You Light Up My Life

Yes. This post is about lighting and light fixtures. More specifically the lights we chose for our house.

I’ll preface this post by saying everyone has lighting preferences and your choice of lights might not be for me. Likewise, my choices are definitely not for everyone. I’ve had many comments over the years. Some people were adamant the farmhouse should be filled with chandeliers. Others were appalled I chose massive bamboo pendants from Ikea for the bedroom. But I’m not the kind of person who has the same light fixtures in every room. I like rooms to tell a story. And hey, the lights I chose were not expensive. If I get sick of them, I can swap them without a lot of effort or cost.

So here are the lights I chose. Should you like them and want to buy a version for your home, I’ve included links where I could. (*some of the links are affiliate links and may earn me a small commission if you purchase.)

eBay is a great place for budget light fixtures!

You heard that right. Many of the lights in our home are eBay purchases. The kitchen and living space have two different kinds of lighting fixtures creating different zones in this open-plan area. I chose bell-shaped glass shades for over the sink and continuing into the butler’s pantry. Firstly, they emit maximum light, and second, they don’t block the view from the window. These lights cost me $120 for 6 from eBay. Similar lights from Freedom were $100 each and I had ordered them but the order got mucked up. I’ve never been so happy for an order not to arrive! They’ve gone up in price since I purchased them 4 years ago, but are still good value.

Our wine barrel chandelier is also from eBay. I searched a number of sites and found prices from $200 to $1200 for one chandelier. They are adjustable and come in different sizes. Ours are the biggest ones at 50cm long. The brass and milk glass gooseneck sconce in our ensuite is also an eBay find from an Australian seller. It’s new but is imported from France.

Temple & Webster

Temple and Webster is such a great resource for the budget-conscious decorator. Our hall has matching reproduction Le Klint reproductions from Temple and Webster. The Le Klint 172 pendant light is perhaps the most well-known Le Klint lamp. It dates back to the 1960s when Jan Klint, the managing director of Le Klint at the time, realised that even classics need new incentives. I love the bold statement these lights make and the juxtaposition of retro against vintage. They are super easy to clean. I just stick the novel of the vacuum up the inside and dust the outside with a feather duster. These light fixtures only cost me $90 each at the time. Now the only ones I can find online are around $670 for the small version.

For our lounge/snug renovation, I picked a ball chandelier also from Temple and Webster. It gives the coolest pattern on the ceiling and walls when it’s lit and can be dimmed.