The Problem with Ugly Light Fixtures.

I've had an ongoing battle with the ceiling lights in my apartment. I know the webs recommend just switching them out for the duration of the lease but the ceilings in this lovely old building are of a crumbling plaster sort & I'm afraid that if I try to fiddle with them, they'll massively cave.  Even drilling something as small as a little hook causes a massive blizzard of white.

So all my experimentation has been with disguising the existing fixtures.  I'm actually pretty pleased with the most recent incarnations.



In the bedroom, I moved the capiz wind chimes from the corner. I didn't cut the strands but rather looped them up and over, giving the makeshift chandelier a fuller, more even appearance.

before:

The main room has undergone several versions.  Originally, it was the ubiquitous ugly ceiling fan lights.  It looked similar to this:

The triple light feature was a challenging de-uglification effort.
I originally covered it with a fat chinese lantern and added a pretty crystal pull for the fan.

but my taller classmates kept knocking their heads on it.

I then found a decorative brass bowl on clearance from pier 1 and fastened it with ribbon:

But it looked amateur and makeshift and showed off the practical but ugly CFLs.

This last week, when I moved the lion lithograph, I took down the ikea light that had been hanging in the corner.  I decided to replace the bowl with that square paper shade:

It's the 1st that I've been marginally satisfied! I like its simplicity & the natural color blends with my other lamps:

The Power of a Single Mirror

I've mentioned before that I live in a little cave. I have a gorgeous expanse of south facing windows but with the thick trees outside and architectural overhang between the sun room & main room, not much natural light hits the reaches of the room. Even on sunny days, I need a lamp on when I read.

I've tried to use mirrors to maximize the light that does come in, with small effect.  Here's my latest attempt.

This mirror, originally framed in a hideous brown-gray (I really need to start taking before photos), was discovered at a thrift shop for $20.  A couple of coats of paint later et voilà.  It fits so well with the permanent molding of the unit and really lightens up that darkest corner of the room. Hurray!

Here's the before: 

 

The Wandering Lion

I treasure the old lithograph that I inherited from my great grandma but it's a bit unwieldy because of its size and the dark dark frame. It definitely dominates the wall and doesn't reflect ANY light.

So I decided to move it from the main wall.... 

 

to a corner spot near the shelves.  Eventually, if I spot one in a thrift shop, I may hang a mirror here to maximize the light from the window.  I feel like I live in a little cave.

I know that it's hung way too high but there was absolutely no other place to put it. I'm thinking of getting a little art light to hang over it.

Here are the befores:

Here are some gratuitous photos of my breathing little lion, Toulouse. She's practicing her world-class laziness.