So, in the nesting frenzy around my house (it is Fall Nesting time, after all), I was determined to right a wrong that I’ve been living with for years now. You might remember me talking about my flying goblet lights. There was one in my dining room and we replaced it with an outdoor lantern.
There were some coordinating sconces on the stair wall and we replaced those with outdoor lanterns as well.
I’m all about creating ambience in my home and lighting is a great place to start! I’m slowly but surely replacing the choices the builder made with lighting that helps me create the mood I want to set in my home.
This past week, I was finally ready to address the looming fixture in my entry. The one lone flying goblet light fixture that hung over our entry like an alien spacecraft.
Now, let me backpeddle a little because I have to say that these lights are not the worst ever. So if you have one, as I assume many people do since they are nicer standard builder variety, please don’t send me emails or go away depressed because I called your light a flying goblet light. I’m just being silly here, we all have things we don’t love in our homes, but if we can change ’em, why not? If we can’t, we deal. I’ve lived with mine for nearly four years so I understand that sometimes you just deal with what you have and move on. And if you LOVE your fixture, then you have the right to keep it and love it!
Now, in my case, I was at the point where I was ready to change the light, I wasn’t in love with it, and I found something I liked better that suited my own taste and budget. Win win win. Time to make the change.
The light I found was at a home improvement store so it wasn’t from a fancy smancy lighting boutique, but it wasn’t from goodwill either (darn!). If you luck out, you can find something you like at a crazy bargain from goodwill, an outlet store, or a thrift store. I didn’t luck out but whatever.
By the way, my dream was this fixture in my house crush. Gorgeous? YES. But on my budget that fixture, at $2,800, was a no go.
The light I found was the right shape, size and finish for my house and so we went for it.
While it was fine as is, we were able to add a little extra special sparkle with a few extra strands of inexpensive beads from Michaels strung from clear fishing line. We also had a strand of super sparkly crystals that used to hang on a chandelier in our old house so we strung those on as well and boy do they add just the right amount of sparkle in the right light! We added just a touch of blue with a few beads, but kept mostly crystal and clear beads.
We covered the white plastic candlesticks with some strips of burlap. It is intentionally rugged and imperfect. I like the contrast between the fanciness of a crystal chandelier in the entry, the quirkiness of the ocean blue beads and the homey charm of a little burlap. It suits my indecisive style!
It’s a charming fixture that hopefully helps set the tone for my home and plays nicely with the lanterns we have on the stairs and the adjoining dining room.
We had to hire help to take our old fixture down and put the new one up because we do not own a ladder that big nor do we trust ourselves suspended two stories up while doing electrical work. I snapped those pictures with my iphone, I’m sure the electrician was wondering why I kept taking his picture.
I love that with a little embellishment, this fixture is now one of a kind!
Little by little, this entry is coming together.
So far we’ve painted the stripes and walls, added the black trim to the railing, put up a gallery wall, removed the carpet and added hardwoods and put up some new lights! Slow but sure, we are making progress.
In other news, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to take a good photo of a hanging light fixture, particularly one that is hanging under a sky light. Putting that on my list of things I need to learn. Photography in general is a learning curve I guess I need to tackle. Lights on, lights off, it doesn’t really capture what I see in person. Ah, the things bloggers need to learn!
So, just sayin’ it is pretty and my photography needs help.
I have more projects coming up in this room, and several other rooms, so I’ll keep you posted as things move along!
Do you have light fixtures that don’t set the right tone for your home? I think even if you rent you could probably get permission to change a key fixture or two, and rehang the old ones when you move. It is worth asking if the lights bug you!
Don’t let things you can change keep you from loving your home! And when you can’t change something, move on to things you can! Even little updates can transform your space into a home you love!
The Fall Nesting sale at Joss & Main continues on through the weekend so if you haven’t had a chance to take a look yet, go see! There are some good deals there and some fun finds for everyone! Thanks for checking it out!
I just love how you have all the little details drawing your spaces together!! The new chandy is lovely and a bit quirky too and doesn’t have the heaviness of the flying saucer. Maybe you can share another photo later showing the burlap candle holders.
I love seeing up the stairway. I hadn’t realized you had a sconce in the middle as well as the top and the bottom. Nice!!
Your spaces are so fresh and alive. I just know I would feel right at home.
Thanks Diane :-) It is always fun to see new angles of houses since it is hard to really get a full picture sometimes! I actually hadn’t show the middle light before (how observant of you!) because we had to take it down at one point, but it is back up again!
OH I love it; it’s lighter and just the right touch of fancy! I’ve wanted to paint my ikea chandelier and add some beads to it; I might just make that my next project. I love how your house is coming together, Melissa!
AND I love your choices for Joss and Main; one of my favorite collections! Have a great weekend!
Hi Jennifer! Thank you so much :-)
Hi Melissa – We have a house full of colonial style lamps right down to the star cut-outs in the tin! Little by little I’m replace them. But it’s an expensive job and in some cases requires an electrician to move the fixtures.
I love what you did with this big box chandie!
Thank you, it does get expensive. Thus why it is taking me years :-)
How pretty! I love the little touch of blue in the chandelier, and Melissa, I can’t believe how far your house has come! It was lovely and new to begin with, but the changes you’ve made really brought it to life. Your entry looks just beautiful.
Thank you Lisa, it really helps to remind myself of progress since it is slow going sometimes! :) thanks for stopping by!
I love your new entry chandelier. What did you do with your builder one??
It was donated to Habitat for Humanity :-)
It looks great, Melissa. We are in the process of changing the fixture in our foyer. In fact, my husband is working on it right now.
Oh, yay! So fun!!
First of all, your entry is gorgeous with all your completed projects. And that lovely chandelier is the cherry on top! Love how you added the burlap and a few extra crystals.
Mary Alice
Thank you Mary Alice, I’m quite pleased with it! It turned out better than I had expected so that is always a bonus :-)
I am happy for you, Melissa. It turned out great.
Fondly,
Glenda
Thanks sweet lady!
Really like what you did Melissa! Didn’t catch the burlap tho…nice idea. It is always surprising to me what a difference a small change can make. We need to be fearless, and make those changes, so that we can all feel comfortable in our own homes. You do inspire! ;)
Aw, thank you Donnamae!
Oh and …yeah, I guess I didn’t show the burlap! Oops! I’ll try to show that another time!
OK, I added a pic that hopefully shows the burlap better :-)
It looks great, Melissa! And I love the way it looks with the color of your front door. You’re doing some amazing things in your home. Thanks for sharing your home and blog with us.
Blessings.
Thanks for coming by and saying hello, it is fun to share with ladies who get excited about stuff like I do :-)
Everything looks great! Your home is so pretty. It’s so warm and inviting. I also like a mix of cottage, coastal, vintage. I look at your blog everyday for inspiration for my home.
Thank you Marlene, that means the world to me!! I’m so glad you come by and I appreciate your sweet supportive words!
Love those windows way up high, your colors … super!
Thanks Linda!!! :-)
Love the change and agree with everyone else, your home is beautiful and inspiring. Thanks for sharing! Happy Fall.
love it…how creative that you guys added your own beads…I would never have known had you not told us…meaning, it looks like it could have come that way!
I love that you added just a bit of blue to make it “yours.” And I love that you didn’t spend over $2000 on it! Are there really people who can afford that out there? It looks fantastic, I know y’all must be very happy with the outcome. Thanks for sharing.
Shirley
BTW Love the lantern!!
Melissa thank you so much for the inspiration, I have a gigantic alien spacecraft in my entry and it would look lovely with something like this! Iadore your home (you too :)
xoxo, Tanya
Melissa, the chandelier is gorgeous. The beads are lovely and I really like the pop of color it adds. I also love, LOVE the lantern. Your home seems so inviting and warm. I have been meaning to ask you about your front door. I absolutely love it. May I ask where you got it?
Hey Melissa! We have the same chandelier in the kitchen of our beach cottage-I love it! Your variation is beautiful, love the turquoise and burlap, a combination you can never go wrong with!
Love that Erin!! So cool, it is a lovely light and I bet it looks amazing in your kitchen!
Love the light, and I would hire an electrician too, even if I had a ladder that tall, I don’t like to be that far off the ground!!
We have the exact same chandelier in our tall foyer in the new house we bought last year. Funny. I think it’s really pretty but I like what you replaced yours with as well.
Lol, you are so funny — your photography is lovely. :-) And this chandelier is gorgeous! I totally love the addition of the blue beads in such a subtle way, and the burlap around the candlesticks is too pretty for words. Please enjoy!
I love it … the timeless shape, the beading … a great update.
I just blogged about lighting in my rental house. I chose to only change out one fixture and the others have been updated in easier ways.
Love the new look. I am changing a few things here too but I think I am done until after the holidays. I have more flooring and lights to change…but for now just some decorating! Dianntha
Wow Melissa, I just saw your light fixture and I love it. It turned out great and looks as good…if not BETTER than your house crushes light fixture! yay! You go girl…get your electrician hat on!
Blessings,
Debbie
Yay, thanks!!!!
So pretty!!! The addition of those aquamarine gems make the chandelier look so high end! It went from run-of-the-mill lovely to full on Anthropologie Gorgeous! Well done!
Our entry light is just the flying saucer, without the goblets. Ha I think my husband actually called it a flying saucer before, too. ;-) Since it is oil rubbed bronze, which I love, I don’t really mind the fixture. Ha
Such a great idea. Love the gold and blue combo!
I know this post is about lighting, but I love the rug! Do you remember where you got it? Thanks so much. Love the blog.
what a difference! I love the new chandelier!
I’m obsessed with blue glass chandeliers but why are they all so £££££! I’m slowly replacing my boring lampshades with beautiful light fixtures (2 down, zillions to go) as I think lighting is such a key element in a room. Well done, I feel inspired!
I have a perfectly fine chandelier that “needs” a little bling. How did you attach the fishing line to the chandelier arms? I can’t quite tell from the photos. Thanks for any additional info you can share!
I think there may have been a little metal loop we tied the fishing wire to, but I actually can’t remember? But the good thing about the fishing wire is it is transparent so from a little ways away you can’t really tell!
Hi! I just found this light and your site this month. We bought our new house at the beginning of April and I couldn’t live with the chandelier that was already there, lol. It was Downton Abbey meets Hogwarts which just equaled bleh. When I found this one I knew it was perfect because I figured I could change out the beads when I got bored or for the holidays. I love what you have done and look forward to following your blog!