The Lights
Lighting design, construction and installation by Amber Christian Osterhout ©2011
Don't freak out. Each lighting fixture was created pre-Lucas. Besides, I could never find time to string thousands of beads now-a-days. I bet you've gathered (from previous posts) that not only am I cheap, but I'm less than thrilled with what local home good stores have to offer. It's fun to challenge yourself and find inexpensive ways to bring design to life. I present to you four lighting fixtures. Created with a little imagination, inspiration and determination to install each one myself. For some reason that last part shocks all male, hardware store employees to the bone. Yes, I know what a hot wire is, geesh.
BEDROOM PENDANT LIGHT: Beneath all this yarn is a red concave lamp shade purchased from Pottery Barn, on sale for $40. Originally, I wanted to hang it as but interior design led to a facelift. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. I did in fact wrap yarn ever so carefully around the shade. Thrilled to be finished, I felt the resulting shade lacked character. A few weeks later, I stumbled upon this fabulous trim (at JoAnne's for under $10). It is so 1965. Add one pendant light kit from Lowes and voila! I still do a double take whenever I enter the room.
LIVING ROOM PENDANT LIGHT: I can't take all the credit for this design. I do remember coming across a similar sconce design in a magazine. However, I did find a very affordable way to create my own. From a local art shop, I purchased thick velum and a handmade white paper. After a little trial and error, I found that by cutting the paper and vellum into a perfect square, I could affix two opposing corners. This resulted in a round pipe structure I repeated about ten times and hung each one around the existing pendant light. Surprisingly, this fixture was pretty effortless to construct. When lit, the organic paper design simply shines!
BEDROOM MINI CHANDELIER: I am so drawn to capiz shell lighting design. So I had to find a way to incorporate this natural element. The room is small so drama was a must. I wanted the eye to be drawn upward. You can tell I was still in my "gold obsessed" phase. I think the contrast between rustic and modern really works in this case. It was a bitch to construct but well worth the headache, and profuse swearing.
DINING ROOM CHANDELIER: I am ending with this design since it was my first attempt to create an original light fixture. All I can say is BOY was it fun to string thousands of glass beads (sarcasm). Always one to save money, I refused to purchase the beads already strung. And if memory serves me, I wanted to have control over bead size. This project is a prefect example of how obsession trumps practicality. But I was so proud to only drop ONE strand of beads (it could have been worse). This sent hundreds of tiny danger traps all over the floor, into heat returns and under couches. Oh what fun it was to corral every last bead (again, sarcasm). Surrounding these wonderful strands is a grey, dupioni silk shade from Lamps Plus. I think it cost $40. Not too bad for a fixture that still receives numerous compliments. I appreciate the encouragement :)
Obsession can spark the potential for danger (no pun). I installed each and every one of these lights myself. Again, to save money. I may have learned a lot about electricity but pure ambition is what turns me on. Let there be LIGHT!
