Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 298 Comments

Choosing The Right Lamp Shade Pendant

I kinda want to jump on The Voice bandwagon. Not in the sense that I want my shot at getting Adam Levine to turn his chair for me – at which point I would look him dead in the eye and say “keep your hands off my woman, Levine!” (it never hurts to lay clear boundaries with a guy like him). I want to jump on the bandwagon in the sense that The Choice (spinny chairs meets dating), The Taste (cooking) and The Face (modeling) have.

Only my spin-off would be called The Shade and it would be a competition to find “the next great light for Clara’s big girl room.” And no one would watch it.

Curtains 10 After Full Room

We knew we wanted to swap out the wood-tastic ceiling fan for something more Clara-friendly (we’ve used a table fan in her room for nearly three years and have never needed an overhead fan). We came to the idea of doing a shade pendant after realizing that it would give us lots of options (texture, color, etc) while not hanging too low (a chandelier would probably get in the way) but still illuminating the room nicely.

First we debated choosing one of ours, but since most of those are pretty patterned (and we already have lots of pattern going on in Clara’s room) we decided to check out a few other favorite sources, like craigslist and a local shop where we’ve found a bunch of other lights we love on a budget (aka The Decorating Outlet here in Richmond). Craigslist had nada, but our local Decorating Outlet had a lot. Not only did we find one shade that we liked there, we found four options – all within the $35-40 range.

ClaraLight 1 Four Shades

Here was the line up of what we found:

  1. Team Navy: A solid deep blue (to tie in with her curtains) with no pattern at all
  2. Team Purple Damask: A very subtle pattern in a purple tone that works nicely between the blues and reds in the room
  3. Team Neutral: A natural burlap-ish shade that could bring a nice organic texture into the space
  4. Team Chevron: Think of him as the contestant who’s not afraid to take risks – this one has a trendy, bold pattern in a navy and white color scheme

The Decorating Outlet gives you one business day to make returns, so we rushed home for the audition portion of our show. This meant I just held up each shade over the existing fan light (which isn’t as bright as a hanging pendant would be, but helps us imagine how each one would look). Let’s check them out in reverse order…

ClaraLight 4Four Chevron

Team Chevron was pretty cool on its own, but our fears that bringing one more bold pattern into the room were confirmed. It probably could’ve worked, but it made us fearful of other patterns and prints that we might have to nix down the line (remember we still have big plans for the blank span of wall between those two windows, and we don’t want the shade to compete). So then it was on to Team Neutral…

ClaraLight 3Three Burlap

This one probably could have worked too, but in person it felt too, well, neutral. So without much hesitation, we invited Team Purple to the stage.

ClaraLight 2Two Purple

This picture isn’t the best representation of it because it actually looked quite nice with the lights off. But when the light came on, the purple tone and damask pattern got kind of lost and it actually looked a lot like Team Neutral. Too bad. I really wanted to like it.

And then there was one remaining contestant…

ClaraLight 1One Blue

Even though Team Navy felt like the “safest” of the picks, it was our instinct all along. And although it looks a little dark, remember that our light kit will put off a lot more wattage than the old fan light does in this picture. Knowing our future plans for adding in other art and accents to the wall between the windows, we just felt that a shade without pattern was the right way to go. And even though it doesn’t looks especially exciting in the picture above, in person it was a pretty obvious winner. So we were both convinced within a matter of minutes that it was the choice – er, the voice – er, the shade.

With the auditions over, we moved on to the battle round (i.e. where I wrestle with the heavy fan to remove it from the ceiling). Luckily I emerged victorious.

ClaraLight 5 John Removing Fan

The added bonus to picking the navy shade is that it was also the cheapest of the bunch – just $34. And to further save on the cost of this project, The Decorating Outlet sells their “damaged” pendant hardware (for hanging the shade) at half price. The only “damage” to the one we bought is that the light kit had already been cut (so it wouldn’t work in a room with a high ceiling) but since it was still longer than we’d need for Clara’s room (we actually snipped it a bit shorter) we were more than happy to snatch it up for $25.

