Even though we declared our kitchen project done over a month ago, there are still little dangling tasks hanging over our heads. Some, quite literally. See that shadeless stick of a pendant hanging down from the ceiling in the fireplace area?
That old pendant has been broken forever (despite me fixing it once already) so that half of the room has been cloaked in darkness for months. Well, or least in comparison to the rest of the room which has been light and bright since our little lighting overhaul during the kitchen reno.
Our temporary lighting solution has been this floor lamp tucked in the corner. But it too has woes of its own. One of the switches broke, so leaning over behind the chair and unplugging it/plugging it in is now the only way to turn it off or on. Not the end of the world, but not the nicest thing on the ol’ back when you’re doing it multiple times a day. We were over it after a few weeks and it has been the routine for a few months now.
We even grew to call it the Bend & Snap (Legally Blonde, anyone?) – and although it makes the “exercise” mildly more entertaining, we were always keeping our eyes peeled for the perfect replacement for the broken ceiling pendant. And it took a while to find it.
The struggle that we were having was finding something that doesn’t compete with the other pendants in the room. We wanted something pretty flush (since I’m a tall guy and I didn’t want anything that felt too close to my head in such an open area), but nothing boob-light-ish. Oddly enough a ton of flush mount lights in our price range were what Sherry affectionately calls boob lights. Any lighting industry peeps listening? There’s a hole in the market for good clean-lined and simple, not-curvy flush mounted fixtures that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Sure there are a few crisp drum shade-ish options, but not the same insanely wide variety that there are for their buxom counterparts (frosted boob lights, marbled boob lights, ORBed boob lights, etc).
Finally, at our recent trip to Ikea, we came across Aläng. Let’s just call him Alan for short. No wait, let’s do Alän since I just learned how to type that umlaut and I’m feeling proud of myself (ALT+U then whatever letter you want under it, fyi).
Anyways, Alän came in two sizes and we got the larger 18″ version for $40. Gotta love Ikea prices (many 18″ drum shades alone are around $40 without the light itself). But like most Ikea pieces, he required assembly – giving me flashbacks to assembling Max in our bedroom.
It wasn’t that bad, though. First I had to pop each of the three light sockets into the central fixture. Easy. Though it created a bit of a jumble of wires that made me raise an eyebrow.
But it looks like Ikea was one step of ahead of me, having already placed clips and channels to wrangle the cords. My eyebrow returned to its default position.
You can see how the wires are held against the sides of the central fixture in the pic below. Though I actually took this picture to show off how Space Invader-y this thing was starting to look once I added the spokes that would eventually hold the shade in place.
With the light as assembled as it could be without actually attaching it to the ceiling, I flipped off the power to the whole house (since neither our fusebox nor my memory is labelled well enough to be sure what breaker controls what) and began removing the old light.
With old light out, Alän could begin taking his pläce. Here’s he is all wired up and ready to be set flush against the ceiling.
The system that secures the central fixture to the ceiling is kinda just a glorified zip tie, which was a little strange to me – I’m used to screws and bolts for these things. But it was easy and seemed to work great, so I shouldn’t complain.
Then came turning the power back on to make sure my wiring was successful (it was). Oh and these incandescent bulbs were the only bulbs that we had three of at the time – but we’ve since replaced them with… wait for it… LEDs! And we love them so far. We’ll have to give you a full report down the road as to how they last and how we like them over time. But they give off a really nice bright glow and we love that they should last an unbelievably long time and save us loot in the long run.
But back to hanging the shade. You may be wondering how it’s secured. Well, those little spokey dudes are MAGNETIC. Yup they’re tiny, very very strong magnets. Like the Altoids of magnets.
This, like the zip tie, they had me doubtful at first – but as soon as I felt the shade snap firmly into place with pretty surprising force I was all smiles. It was easy and quick to do and I’m pretty sure I don’t have to worry about it falling on my head anytime soon (but if I did, the shade is pretty darn light anyways).
