Swing Arm Sconces for less than $150

Knowing that you enjoy these posts, I am inspired to keep them coming. Now, when I am searching for a product for a client or project I am working on and I find low cost versions, I'll round them up and share them with you. This won't be a regular, weekly column, but rather will appear when I have something good to share. 

So on to today's goods,

swing arm sconces!

Who doesn't love this sconce?

But at $336, this Circa Lighting fixture does not work with everyone's budget. 

So the search began for a budget friendly, super stylish alternative and here is what I found.....

I am trying a different way to search the products in my round ups and I thought this might be easier than trying to match the number to the item... let me know what you like better.

There is a look for everyone, and a price for every budget too!
Which ones are you drawn to?

I really like this guy....

and think my CSIL should use it (in white) in her guest bedroom....

The sun is shining here today and the temps may even top 50 degrees.... Whoopie! I may have to get out and do a little bit of yard work....

I almost forgot to mention how excited and honored I was to find that Emily Clark featured my
budget bar stool collection here, if you missed it, go check it out!

Have a great day people!

--------------Cathy--------------

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Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  

Contact me for more information about my design services.

bargain barstools

Many thanks to Linda and Pam for filling me in on the fact that the RSS feed for Room Rx was not working properly, helping to explain why I wasn't feeling the love lately. Linda mentioned that Lisa had had a similar problem, so a quick email to her and I received a detailed answer generated from her research and I believe the problem is fixed! Let me know if you think it is not....

I LOVE my blog friends!!! Thanks for your help ladies!

If you have missed anything over the past 3 weeks, be sure to catch up by scrolling down or going directly to these links to the various posts: March 20, March 22, April 2, April 8 and April 10. 

Now, since that is out of the way, I am mixing things up a bit today by posting about something other than fabric on a Friday. Today it is barstools. I have worked on quite a few kitchens over the past months and I keep coming across great looking stools that are reasonably priced and thought I should share my faves. I have rounded up 10 stools with backs and 10 without. 

There is something for everyone in this mix, at  a variety of price points all under $160!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10  / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 /16/ 17 / 18 / 19 /20

Do you have a favorite? Maybe something I missed in my collection? If so be sure to share a link in the comments or on my facebook page.

We are still awaiting Spring here in Madison, the weather has been just grim this week with rain and temps in the 30's. All of the HS sports have been cancelled and the swale in my backyard is looking enough like a pond to fool the Mallard ducks who have been playing in there the last few days.

I am hoping the sun shines around here soon!

Have a terrific week-end....

--------------Cathy--------------

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Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  

Contact me for more information about my design services.

Pendant lighting on a budget

Lighting is a crucial element in any space from the standpoint of functionality; getting the layers of lighting right can be the difference between a bright, well used room and one that just doesn't cut it. But lighting also plays an important role visually, a little bit like the correct jewelry for a favorite outfit, sometimes subtle (hoop earrings) and sometimes the showstopper (a statement necklace.)  Lucky for us there are thousands of options and hundreds of websites and stores from which to purchase, but therein lies the problem, how to choose! Since most of us are on a budget, and the costs for even the most inexpensive fixture can add up when multiples are needed, I have been exploring the web in search of inexpensive, high style lighting (check out my guides to flush mounts and semi-flush mounts.)

Today I share a dozen of my picks for small pendant lighting, much used in kitchens (over islands, peninsulas and sinks) but also in bathrooms over vanities and hallways with tall ceilings. Every fixture is under $100 and work with a variety of styles from traditional to industrial and everything in-between. Some are fabulous right out of the box and others would make for interesting DIY projects. I am picturing the first brass number all dolled up with a little Rub N Buff to tone down the finish...

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

There are many great sources for finding inexpensive lighting. I typically go right to Home Depot, (or Lowes if you have one in your area) Home Decorators and Lamps Plus. West Elm, Ballard Design and Pottery Barn are also great resources. If you are searching for something more unique, you may have luck on Craigslist, Ebay or even at your local thrift shops. The key thing is, you don't have to scrimp on style just because you have a budget, take the time to find what you love and make it work for you.

What are your favorite inexpensive light fixtures and sources?

We had a stunning, sunny Winter week-end here in Madison complete with a moonlight snowshoe with friends on Friday night and more fun on showshoes yesterday. More snow is in the forecast here tonight and tomorrow, another 6-8 inches... Good thing I like playing in the snow.... I might just be ready for signs of Spring after this storm passes......

Have a great week, I can't wait for you to come back Wednesday when I share the progress my CSIL has made on her Dining Room....!!!!


Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx

Replace the "boob' light - Semi flush fixtures $150 and under

As promised, today I share round 2 of Replace the "boob light, my picks for value priced semi- flush fixtures. Often this fixture style works well in rooms with 8' ceilings, but be sure to check the overall height of the fixture before buying. The taller fixtures may be best used with ceiling heights of 9' or more. Larger and more detailed than flush mounts,  I think these lights are anything but utilitarian, but with price tags between $80 - 150 it's easy to see why a builder or home owner may not choose them for spaces needing multiple fixtures, like hallways. For a bedroom or study, any of these lights would give great bang for the buck.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

Are you sold? There are a couple I am eyeballing for my someday "boob" light replacement project...

One last thing, a shout out to my friend Linda for gathering together a very talented group for her

One Room Challenge. 

If you are not familiar, every Wednesday for 6 weeks, these 20 bloggers will share their ideas for and progress in transforming a room. This is one talented bunch so the creativity and cleverness is abundant!
Go on now, grab your coffee, tea or wine (well, you might be reading this after your work for the day is done, right?) and have a look at what these folks are up to, you won't be disappointed....