ClaraLight 6 Pendant Fixture

And since The Voice always loses me during the live rounds anyways, let’s skip our show ahead to the finale. Now’s where you picture The Voice theme song: “This is The Shade!”

ClaraLight 7 After 1

For a total of $60 (the light kit came with the canopy too) we’re really happy with our two-light pendant. I personally love that the dark navy color helps balance out all the pink in the room so it feels calming and not too Crazy-Pink-Palace. Plus, it subtly complements the other blue items in the room nicely without demanding too much attention. In other words, it’s more like Adam or Blake in jeans and a t-shirt (Cee-Lo it most definitely is not).

Of course all that really matters is that Clara likes it, so let’s get to her reaction to our winner, which was: “Is that mine? Can I touch it? Is that mine for my big girl room? I think it’s shiny and pretty like a pebble.”

ClaraLight 8 After 2

We ended up putting two 75-watt CFL bulbs in there, which also means that (despite the dark shade) the room is still plenty bright. So Clara will have no problem hosting late night tea parties or stuffed animal sleepovers. Whew. So whaddya think? Does my concept for The Shade have legs? No? Didn’t think so. I guess it and The Choice (which I think already got cancelled) will just be forgotten together…

Psst- Sherry’s having some fun with East Coast Creative by volunteering as one of their bloggy helpers (that’s a technical term by the way). So if you’re a blogger and would like to get paired up with $herdog for their little Creating With The Stars competition, you can enter your best project here for a chance to be one of their 12 final contestants.

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    Hi. Love how the room is coming together. I may have missed it, but have you posted about putting together the wall with the clock on it? Thanks!

    Reply

  2. Jen B. says

    The neutral was a great choice… Sometimes you just have to bring hone a few to get the final choice! Feel I wouldn’t be able to resist breaking out the glue gun and adding a bit of subtle bling along the bottom rim with a string of hanging beads. Just a smidge of chandelier!?!?

    Reply

  3. Linda says

    Hi guys! Clara’s room is looking great! I’ve got a thought and a question for you… Thought: The honeycomb diffuser from your lighting collection would look really cool with that shade and the rest of the room. There’s got to be a way to fudge it even though the light kit doesn’t had a rod to hold it. (these are the decorating dilemnas I create for myself – ha!) and Question: I’ve got a ceiling fan with a light in my family room and it is just so visually bulky I’d like to eliminate or replace it. It isn’t a giant room and our ceilings are only 8ft high. I’ve got 2 table lamps and a floor lamp in the room. Would you lean toward capping off the overhead somehow? Or is there some lighting solution you’d recommend considering?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’d totally get some small light for the ceiling (our ceilings are 8′ high too, but this light only drops 18″ so there’s 6’6″ of clearance to walk under it). You could cap it for cheap, but adding a pretty focal point in the middle of the room on the ceiling is always sweet. Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  5. Jeannette says

    i just have to add that clara’s taste in curtains trumps everybody’s. she chose absolutely the platonic ideal of a color and pattern for this room. when in doubt of your taste level, turn it over to little miss clara knows best. wow.

    Reply

  6. sarah says

    Remember when you got the white paper lantern with hearts on it originally for this room when it was going to be a playroom? Did that get sold in the garage sale, is it going into John’s workshop, or is it still the ole TBD? :) I think if it went in the workshop Clara might help out down there more… hehe

    Reply

  7. Joelle says

    Nailed it once again! Can i confess that I thought the picture wall wasn’t completely doing it for me with the navy frames, but now with the shade it’s all coming together? I just kept saying…give it time, it’s still in the middle stage. looking great, of course.