This is one of those can’t-capture-the-true-beauty items that we own, but in person everyone who walks in comments on it. This picture is the closest thing to showing the pretty subtle woven detail and the soft glow that it gives off. Update: lots of folks are asking if it gives off a lot of light, it’s not a glowing beacon that blinds you or anything but it should definitely be bright enough for a decent sized room or hallway. It only takes three twenty watt bulbs, but if you use CFLs or LEDs, they give off more light at lower wattages.
Of course that awesome subtle texture is lost in further away pics (but oddly enough, not in person – maybe because these pics are much smaller than life sized?), but here’s Alän from further away. Ta-DÄH!
I don’t know why I stood semi to majorly off-center to take the shot above and the shot below, but in person it’s centered exactly between the two beams and it lines up with the mirror if you stand in the right spot. Düh.
But enough with the celebratory umlauts. In short: Sherry and I are thrilled with it. It’s pretty much exactly what we were looking for. Something that doesn’t fight for attention with the other pendants. Something that we’re not going to bump our heads my head into. And something that’s not very boob-like. Plus it helps define that area over by the fireplace and feels more in proportion with that space than a single can light (or a directional light aimed at the fireplace) that we could have installed instead (we weighed both of those options and decided a nice clean-lined shade really helped add to the “casual living zone” feeling of that side of the room).
Heck, from the kitchen side of the room when he’s off, you hardly even know he’s there.
Though when the light switches are flipped on, we definitely appreciate his presence since it means the room is (finally!) evenly lit and we no longer have to bend over to plug in that darn floor light in the corner. In fact that light has since been banned from the room. We just don’t need it anymore (huzzah! no more bending and snapping!) and now that corner with the chair looks more balanced.
It’s hard to tell in these wide room shots since it just gets kinda blown out and the detail is lost because they’re small pictures (as opposed to actually standing in the room with it, where things are all life-sized), but in person the texture is such a nice detail that makes the light look special – but not so special that it’s fighting with the more special over-sized globe pendants over the peninsula (don’t tell Alän I said that). It’s a delicate balance. Wish we could capture this guy better for you, because the photos here really don’t do him justice. You’ll all just have to come over for tea and scones or something.
So that’s one thing off of our lingering kitchen to-do list. Although Sherry and I have been talking about spray painting our stools at the peninsula (we wanted to live with them as-is for a while before making any rash decisions) and we’re still not sure which way we’ll go. We’re hunting for a more permanent rug for the living area of the kitchen (the zone in front of the fireplace), so we’ll wait to get that pinned down before making any final stool decisions. You know in case we find an awesome rug with some tone that we wanted on the chairs that would then be overkill if it was in both places. But we promise we’ll keep you posted! For now we’re just trying to enjoy having a nice, well-lit spot for our nightly dance parties with Ms. Clara. Have you guys installed any lights lately? Or had any issues finding the right flush mounted fixture? Are you currently debating painting metal stools or some other accessory in your house?
Ally says
The new light fixture looks very chic, J! I’m glad you won’t be boinking your poor noggin on it everyday! (One positive with the ol’ boob lights, at least there’s no boinking, unless you are REALLY TALL :)
$herdog, in other news, my colourful Pottery Barn shams came! WAHOO! Now, I would never normally do this, but I love them sooo much, I’m gonna sleep with them on the first night! (hehe :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoooo! They’re the best! So glad you got them and are giving them the proper love and affection. Haha.
xo,
s
Katie says
I have been looking for a light for my son’s nursery to replace the floor lamp plugged in by his crib (can you say safety hazard? He can’t sit/stand yet but the time is coming). This looks perfect. Is it a true white or more cream?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s a true white color like our ceiling, just looks sort of cream once the lights go in and are on (most light give off a slightly warm glow when on, ya know?)
xo,
s
Aquitenonnymoose says
Ha ha about the umlauts!
