Today I wanted to share some tips on what to do when your room desperately needs a chandelier, but hanging one just isn’t an option. This is exactly what we faced when we moved into our current apartment. We have high ceilings with track lighting, and our dining room is part of a large main living space. Even after we had all our furniture in place, painting done, and accessories and art hung, the dining area still felt a little bare. We already knew that we couldn’t hang a light over the table, so we were on the hunt for an alternative. All it took was a random shopping trip to West Elm and we found our solution! We spotted various sized stick orbs, and immediately knew what to do.
To make sure these large orbs were secure, we inserted drywall anchors in the ceiling, then screwed eye hooks into the anchors. Next, we tied one end of twine to each orb, threaded it through the eye hooks, adjusted the twine to get the right height, and then secured the other end of twine back onto the orb.
As you continue to hang the orbs, be sure to step back and take a look at them from all different angles.
Here are some other great ideas I found:
1. Here is a great tutorial from Honest to Nod for string balls
2. I love the idea of hanging mason jars and other glass bottles, image via A Stunning Affair
3. All the glitz, glam, and shine of a chandelier and no electricity required, from cb2
4. A collection of various lantern candleholders like these from World Market
Do you have any other ideas to share? Maybe something you’ve done in your own home or seen somewhere? I love to hear your ideas!
I love your “chandelier”–I might steal this for my girl’s room. I also like your table and chairs. I’ve actually been toying with replacing my dark traditional chairs with white mid-century modern style chairs–it’s such a clean look that combines styles and eras organically. Are those Eames chairs or are they comfortable facsimiles, and if the latter, where did you buy them?
Hi Susie! Thanks for following!
They are an Eames style chair, and we actually bought them locally at a place called Interior Express Outlet. They actually sell to other companies, such as Overstock. I do love the look of the chairs, and the inexpensive price tag, HOWEVER they are a bit of a pain. We have to turn over each one and tighten the screws on the underside every week or two. I think the price of the chairs has gone down since we bought them, probably due to complaints. Anyways, I highly recommend the look, but I can’t say the same for the quality of chair. Shop around and be sure to check craigslist and flea markets. Finding some vintage ones would be your best bet, or a good quality modern furniture store. Keep in mind you can also do four or more different vintage chairs all in white. That was my original plan but we ended up with these instead.
I hope that helps and good luck!