    Reply

  8. Emily M. says

    You guys probably already know this but I was at Target this am getting valentines with my littles and the entire Nate Berkus collection was half off! I got the white tortoise shell for $19.99. What a way to bring some sunshine to an otherwise dreary day :)

    Reply

  10. Sarah W says

    I noticed you all are using CFLs, have you all thought about switching to the newer LED bulbs?
    I am slowly switching over to them and find that even though I have to pay a little more, I feel a little better knowing I don’t have to worry about the way I dispose of them due to the mercury (or what to do if one breaks). Not only that I won’t have to replace the bulb for at least a couple of years!
    when i first started to look into them I learned of a few other benefits they have over CFLs but listing them out would make me sound like a commercial :)

    Reply

  12. Louise says

    I just noticed in the last photo that the picture frames are different colors. Most of the frames in your house are white. Are you going to change to multi-colored frames in the house or is this just special for Clara’s room?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just thought the navy ones were fun for her room! We also have a black and a wood one in the hallway near her nursery and wood frames in the sunroom as well as oil rubbed bronze frames in our bedroom, so we switch it up sometimes!

      xo
      s

  14. Ericka says

    You totally made the right choice with that navy shade – not that you need my approval:)

    What Clara said was totally cute and it’s funny that someone so young would even know the word pebble!

    On an unrelated note, I thought you guys might find this humorous – My 4 year old daughter was putting her finger in her ear and found she had a little piece of wax on her finger. (Ewww, I know) She said , “Look, Mommy – ear wack!” I said, “Yes, I see. It’s called earWAX, sweetie.” Then she says, “No, it’s earWACK. See? There’s only one!” (From the sound of the word, she logically assumed that earwax was plural:)

    Reply

  15. Tessa says

    Another navy lover here! A row of ribbon or nailheads (do they come in white?) along the bottom could add a playful touch without introducing too much additional clashy pattern.

    What size is the pendant? I might try this look to replace a boob light or two in my house…

    Reply

  16. Sherri says

    What a perfect choice. Clara is so descriptive in her answer, bless her heart. I know Clara likes her big girl room, but has she ever asked to sleep in it?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      She’s still very keen on sleeping in her crib but she likes to pretend to nap in the bed (and tuck all of her dolls under the covers). It’s very sweet!

      xo
      s

  17. katalina says

    what part is the canopy of the light?

    I wanted to do this with one of your shades in my office and not sure what conversion kit is or a canopy…

    thanks

    I do not see clashing in this room at all and I work with color every day– I see it as a happy valentine –I have always loved pink and red and orange and love dark navy with pink too!

    Reply

  19. VALERIE J. says

    It looks perfect. It’s amazing what a difference it made to the overall look of the room! I think going with a dark, solid color was definitely the right choice.

    Reply

  20. Heather says

    Love the navy! I myself am working to incorporate navy into my bedroom design, so I’m a huge fan but too bad my room doesn’t have any overhead lighting (darn apartment buildings!). I also have to admit I just entered the East Coast Creative contest purely because I would love the chance to work with Sherry!

    Reply

  21. Beth M. says

    Love the navy! That was also my first pick. I think it ties in nicely with the curtains too. Her room is just adorable! I’m sure she’s tickled pink :) by it all…

    Reply

  22. Alyssa says

    I am so in love with how Clara’s room is turning out. I wish we weren’t renting so we could make more permanent (and fun!) changes (like light fixtures- or rather adding more light fixtures) in our home. We’re currently working on clearing out our spare room to turn it into our 15 month old’s “big girl room” so I’m loving all the inspiration I’m getting from these posts :)

    Reply

  23. Angella says

    I think the Burger shade in pink or even turquoise would have been adorable! Get rid of that blanket, and add a white sheet, and it would be adorable. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The blanket is Clara’s favorite part! She picked red and pink for her room and the blanket has both, which also helps link things like the red chairs and the pink rug :)

      xo
      s

  24. Paige says

    I’m such a nerd! I slowly kept scrolling down going “pick the navy, pick the navy”, and navy for the win. I was on the edge of my seat.