Hå?é ¥øü †®îé? †hé ø†hé® ké¥ß whîl? p®ssîñg ål†? :-D
YoungHouseLove says
Haha yes! I love ø the best.
xo,
s
Carra says
I love the stools as is. I was thinking how nice they look with the lighting above the peninsula when I was first reading this post. Just my .02 :)
Chelsea @ Chelsea Eats Treats says
Hahah Alän is äwesome! :-D
Emily says
Since there is a gap in the marketplace…maybe you guys could fill it? :) I see a line of Young House Love lights available in store near you soon on the horizon…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that would be crazy!
xo,
s
Meghan R. says
Oh my God! I love you!!! No, seriously…my middle daughter is named Zoë…and it has bothered me to no end that I could never type her name right…I always had to add the dots to the hard copy by hand. I’m so excited to do it the right way! You guys are the best :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- so happy to help! Love that name!
xo,
s
Chelsea says
Wow, that couldn’t be any more perfect for the space. You guys are so good at waiting things out until the perfect budget friendly thing comes along. I could learn from you, the OCD in me hates things unfinished so I always settle for somehting good enough.
Amy B. says
“…like the Altoids of magnets.” Thanks for the morning’s laugh.
Nice job — the light looks great!
Lisa says
Nice and bright!!
I also noticed you found your white leather pouf you’ve been coveting! Did you find it on sale? If so, where? :) LOVE!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! On Joss&Main a little while back! So glad! It lives in Clara’s room sometimes and the kitchen sometimes…
xo,
s
Martha says
Every time you all mention “boob” lighting, I just want to say Thank You! When we re-did our bedroom we replaced a brass three-way spotlight with a basic lighting unit from Lowes. I was hoping for something fancier, but the husband was digging in his heels so we went with something simple.
It wasn’t until we got it set up over our bed that I thought, “why that light looks an awful lot like a breast.” Then of course tried to banish the thought. So every time you make the comparison I feel a little less weird.
Kitchen + Alan looks awesome!
Misty says
We had a floor lamp with a broken switch, and my husband came up with the perfect solution. He used one of our Christmas tree light extension cords with the step on/step off switch that rests on the floor. (I just looked it up and it’s actually called a “foot tapper extension cord.”) Plug in the floor lamp to the extension cord which stays plugged in to the wall and then just step on the switch to turn it on or off. We hid our cord and switch under the edge of the chair so you can just barely get your toe under there but no one can see it. Your ceiling fixture is lovely. But if you want to use the floor lamp somewhere else, try a Christmas tree cord!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo
s
Mary says
I’m on my fourth house full of Ikea lights. They don’t always last long but they’re cute and cheap! If you need small LED sconces for a hall or something, I’m in love with some I got there this year.
I have the Ikea lamp over your bed over my kitchen table. I wonder if LED bulbs would brighten it up?
Was that area over there the original dining room? I can picture a chandelier hanging there, over a table. I guess that’d be overkill with the new peninsula and the opening to the formal dining room.
Do you use that one chair for much or is the room more of a pass-through? Will you ever use the fireplace or do they scare you? (Sorry for all the questions!)
YoungHouseLove says
It was actually originally a den and the dining room was the room we now use as an office! We decided with the peninsula seating and dining table we didn’t need any more chairs and tables in that space! We actually use that chair a lot for reading to Clara (and it’s the time out chair, haha). Clara plays a lot on the rug down there too (while we get dinner ready, etc). The fireplace is a non-working one, but we’d love to double side it so we can enjoy it from the kitchen and the living room someday!
xo,
s
Donna says
Well, at least Clara has a comfy time-out chair! Trust me, it will get a lot more use AFTER her second birthday. Be sure to get a cute little timer, too, ha-ha!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- we actually use the oven timer!
xo,
s
Ann O says
Where did you get the cute white leather ottoman/pouf by the chair in your kitchen area?? Featured in one of the pics of the new ligth shade! I love it!!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from jossandmain.com a while back! They have them cheaper than we have seen anywhere else! It sometimes lives in Clara’s room and sometimes it’s in the kitchen!
xo,
s
Annette says
Ooooooohhhh, I love Alan! I have a hallway that could use an Alan.
