So, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not much of an artist or designer. But I still get the itch to draw from time to time. So, I thought I’d share some recent things from my “sketchbook” (read: whatever notebook is closest at hand) that I’ve been playing around with.
Just ordered this colorful 8″ x 10″ print titled “The Rain” by Michel Valenton from the Erin Loechner Specialty Shop at The Foundary. (Not a member? Want to be? Send me your email address and I’ll send you an invite!)
I love all of the different colors, but particularly the bright oranges and pinks. I think it will perfectly complement the color palette I have planned for my Library/Office, which is white, magenta, and tangerine! Plus, how could this print not make you smile every time you see it? It’s so bright and cheery! Can’t wait to get it, frame it, then put my entire office design together (ha!). For more on that, check out yesterday’s List-O-Mania post!
By far, the room that I’m most excited to decorate and finish out is my office/study/library. And while I wait for the beautiful built-ins that Tom & I are planning, I keep myself busy searching for the smaller items, like light fixtures, a reading chair, a writing desk, etc.
First up – the light fixture! We had the builder rough-in electric in the ceiling, but wanted to pick out a more unique fixture than the builder offered. At first, the selection process seemed like a no-brainer. We already had a funky Ikea Kryssbo fixture that we never put up in our condo, and I immediately thought it would look super cool in my office.
The good part? It was easy to assemble and install, and it gave the room a fun modern feel. The bad part? It tripped our circuit breaker. Apparently we have the latest up-to-code breaker faults in our circuit breaker box. Which, we learned, are super-sensitive. And the built-in transformer will trip the breakers every. single. time. So, the Ikea fixture came down, and the search was on for a new one.
I have been really drawn to the pendant lights with drum shades lately. And since we already have a nice dining room and kitchen fixture, I thought it would be fun to try a pendant drum in an office. We scoped out Lowe’s, Home Depot, Amazon and Overstock.com without much luck. My criteria for a light/shade included:
– affordable (no more than $200)
– neutral
– provide enough light so I can comfortably read or work without squinting (post-Ikea failure, we decided that fixture wasn’t bright enough, anyway)
I was originally drawn to this patterned fabric shade from Amazon.com:
but wanted something with more pizazz.
I considered a more glamorous option:
but this was too much pizazz.
Then, One day at Lowe’s, we decided to check out the lighting section for kicks – and there it was! Simple yet detailed, contemporary but not too modern. And the best part? Only $99!