    We are in the middle of turning the guest room into a pre-teen boy bedroom for our oldest that still will function as occasional guest room…I love every step of the way, but this weekend when we had guest stay over I caught myself saying “the middle makes no sense”.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  26. Louise says

    I’m back lol! I have have have to ask you guys something – (don’t feel you have to show this post as it is sort of off topic, but not – if ya get me) Do either of you ever get peeved with explaining yourselves when it comes to the decor/choices in your own home? I’m just asking because there seem to be some pretty anti new room comments on here, and I know that it would anger me just a tad (in a defensive – mind your own beez wax kind of way!)
    Well done for taking it all on the chin with the grace that you do! xx

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think over time we’ve just gotten used to the fact that not everyone would do what we do to our house in their house. The spirit of this blog is just “sharing what we love in our house!” so we never thought it would be “sharing what we love in our house and then everyone else on the planet ends up loving it too!” – haha! Decor is just as much about personal preference as favorite meals or favorite outfits (we don’t all love the same foods or wear the same clothes). We have a very “to each his/her own!” philosophy about decorating. A house should be you, and it definitely doesn’t have to please everyone else :)

      xo
      s

  27. Natalie says

    After reading some of the comments I have to say that I LOVE all the “clashing”. It all looks good when it comes together and it also means that if you find something you love you don’t have to worry about it matching or not!

    Question: I was thinking about using one of those light kits in the kitchen. Do you think they have enough light to be the main light source? There are other pendants so it doesn’t have to do all the work.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, I think as long as it’s a two-light kit you’re good. If it’s a one-light kit (like the ones from Ikea) it might be a bit dim (but adding other accent lights might work – like another pendant over the sink).

      xo
      s

  28. Chaney says

    Ahhh I’m so excited you’re participating with Creating with the Stars! I entered my upholstered desk (#39) – fingers crossed it gets chosen (and that I get paired up with Sherry!). I’m excited-nervous!

    Reply

  29. FuzzyEgg says

    I was on Team Navy all along! WE WON!!!

    (ahem)

    And, it makes all the colors going on there a little bit more coherent.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That was from Joss & Main a while back. My tip is to wait for sales (the prices on poufs tend to go up and down, so I waited until they got really low and pounced).

      xo
      s

  34. decoratica says

    Hi John and Sherry! I’m comming late to the party and seems like all 247 comments like the navy shade… I liked the idea of pink pompoms on it, btw :)
    But I will go against this time… I think it’s just that the middle makes nos sense, but(if you allow me to say)I feel like the room is getting too dark in the top and too pinkish-redish in the bottom side. Like too cold and too warm, does this make sense to you?
    I would put a red shade, yes, I think red is the color. The chairs are red too, so I would paint them again, navy! :) A little switch that to my taste would balance the room more.
    Nevertheless it’s getting soo pretty and I’m soo exicited to see what you are coming up with! And I envy Clara for the oportunity of seeing her own room evolve and being created before moving in. A dream come true! The best part is that she likes every adition! The perfect client too! :)
    XOXO

    Reply

  36. Raven1025 says

    My first thought in starting the post was, “Navy shade, all the way.” Glad to see my gut was right. It looks great and adds that splash of dark color without being black. Can’t wait to see what you add next!

    Reply

  38. Alicen says

    I like the shade, but it makes me think the ceiling being white is all wrong…not sure what would be right, but ceiling treatment is calling that white flat surface’s name!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we mentioned that when we painted the room we’d love to eventually paint the ceiling a color too! Just waiting for things to come together more!

      xo
      s

  39. Amy says

    Love the shade!

    Can I offer a suggestion? Not like I have a blog/book hee hee. But on that empty wall you guys should be a HUGE blown up pic of the 3 of you. Such wonderful parents and I think she would love a pic of you three.