Gina (Lady Goats) says
I know this might be something you take for granted, but you’re SOOOO lucky that you have flat ceilings! We have sloped ceilings in the main living areas (and master bedroom), and I can NOT find a good replacement for the crummy track lighting in my kitchen! I love Alän!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Gina, you’re sweet to point that out. It’s not something I think of (and often covet lofted ceilings) but they do make things easier sometimes!
xo,
s
Mary says
I have vaulted ceilings in the kitchen too and am struggling with what do with all that space above the kitchen cabinets. I’m sick of the dust-catching stuff look. I guess it’s wall art? Maybe some quotes in vinyl letters. Hmmm.
YoungHouseLove says
We actually wrote a post about that a while back! https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/04/email-answer-cabinet-conundrum/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kelly says
Great job with the lighting. I saw Alan at Ikea too and wondered if he would work in my bedroom. But I already had a drum shade that worked better and I hung clear and frosted Christmas bulbs from it to make a cascading chandelier.
As far as painting an accessory, for many years I have loved the look of white bookcases with a white desk in an office. So, I decided to finally paint my brown Billy bookcases. Right now they’re primed and drying, but the paint will go on this coming weekend. Then, I’ll add trim to make them look built in. Sometimes you just need to do it to see if it’ll work instead of always wondering.
YoungHouseLove says
So exciting Kelly! Good luck! You’re so right about just doing something after a lot of time spent wondering!
xo,
s
Kim says
Haha-my husband is on a business trip near Ikea, which is far from us-so when he’s done he gets to do a big mission. We were just texting about a light for our dining room-also in the front room of the house, like you guys (a former living room). We have had trouble finding a light because where it would go is not centered on the table. I was thinking the Alang would work the best. Thoughts on an uncentered light??
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, you could swag something like a hanging pendant (using a plant hook on the ceiling to hold the wide so it’s centered over the table). Is that a possibility? It might help make more sense and give some presence/balance to the table.
xo,
s
Sara says
We JUST purchased that same light–for the same reasons–earlier this week to replace our not-so-awesome ceiling fan light fixture in our small living room. We work from home and our home office decor is very punchy and strong, and we needed something that wouldn’t compete with it and also wouldn’t knock my 6’2″ husband in the face.
Our presto-change-o is happening tonight. Serendipity rules! ;)
Kate says
You have made my day. I have four boob lights in my house that I glower at daily (especially the two in our family room, because who wouldn’t want a nice pair of ORB’d boobs hanging from their ceiling?). I fell in love with a drum style fixture at Ballard Designs, but at $179 a pop, it was just not going to happen. However, $30 for the 14″ Alan? SOLD. Thanks, guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad!
xo,
s
thedistilledreview says
Love the lighting!!! What a perfect fit!
Donna says
Way to shed a little light on the subject! That is the most perfect shade you could have chosen for that area, I love how clean & sophisticated it looks. I wish we had an Ikea store where we live, but I am so happy for you guys! Enjoy being able to see…
Nikki says
I just installed this light in my nursery and I love it! We also bought the bulb that IKEA recommended and it is perfect for those late night visits with baby. When we turn it on it takes quite a while to warm up (get brighter) allowing our eyes to adjust!
Chelsea says
Looks great! I almost bought that same exact light a couple weeks ago but then i decided to make my own with some fabric i already had- only cost about $4.00!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!
xo,
s
georgia says
When i saw the light in the first picture i was a bit.. meh
Having seen it up i like it! its so sleek.
I like the snazzy ikea magnetic clips, very good idea!
I have to make decisions for a light fixture for our hallway, we have a door that opens out so cant have anything that hangs too low, we currently have old spot lights which i hate as there so boring. Any ideas?
Take a a look at the style we have just gone for – http://ramblingsofgeo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/earning-my-stripes.html
xx
YoungHouseLove says
Looks awesome! You totally earned your stripes. Haha. I would check out ikea or maybe a place like lampsplus.com to see what they have. Flush mounted stuff is hard to find!
xo,
s
John Seifer says
Agree with Michelle actually. I looked at the room and for some reason the ceiling caught my attention as well…
Caitlin @ Desert Domicile says
Awesome! I’ve been eyeing this guy to use as a replacement for the boob lights in my two guest bedrooms!
