I have a drawer specifically dedicated to housing partnerless socks, which would be a brilliant idea if I were ever able to reunite any of them with their partners. I have never once found a partner. I have a beige, wooly sock that matches a beige wooly sweater I own, that has sat, partnerless in that tomb of a single sock drawer for 5 years.
Yet I keep them all with the kind of unfailing hope normally reserved for fad diets.
Other stuff? Useful stuff? Yeah, I just chuck that. The one and only key to open the bars on my basement window? Chucked it. The instruction manual for my very complicated tomato press? Chucked it. The Prada skirt I got for $20 at a second hand store? Chuckeroo. I have no idea why, but it must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe I'm sleep chucker.
Which brings me to my dining room light, the Draper light from Crate and Barrel. I bought it on sale online a few years ago and really liked the bit of mid century modern it brought to my front hall. Then this past year I did a bit of rearranging in my house and I replaced the Draper lamp in my front hall with an empire chandelier that I got from Kijij (Canada's better answer to Craiglist) for $100. I had to do this to because I didn't want a mid century lamp over my new mid century Tulip table. Too much mid century.
It was all going to work out fine because I could just hang the Draper lamp in my library/dining room. The light has kind of a library feel to it so I was confident it would look good.
And it probably would have looked good ....
... had I not chucked the extension bars for it. The pieces of brass rod that let you drop the light lower. Yeah, I chucked them. I don't know why but I did it. I guess I figured that once it was installed in the foyer I was never going to move it and was never going to need them. But I did and I do.
After a bit of consideration I also decided that maybe I just didn't like the light that much. I could have searched around to find extension bars that matched the same burnished brass colour as the light or I could have bought some and painted them to match but that's a pain for something I'm not completely in love with. Like, I'd go to the ends earth to fix something (anything) for Idris Elba or even Jeff Goldblum. Definitely Anthony Bourdain or Adam Driver. But for say, Brad Pitt - yeah, he's O.K. - but he's not worth the work.
Neither is the Draper lamp.
As it turns out the Draper lamp is going to end up in the sock drawer.
Which means I now have to pick out a pendant light for the dining room. I did a bit of browsing just to see what styles I liked and came up with a few. The one I really love is the Lindsey Adelman type branch lights but I'm worried in a few years I'll look back on it and think, "Oh look! The Chevron of lighting fixtures!".
I really do love it though.
Here are a few of the looks I'm considering, including that Lindsey Adelman knock off.
- Candle style chandelier.
- Geometric Gold sculpture chandelier.
- Lindsey Adelman (branching) knock off chandelier gold.
- Lindsey Adelman (branching) knock off chandelier black.
- George Nelson Bubble light.
- Globe light that I can no longer find anywhere on the Internet, lol. Oy.
The first light, the sort of medieval looking candle style chandelier is nice and I really like the style but it's a bit too ... wrong. I'm not sure why but I think it's partly because it's very busy with all the chains and links in the chains and 7,000 bulbs. It's just too much with all the books in the bookcases. It also doesn't look solid enough, it's too wispy.
Now this light I LOVE. I love it with all of my heart and a sliver of my appendix. It's a big, solid looking sculpture made from metal that lights up the room. What's not to love? At $1,369 it's a bit of a budget eater, but since I did the entire room myself and I do EVERYTHING myself, I'd almost consider it. I'd at least consider saving for it.
What's selling me on it is I haven't seen it anywhere else before. Also, to get over the sticker shock I'm considering it a piece of art and any piece of art is going to cost $1,000. This one just happens to hang from the ceiling and light up.
And the Lindsey Edelman branching light. I'm sure you've seen these lights before. They're everywhere now and for a much lower price than Lindsey's. She came up with this design and deserves any and ALL credit for it. Her designs are the Haute Couture of the lighting world and most of her lights cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Just look at this from her Cherry Bomb collection.
Yeah. She knows what she's doing that Lindsey Edelman. Her branching light kind of disappears in this photo of my dining room but I think in real life it would show up beautifully.
