Not very utile!
March 18, 2011 3:28 PM Subscribe
Please help me find the lamp I want (or tell me that the one I can find is hackable).
I am in love with these lamps at CB2. But they are made for hard-wired installation and I don't want to do that — I want to plug them in to the wall outlet then swag them over a ceiling hook.
1: Have you seen these anywhere? Bright colors, wall plug.
2: If not, what are the words I should search on? Right now all I can think of is pendant, but that is turning up only hard-wire options.
3: Is it possible / advisable to get these and have an electrician add wall plug ends?
I am in love with these lamps at CB2. But they are made for hard-wired installation and I don't want to do that — I want to plug them in to the wall outlet then swag them over a ceiling hook.
1: Have you seen these anywhere? Bright colors, wall plug.
2: If not, what are the words I should search on? Right now all I can think of is pendant, but that is turning up only hard-wire options.
3: Is it possible / advisable to get these and have an electrician add wall plug ends?
Response by poster: Yes, but not now. Or at least, not that I could find on the site.
posted by dame at 3:37 PM on March 18, 2011
posted by dame at 3:37 PM on March 18, 2011
It would be very easy to wire a wall plug to those. Pretty much anyone could do it, although you might want the piece of mind of using an electrician.
The only limitation is that the coloured cord will only be as long as needed to reach the ceiling (a couple of feet), whereas will need to add a longer cord, which will probably be hard to find in that colour, and you'd have a junction in the cord.
Unless you have an extension cord stretched up to the ceiling/hook and just plug them in there - if you had a nice curly (i.e. like a phone handset cable) extension cord this would look pretty good, I think.
posted by Flashman at 3:39 PM on March 18, 2011
The only limitation is that the coloured cord will only be as long as needed to reach the ceiling (a couple of feet), whereas will need to add a longer cord, which will probably be hard to find in that colour, and you'd have a junction in the cord.
Unless you have an extension cord stretched up to the ceiling/hook and just plug them in there - if you had a nice curly (i.e. like a phone handset cable) extension cord this would look pretty good, I think.
posted by Flashman at 3:39 PM on March 18, 2011
Best answer: You can totally add a wall plug, although it would probably be hard to find one the same color. But if that doesn't matter, you can get the wall plug part at any hardware store. I've done it on two lamps and it's super easy.
Or, you could just buy a cord kit, and spray paint the whole thing whatever color you want.
posted by grapesaresour at 3:43 PM on March 18, 2011
Or, you could just buy a cord kit, and spray paint the whole thing whatever color you want.
posted by grapesaresour at 3:43 PM on March 18, 2011
For our recent kitchen remodel, all of the lighting we got was meant to be hardwired, but none of it was. I used the base (meant to attach to the electrical box) to attach the lamps to the ceiling and also hide the wire nuts that I used to join the wire from the lamp to an extension cord from which I cut off the end (cheaper than buying lamp cord!). I'm pretty handy and knowledgeable with electricity, but it's really not too hard to do. (Of course, since it's not exactly the intended use, some creativity is necessary, and you'll probably need some additional mounting hardware, but nothing big).
Otherwise, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find pendants that are meant to plug in.
posted by JMOZ at 3:47 PM on March 18, 2011
Otherwise, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find pendants that are meant to plug in.
posted by JMOZ at 3:47 PM on March 18, 2011
Ikea usually ahas a lot of lighting that they only carry in the stores and isn't listed in their catalogue. Because I know you're dying to make a trip to your nearest Ikea.
posted by GuyZero at 4:10 PM on March 18, 2011
posted by GuyZero at 4:10 PM on March 18, 2011
If you're primarily after a primary colour, I would troll Etsy and eBay for 1980s fixtures; if you could do with just the vintage-industrial part, Restoration Hardware would be a good place to check.
posted by kmennie at 5:07 PM on March 18, 2011
posted by kmennie at 5:07 PM on March 18, 2011
Best answer: I've made these same fixtures before, but I used a woven cord sheath and a white porcelain base. You can get all the parts from Home Depot, and it only costs a few bucks. Here's how I would do it if I wanted bright colors:
1 - Buy an extension cord with a smooth sheath in the diameter you prefer. Cords come in orange, green, blue, brown, black, yellow, etc. and typically have a plug end that matches. Some have clear plug ends that have a little LED inside that indicates power flowing if you're into that.
2 - Cut off the female end and wire it to a bulb socket.
3 - To get it all the same color, use Plasti-Dip. You can dip it, brush it, or spray it. You can also make it any color you want.
4 - Make sure all your splice connections are solid. You can also use some liquid tape to insulate and seal them without adding too much bulk to your connection and fixture.
5 - Use a cool monofilament bulb.
posted by nickjadlowe at 5:19 PM on March 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
1 - Buy an extension cord with a smooth sheath in the diameter you prefer. Cords come in orange, green, blue, brown, black, yellow, etc. and typically have a plug end that matches. Some have clear plug ends that have a little LED inside that indicates power flowing if you're into that.
2 - Cut off the female end and wire it to a bulb socket.
3 - To get it all the same color, use Plasti-Dip. You can dip it, brush it, or spray it. You can also make it any color you want.
4 - Make sure all your splice connections are solid. You can also use some liquid tape to insulate and seal them without adding too much bulk to your connection and fixture.
5 - Use a cool monofilament bulb.
posted by nickjadlowe at 5:19 PM on March 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
Well, I suppose if you don't mind not being insured if one of these things accidentally starts a fire and you don't mind your home not complying with electrical code, there are a lot of great suggestions in this thread.
I wish I knew what they were called, but I've seen a great many hanging lamps over the years, but I think they generally went out of style in the 60s.
posted by wierdo at 10:02 AM on March 19, 2011
I wish I knew what they were called, but I've seen a great many hanging lamps over the years, but I think they generally went out of style in the 60s.
posted by wierdo at 10:02 AM on March 19, 2011
Best answer: And a little more googling shows that the term is "swag lamp". Hopefully one is made in the style you're going for.
posted by wierdo at 10:04 AM on March 19, 2011
posted by wierdo at 10:04 AM on March 19, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I think cord kit & paint is going to win out, but not till I spend more time checking out swag lamps.
posted by dame at 11:11 AM on March 19, 2011
posted by dame at 11:11 AM on March 19, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by GuyZero at 3:30 PM on March 18, 2011