Is the shade made of paper or plastic (or something else)? Do you think you could spray paint it or would the paint soak in too much?
YoungHouseLove says
It feels like a firm paper. Much thicker than paper lantern paper, but I don’t know how it would look with spray paint. Might be blotchy or block a lot of light from passing through?
xo,
s
sharon says
will recommend to my parents – they had a frosted glass boob light that fell on my mom’s head once during dinner
Sydney Whittall says
Love the light. I really like how it compliments the “roundness” of the mirror and the small ottoman. Nice! We don’t have an Ikea where we live (or even close), so I’ll have to see if this is available online…
Alanna says
Good choice! I just installed the smaller version of this light (which only had 2 bulbs instead of three) in an office makeover I did a month or so ago and love it! I agree, the zip tie business seemed a little strange, but for the price it’ll do.
Also… I don’t know if you guys have a Costco card (or similar club) but I recently got a really nice area rug from them for a good price (under $200!). It may not be up your alley style-wise but worth a shot.
YoungHouseLove says
We don’t have a membership but John’s parents do- maybe we should go with them as guests!
xo,
s
Silke says
funny… the second I read what type of light you were looking for I thought of Aläng – only to find out a few lines later that this was in fact what you got. :-)
looks great!
Lora D. says
So funny about the “boob lights”
When we moved into our new home step 1 was to remove all the boob lights!! My family thought I was crazy to take out brand new light fixtures. When I told them they creeped me out ’cause it looked like a bunch of boobs hanging around they finally got it. That was 4 years ago. Yesterday my sister called and was driving behind a car with 2 “boob lights” laying next to each other in the back window. She was cracking up and thinking of me and my boob light issues!!
Love your new Ikea fixture. Looks perfect!!
Jessica Horton says
SO glad you posted this! We’ve been dying to replace the boob light in our bedroom & the florescent light in our kitchen…. this might be just what the dr ordered!
Lori says
I seriously love Ikea. Any place that sells ceiling lamps and meatballs, I’m there.
And I agree about the boob-light thing…they are EVERYWHERE! I think that there are a lot of lighting designers with mommy-issues out there.
Love the light, the blog, your little one…a fun daily read. Thanks!
Sherry from BC says
Love this fixture. Perfect for your space and maybe you have solved my lighting issue in my tv/study. Price point is good too. I have a similar issue with my fusebox. Must get it labelled properly. Guess I would need someone to help spot which things go out when circuits flipped. Add that to my lengthy to do list.
LL says
Companies like that do exist you should google your areas!! There’s a local company names blue bag near me and they make Ikea runs every week.
Christine @ Casa-de-Christine says
Been looking for a new flush mount fixture for our house too that’s not a boob light! I hear ya on the whole in the market thing! I love this solution so thank you soooo much for sharing. I hope they sell them at IKEA’s in Canada!
Karin K says
OOOOO! I am ALL OVER this subject because I am also trying to solve a tricky lighting issue. We have been using what was originally a den-off-the-kitchen as an informal dining area. It has a fireplace flanked by built-in bookcases. On the ceiling is – yup – a booby. We hate it, and I have been shopping barrel shade pendant lights for awhile. Now that you have introduced me to Alan, I am thinking he could work nicely. Because it will hang above a table, I was originally looking at traditional pendants that hang down, until I realized it would totally block my view of my favorite paintings above the fireplace. Plus, if we ever turn the room back into a den, Alan can stay. Here’s my question for you guys: my boob is mounted to a beam – just like the beams in your kitchen. Do you think he’d look funny, mounted nearly flush to a beam, since he’s much wider? And your Alan looks perfect!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, that’s a hard one. I would try it and bring it back if it doesn’t work. It’s hard to picture how anything would look mounted to a beam- ya know?