Chattafabulous 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

the Cottage Mix 

Cottage & Vine 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

Everything LEB 

Hodge Podge 

Kim Macumber Interiors 

Little Black Door 

Matters of Style 

Nicole Scott Designs 

Pacific Family Homes 

Pawleys Island Posh 

the Peak of Tres Chic 

the Pink Pagoda 

Powell Brower Home 

Simple Details 

 Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx

Replace the "boob" Light: 12 fixtures for $100 or less

Builders love 'em, many of us have 'em or have had 'em (I still have a couple) and designers hate 'em.... Yes I am talking about the "boob" light! Not sure what a "boob" light is? Check it out in it's most basic form...

They are widely used because they are typically very inexpensive (the one above is $23.) But they are also found all dressed up and selling for a pretty penny, like this one...  for a mere $299.99!

I have not gotten around to replacing the ones in my house yet due to cost and decorating priority, but when I am ready, (or the hubs is ready to loosen the purse strings) here are a dozen suitable replacements. They are all flush mount fixtures, perfect for homes like mine with 8' ceilings.

Top to bottom, left to right
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

Check out what Kristin from The Hunted Interior did with light number 10 above:

A little Rub 'N' Buff and some gold spray paint and she made that guy look like it's $272 friend. Pretty clever, yes?

Do you still have "boob" lights in your home? What would you use to replace them?
Later this week I'll share my picks for semi-flush fixtures that can work for replacing those unsightly lights as well.

I hope my friends on the East Coast are all dug out and back to normal after the crazy storm over the week-end, stay warm and safe. We had pouring rain yesterday and it feels like Oz here today, the wind is howling and gusts of up to 45mph are expected. Aahhh, Winter in the Midwest!!!

 Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx

Such a Deal!

Lucky girl...!!!! My client, Rochelle, had a vision of having a pair of neutral sofas in her family room and on Saturday (part of) that vision came to be in the form of a serious deal. While shopping for bedding at a local home store which was "closing" (Bloomingdales Home & Furniture, I believe), she stumbled across this beauty, a floor sample marked $799.... down from the "manufacturer's suggested retail price" of $3700:

Julian Sofa by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams 

Uh huh, yes you read that right!  As she was standing there looking at it and considering whether is was right for her room, a sales associate came by marked the piece down an additional $100 making the price $699. She was in the right place at the right time and this was a deal that was too good to be true, so she snapped it up and now it resides, beautifully, in her family room, have a look...

Before:

After, with Julian:

Pretty amazing, no?  I love the arms, the waterfall skirt and the nubby, textural fabric, not to mention the quality construction. And, Julian could not be more ideal in this setting, making the colors in the rug and pillows come alive and adding a level of sophistication to the other furnishings. This is a perfect foundation piece for any room, so flexible, so classic.

Now, to find the partner....have you seen Julian's mate, lurking on the sales floor of a Bloomingdale's & Furniture store or some other store, preferably in the Chicago area?! Comment or send me an email if you have a lead!

What serious deals or amazing bargains have you scored lately?!!!!

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx.

Clever: Blueprints as Art

Our home in Chicago was built in the early 1940"s and came with the original set of blueprints (the kind that were actually blue).  Since the house had been altered a few times over the years, it was nice to be able to understand what it looked like when it was originally conceived and built.  Blueprints, even the modern day kind, have always intrigued me and because they record someone's creative expression and work, they are like art to me.  You can imagine how inspired I was to find a vintage set of blue prints used as art when I stumbled on this room.... 

House to Home

The bold blue lends itself perfectly to white furnishings and the graphic quality of the blueprints are a nice change from the overly popular use of maps.  Inspired, I took a tour of the internet and found a few blueprints ready to purchase and either frame or hang wallpaper style. Etsy, eBay and Old Blueprints are great resources on line, but I imagine your local vintage store or a flea market would also be great spots for finding vintage blueprints

Old Blueprints

Sugarlily on etsy

eBay

Imagine the possibilities of designing or finishing a room around any of these fabulous images... or for that matter, using them in other creative ways, think decoupage,  lampshades, window treatments and the like!  How fabulous would any of these look in the natural & navy room I featured yesterday?

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? 

If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx!

Paint: Headboard Stripes

Sometimes it is the most simple, inexpensive tricks that have the most impact and can make a room.  I have mentioned before that I am not a fan of accent walls per say, but I love the idea of using paint in interesting ways on the walls. I understand the desire to bring more color into a room with paint so when I saw the image below, with the headboard stripes, I knew that for me, this was one way to make the accent wall concept happen.

 

Coastal Living

In looking around, I found a few more examples of the headboard stripe concept and am wowed by the impact it can make.  Take the image below for example, white walls with a vibrant green stripe the perfect width of the headboard.  The bold stripe is the only pop of color in an otherwise neutral room.

 Francois Halard via Remodelista

Or the reverse with a lavender wall and a white stripe...

 Apartment Therapy

Of course there are always many approaches to the same concept, so if you have the time and patience, a wider swath of paint done in a horizontal stripe, accented with the stripes a shade lighter behind the headboard looks amazing!

via 

Or try this simple band of stripes that canopies over the ceiling. Very cool!

Burnham Design

A quart of paint, some painter's tape, a straight edge and a little patience is all it would take to DIY this concept yourself.  High impact, low budget, love it!!! 

Squidoo

Today is the first official day of Summer break at our house.  No sleeping in here, my oldest was off to his job by 6 AM, my daughter has a daily cross country run at 8 AM and my youngest is an early riser.  I do believe this is not a bad thing and at the very least, it will have me "up and at 'em," ready to get things accomplished in my day.  That said, I have a list a mile long, I had better get after it! Hope you and I both, have a productive day!

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? 

If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx!