Light Me Up

{So darling. I want!}

***************************

I have been enchanted with chandeliers since I first visited the Kansas City-owned The Curious Sofa in The Village Shops a while back.  The Curious Sofa was a lovely store that had unique furniture and home décor. My favorite visit was around Halloween, when they had decorated the entire store with stylish, scary decorations. We’re not talking about cheesy witches and pumpkin cutouts; instead, they had transformed their setting into a haunting yet elegant space with crystallized cobwebs, glittering black skulls, and an array of furry dark bats and spiders placed strategically among the sheet music on the piano and the duvets lining the shelves on the back wall. (Between this mention and the notes on Nell Hill's, anyone care to guess my fav holiday? What can I say...I heart Halloweeny!) I think it was on that autumn visit when I first noticed the sparkling chandeliers that were hanging from various spots from the ceiling. Some were an opaque white or black ceramic; some were shiny and sparkly crystal; some were constructed of a mixture of materials. I decided I needed one for my own dwelling (hopefully, minus the cobwebs).

(Side note: unfortunately, The Curious Sofa had to close its doors, and to my knowledge, has not reopened at a different location. Such a bummer, as the venue not only had some delightful pieces but also inspired ideas for my own home décor. However, the owner still sells on her website here. Be sure to check out the "Store" pictures…you’ll see some of the fabulous macabre decorations I was talking about.)

Ever since that day, I’ve been looking for the perfect hanging light structure for my home. While many are pretty pricy, the bigger question for me is where to put it. My little bungalow’s layout does not include a separate dining room; instead, the dining area is lumped in with the living area in one big ol’ room, right when you walk in. Therefore, the lighting fixture in this room isn’t directly over the dining table, and I’m not sure if a random chandelier would look just right in this space. My other option would be to find a more whimsical fixture to hang in the spare room I currently use as an “office” (though very little work gets done in that room; I really only go back there to dig through my second closet, which is stuffed to the gills).  While I do think this little space would look even more darling with some bling hanging from the ceiling, should I really invest in something for a room I’m rarely in?

While I debate, I found these other examples of inspiration. The images I’ve included are from domino magazine, and I am seriously obsessed with the chandelier in the top picture. How gorgeous and playful, with the glass beads and brightly-colored balls strung throughout. Charming!

***************************

{This fixture is so unique. Looks like a sparkling snowflake!}

{A different twist--mini-shades mixed with dangling crystals.}

{Loving everything about this kitchen--the powder blue walls, the sleek stainless appliances,
and the opaque black sparkler smack dab in the middle.}