xo,
s
Beth in DC says
Perhaps someone else mentioned this issue: I have an aversion to overhead lights, generally, and feel like both the room (and me!) look much better in lamplight or sconce light. Dimmers help, certainly, but after putting recessed lighting in our living/dining rooms, I find I rarely turn them on. Maybe this is an age thing? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, could be! We’re just lazy so we like flipping on a switch to power up some ceiling lights (many of our ceiling ones are on the same switch, which is on a dimmer for more control) so turning on a bunch of free-standing lights is more trouble for us. Haha. Totally lazy, huh?
xo,
s
Lori says
I have the same aversion. My husband is always telling me that he’s fumbling around in the dark because I run around turning all the overhead lights off. Lamps are more soothing to me. Glad I’m not the only one.
Kate says
I have also been looking for an alternative to the boob light that isn’t super expensive. I love the price and looks of the light you picked up. I’m headed to Chicago next month and an IKEA visit is definitely in my plans – I may be picking one or three of these up :)
Amy W. says
That light is beautiful!! And yes, I totally just went through an {ugly light fixture} debacle during our laundry room makeover. Thankfully we were able to give one of our old pentant lights a facelift! Next time I know where to go;) Great post!
Theresa says
I didn’t read all the comments to see if someone already told you this, but they make plug-in light switches and they only cost a couple bucks. The switch (which looks like a light switch on a little box) plugs into any outlet and your appliance plugs into the switch. That way you just flip the switch on the plug in piece. I use one for my Christmas lights.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we learned that! So smart!
xo,
s
gemma@thesweetestdigs says
Love it!! So much better.
I’ve been looking for something to replace my boob light with and haven’t had luck yet. Will go check this one out!
Kimberly says
I adore your kitchen. So sunny and bright and happy! And I love the grellow wall color, but it’s funny to me that my mom in her first kitchen (in the 70s) had all “avocado” Kitchen Aid appliances, and they were awful. We still used the mixers when I was little and they were the grossest color of green. Dingy rather than sunny. I’m glad this color is enjoying a new and better life in kitchens again.
Unrelatedly, I saw your stools on Design Sponge:
http://www.designsponge.com/2012/05/before-after-salvaged-wood-bar.html
Great ideas all over your kitchen! Makes me look forward to remodeling one day.
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Those are totally our guys!
xo,
s
Heather V says
Love it! I have the same fixture from Ikea, only it’s the Alang table lamp. Looks gorgeous in my bedroom and only set me back $25. The woven texture is so pretty!
Eliza says
Looks great, now I am thinking about buying that light to replace the outdated ceiling light in my bedroom. I have the matching table lamps, I wonder if it would be too matchy matchy? The light is $10 more in Canada – given the exchange rate go figure..
tanya says
I just bought this shade for the two lights in my basement. I love them!
Marion says
enjoying your blog as I prepare for an upcoming move.
What is the white…. item? blob? in the fireplace?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s a giant faux clam shell. I’m a weirdo.
xo,
s
deanna may says
We have two of these lights in our kitchen! We just replaced our 1960s globe pendant lights with these bad boys a couple of months ago. The old lights hung so low that we would knock them around if we happened to stretch, or high-five, or do anything in the area just above our heads. We love the texture of the new ones, the softness of the light, the fact that they’re flush with the ceiling and, since we have two of them, it doesn’t look like a giant fell boobs-first onto our ceiling.
Lydia says
C’mon Sherry ORB those stools already, you know you want to! I’ve been thinking that your stools might also be the stools for my own kitchen, but was still a little on the fence when I was watching Almost Famous (Billy Crudup with a mustache, anyone? Strange, but yum!) the other day and YOUR STOOLS ARE TOTALLY IN IT!!!!
Go to the scene when they get the wrong T-shirts and they get into a big argument (“Your looks have become a problem!”) and there they are, painted a 70’s orange-y color, but nonetheless definitely your stools in the middle of the scene. Though I won’t be painting them orange any time soon, that scene oddly did sell me on them. Probably because now I think they’re rockstar cool by association?
Also? I loved your Bend & Snap reference: now I have to go rewatch that movie.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s too funny!
xo,
s