Genius woman that she is, she offers a DIY version of her iconic branching light for $200 US, which I would have bought years ago if I thought it would be big enough for my dining room table. She only recently added dimensions and photographs on her website so now I know it probably would be big enough.
It's a contender.
I have a hunch I should maybe be looking at more black options though. Black might be a better choice.
I've wanted a George Nelson Bubble light since I moved into this house. In fact I wanted one so much and talked about it so often that a designer friend of mine, Carol Reed (who e-designed my kitchen), believed that I had one. I do not. But if I did, this is what it would look like.
These globe type branching lights are another Lindsey Edelman inspired lighting option. If not for the fact that I found the light online and then promptly forgot where I found it. I thought it was Wayfair but if it was it isn't on there anymore.
That's O.K. It's no Anthony Bourdain.
I'm leaning towards the DIY Lindsay Edelman I think because, that's what I do. I do things. Stuff, I do stuff. But honestly, I wish I wasn't quite so compelled to do everything. If I weren't so compelled I would just buy the Lindsay Edelman knock off for almost the same price and spend the time I saved not making it to do other more useful stuff.
Like hacksaw the bars off of my basement window.
Update! I went with the white George Nelson Bubble light. You can see how it looks in real life here. :)
Patricia Jaroslawski
The gold geometric blob is my all time favourite and for me, blows all the other contenders off the table ;). I like the weight it has; some of the others seem too flimsy to me. I expect to see a DIY version in a future post :)
Eva
My personal choice would be the Draper lamp :-) I think I have said this before in some other comment: If you ever consider parting with this lamp, I want to be the first in line (although shipping costs to Europe are probably horrendous) ... As for the other ones: No. 2 looks quite heavy on the photo, a massive visual impact. It has style, though. But whatever any one of us says: If you love it, go for it!
Stephanie
p.s. Karen. You being you, I am sure you can gold spray paint a whole lot of cardboard rectangular folded shapes of all sizes and folds and temporarily glue them to your existing light to see if, in fact, you'd love #2 in your space. I have faith you can do this.
Karen
That's a lot more difficult than it sounds Stephanie. :) And when you do something like that you run the risk of having something that really isn't a good representation of the true thing (because it looks like spray painted cardboard garbage) and it might turn you off of the real deal. No, I'd just buy it, try it and if it didn't work, return it. :) ~ karen!
Stephanie
I was going to say "what are you thinking" with choice number 2, until I scrolled down and saw it in place - it is stunning in your room. Number 3 I love and I look at it all the time online. However, as you said, it gets a little lost in your bright sunny room. In black though I think would look great - you have black in Martha (I think I may have gotten her name wrong) and touches of black throughout your shelves and on your table (at the moment) and it may be a contender. But for statement and art - number 2 all the way.
Pat S.
I have been wanting the Nelson bubble for a year or so - aside from the cost, I'm worried that it wouldn't hang straight, and that would really bug me.
That and #2 are my faves. I'm not a fan of exposed light bulbs - might be my age - they seem glarey to me.
Nancy Blue Moon
The Nelson bubble is best...That gold thing looks like my cats got together and glued a bunch of cardboard boxes together..lol
Jenny B
I love the Lindsey Adelman lights because to me they are so inherently beautiful. Like when I see a certain color blue and feel a little zing in my soul, that's how I feel about the Lindsey Adelman lights. Does the DIY kit have the same organic shaped globes, because I think that is part of the beauty of the original.
Sarah
#1 is … hmm, ok I suppose
#2 would be a dusting nightmare. (Is it cardboard or gold something?)
#3&4 look like skeletons of a stick insect
#5 ah yes, now we're talking!
#6 oh come on, this one you put in as a joke didn't you?
Renee Ryz
#2 is really cool. Now, it would not work in my house - my style is ... I guess mission meets northwoods, but for some reason that light just struck me. Whatever you decide will be lovely. But I still vote for the gold!
Becky G.