    Reply

  40. Suzy says

    Love it! Can you please put glitter or sequins on the inside of the drum shade?! I need a girl so that I can do this in my house!!! (I suggested it for my little man’s nursery & husband was not a fan..:) ha) But seriously, I love how her room is coming together so far.

    Reply

  41. Robin says

    Uh, I disagree with you. I would totally watch “The Shade.” I picture Clara and Burger in the big red chairs and I get a good giggle out of that. And I really like the navy! It looks great with the pop of dark at the top among all the lightness of the walls and ceiling.

    Reply

  42. sydney says

    Hi guys,
    I happened to play catch up on my blogs today and what should I see but a post about the very thing I’m looking for a drum pendant.
    But, I have a big problem and I’m wondering if there’s any way you, your readers or even your fellow bloggers can help me. See it’s Valentine’s day tomorrow and I’m in love. Big, fat, unrequited love. With a shade, her name is Ovala, for short, her real name is “Ovala 3-Light Gold Drum Pendant from the Ovala Collection” Ovala has rejected me for two reasons. One she’s way outside my budget, $283.00 and I need two. I’m a lowly drapery workroom, that’s a lot of drapes to sew. The other problem is I need these lights for my living room where there is no overhead light to change out so I will be creating a plug in pendant light.
    So I’m wonderingif you guys or a fellow blogger or even an ambitious reader would be able to come up with a DIY hack on my great love that they would be willing to share with me. I’d be so happy. Otherwise, I’m just going to have to spend Valentine’s day with my husband and kids. :)

    Reply

  43. Cara says

    Clara has such sophisticated taste. My 2 year old can sometimes be persuaded away from the all pink all the time, but even then her choices are pretty loud.

    Reply

  44. Zoe says

    I like the navy.

    but I was thinking you might do something fun on the inside… like paint it gold or a pale pink or something or even putting one of your cut out diffusers (from your own collection) in the bottom. That would make it a bit special to me.

    cheers! Z

    Reply

  45. Darcy says

    Love the navy! Perfect placement of that color to tie into all the other navy in the room and balance out the pink. Looks fabulous!

    I also wanted to mention that while shopping at The Paper Source today I came across a sheet of ‘fancy’ paper that looked exactly like the chevron bedspread on Clara’s new bed! The only difference is that this pattern used gold instead of white. But it was almost identical and thought of you guys and Clara’s big girl room…thought it might look cute framed or something.

    Ok, that’s all! :-)

    Reply

  46. Theresa says

    Yup- the navy is the best! Her room is looking so wonderful. I think it’s really great that you guys aren’t making us wait for some sort-of sudden “reveal” where all of a sudden Claras big girl room has evolved before no ones eyes ha. But seriously, it’s so helpful to see how real people put together a room. Especially starting from scratch like you are here!! Thanks so much. (I am still looking forward to a reveal, those are great too)

    Reply

  48. Sue J. says

    darling shade, but I have a question — my kids like to run their fans (noise + cold factor = good night’s rest). can an older fan (which looks just like Clara’s) be enhanced to be better looking? or is a fan a fan a fan.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We haven’t done this ourselves, but you could certainly remove the fan and spray paint it to be a more attractive color – like white to blend in with the ceiling. Or if you don’t want to remove it, you could paint the blades in place. There are also more attractive / more modern fans available for sale if you’re willing to spend money on a new one.

      -John

  49. Lauren says

    “I think it’s shiny and pretty like a pebble.” I love the things that come out of Clara’s mouth! She’s going to grow up to be a poet or a songwriter or something creative like that.

    I love seeing how her big girl room is coming together!

    Reply

  50. Hanna says

    The big girl room is really shaping up! I kept thinking it still looked bare though… and then today I realized that it’s because my kids’ room is completely covered with TOYS. *blush* So messy!

    Can’t wait to see it when all the toys and the bean are moved in!

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *