs to me (and my husband, whatever). Stuff designed for a kid's room would be fine (great). Thank you for any suggestions you have, either of specific pieces or places that have more interesting lighting options!
If you're in or visiting the Seattle area, go to Lighten Up, run by a dude who will hook. you. up. He refurbished two of our weird vintage helmet lamps (roman and samurai, natch) super fast and with great praise, and the shop is jam packed with more cute and fun light fixtures than should mathematically fit in the space.
If not, my suggestion is to choose something well-designed with LED bulbs for the ceiling, so it's not ugly and casts good overall light, but not something that is particularly prominent. Then go nuts with fun lamps.
I suggest this because lamps are vastly easier to find in the styles that you want, any good bedroom lighting calls for some lamps so you'll need to have some in the room anyway, you can have more than one fun light fixture, you can move them around to your whim, and lamps are on your level so you can appreciate them more easily. I like a lot of the "unique" lamps at lampstore.com.
posted by Mizu at 8:31 AM on October 25, 2017
If not, my suggestion is to choose something well-designed with LED bulbs for the ceiling, so it's not ugly and casts good overall light, but not something that is particularly prominent. Then go nuts with fun lamps.
I suggest this because lamps are vastly easier to find in the styles that you want, any good bedroom lighting calls for some lamps so you'll need to have some in the room anyway, you can have more than one fun light fixture, you can move them around to your whim, and lamps are on your level so you can appreciate them more easily. I like a lot of the "unique" lamps at lampstore.com.
posted by Mizu at 8:31 AM on October 25, 2017
I'd say look for one or more local lighting or lamp shops. This is going to largely come down to personal taste and will likely be difficult to find out of a magazine. If you can find an architectural salvage sort of place it may help your budget as well.
posted by meinvt at 8:31 AM on October 25, 2017
posted by meinvt at 8:31 AM on October 25, 2017
Schoolhouse Electric Supply? They have some non-bowl lamps.
Anthropologie has some fun and different lights.
best case scenario is if it is a charming octopus
Ikea has some good basic cheap lighting that you can customize to get the look you want if you have the time/energy. I got one of these FOTO pendants and painted the outside green and with a (flexible) dinosaur stencil for my old bathroom, and painted the inside with a sort of rose gold metal coating that was heat resistant (I don't remember exactly what I used). You could do something similar to get your octopus, maybe? Here's some ideas on Pinterest.
Or you could just buy an octopus light from Etsy.
posted by barchan at 8:39 AM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Anthropologie has some fun and different lights.
best case scenario is if it is a charming octopus
Ikea has some good basic cheap lighting that you can customize to get the look you want if you have the time/energy. I got one of these FOTO pendants and painted the outside green and with a (flexible) dinosaur stencil for my old bathroom, and painted the inside with a sort of rose gold metal coating that was heat resistant (I don't remember exactly what I used). You could do something similar to get your octopus, maybe? Here's some ideas on Pinterest.
Or you could just buy an octopus light from Etsy.
posted by barchan at 8:39 AM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
I don't know about octopus, but "jellyfish chandelier" comes up with some sweet options. Maybe not quite what you're looking for, but something fancy-crafted and whimsical might be out of your price range.
posted by gideonfrog at 9:12 AM on October 25, 2017
posted by gideonfrog at 9:12 AM on October 25, 2017
Do you have a ceiling fan box, or can you install one? (Or is there a joist running across where the box is?) Because a fan could be an option.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 9:26 AM on October 25, 2017
posted by Huffy Puffy at 9:26 AM on October 25, 2017
I really enjoy LampsPlus. They have a ton of options in a variety of styles. I'm currently waiting until I have room in my budget for one of these!
posted by hydra77 at 10:16 AM on October 25, 2017
posted by hydra77 at 10:16 AM on October 25, 2017
Here's a cute elephant patterned pendant lamp. That site looks like it has a design your own feature, so you could pick any variety of patterns and really customize it if that is appealing to you. Maybe this one is appealing for the steam punk vibe without a bare bulb?
posted by LKWorking at 10:55 AM on October 25, 2017
posted by LKWorking at 10:55 AM on October 25, 2017
Check the teen/tween/kid lines of Pottery Barn (Hogwarts pendant, Star Wars stormtrooper head) and the like, or Land of Nod, or this octopus pendant at etsy (seller has a few in different finishes). (Etsy also has this working soviet-era chandelier, but the bulbs might be fiddlier than you wish.) Etsy is full of outlandish things, in general. These non-etsy jellyfish pendants are elegant but pricey.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:46 PM on October 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:46 PM on October 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Just get on Overstock.com, narrow down by price parameters, sort by price high-to-low to avoid all the clunkers. I have a house full of their fixtures and they have some funky ass shit.
posted by masquesoporfavor at 6:00 PM on October 25, 2017
posted by masquesoporfavor at 6:00 PM on October 25, 2017
this is amazing please get it omg
posted by masquesoporfavor at 6:02 PM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by masquesoporfavor at 6:02 PM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
A google image search for "fun ceiling light" turns up some cool af results. The further down you scroll, the better they get.
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:42 PM on October 25, 2017
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:42 PM on October 25, 2017
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posted by Karaage at 8:15 AM on October 25, 2017