#2!! There are no other options!! It looks perfect and it's one of a kind! You will even be able to sell that one later for a good price when you're sick of it. Although it is so unique and unlike anything else, I'd wager it will be at least as long as you've loved Margaret that you'd ever tire of it. Plus, it really is a bargain for a one of a kind sculpture AND functioning pendant light fixture all in one! Go for it!!!
Cathleen clark
http://www.wish.com/c/58a5122074bdbb535daf42ab
Just a thought.....
Stephanie Hobson
#5 for everyday, #1 for Christmas! There you go... easy peasy.
Catherine Naulin
So sorry! I'm no help at all, 'cause I don't like any of them. To boot, I have no valid alternative. Booh Hiss!
Love you though!
Catherine
Grammy
Just when I think you are the smartest girl in the world you say Brad Pitt is just so-so. Sheesh. You are absolutely right to extol the virtues of Idris, Jeff, Anthony and Adam because all are worthy of your (and everyone's) attention. But, okay, let's work with what you've started.
Number 1 is to me what, evidently, Brad is to you. Don't do it.
Number 2 is pretty much all of the best rolled into one fantastic piece of...(insert whatever you're looking for here)...just breathtaking and worth whatever it costs.
Numbers 3 and 4 are beautiful and I love branch lights done right, but neither of these are right for this room, it seems.
Number 5 is just beautiful, now and always, and has aged nicely (like the best people do). It also looks terrific in your dining room. The question to ask yourself here is, "Have I lusted after this for so long that when I acquire it I will already be on the road to being tired of it?" If you think you would never, ever, toss out Idris even if you find he snores and tosses his dirty socks on your dresser, then go ahead and take the chance on George Nelson.
Number 6 is a good choice, too. It's different enough and still solid and doesn't fight with the rest of the room. To hell with what people are saying about dusting. If dusting is really important to you, then you wouldn't have any of the lovely items you already have in your home. You either like the aesthetics of something or you don't, and you deal with the housekeeping. I deal with it by being more tolerant of dust than other people.
If your dining room was mine and I was selecting the lighting, I'd choose the art piece -- even though I'm not crazy about gold there's something about that unusual light that makes me love it. And want it. Art is nothing to sniff about. My second choice would be the George Nelson and a close third would be what we now know (thanks to your devoted public) is the Kopra Burst chandelier. Perhaps in another room I'd choose the black branch light. I would never select that golden wagon wheel, though.
Brenda
I would like to offer these alternate suggestions...if the links/photos actually show up in this posting that is!
http://www.hiboudesignco.com/laval-kitchen-extension#/id/i10848033
(look through the photos to see the light fixture)
https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/lovefrankie/product/handmade-gold-lined-lampshade
Jan in Waterdown
I could really see you with Anthony Bourdain but if it all went south, you'd probably kill each other . . . or worse. How's about Mike Rowe?
Christina Contri
I HATE gold, but that #2 is to die for!!
Brenda
I won't weigh in on lighting - I wrapped white cotton gauze around my chandelier with a cylindrical shade and called it a cloud - I'm hopeless with lighting BUT socks OR RATHER sock ... I have solved this ... though I do still have a 1off sock drawer too that I could toss the key on ... I now only buy the exact same black bamboo sockS from Shoppers and who even knows if any are partnerless - it's now one big polyamourous orgy in the drawer and one very happy toe-tapping marriage in my Blundstones. There should be a day a year when all good people join together in the local park and lay out their sock drawer for everyone to see / to see if maybe there could be some tradesies happening.
Dyfferent
There's a close dupe for the white one on overstock.com
Monica
FYI, #6 is the Kobra Burst Chandlier in grey.
It also comes in other colors + configurations!
https://www.franceandson.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=kobra
I'm always stirring the pot! hee hee!
Monica
... or maybe it's "Kopra Burst" ? It's showing up both ways in Google.
Monica
it's Kopra — here's the designer's website, near as I can tell.
http://www.davidweeksstudio.com/