If you’ve never visited the DIY, home renovation blog Young House Love, you’re in for a treat. John and Sherry, bloggers extraordinaire, are renovating their home step-by-step, giving their readers a detailed look into the process. Every day they have some new clever project to write about. (And the way they tell stories gets addictive, quick).
The blog has a ton of posts on home lighting, some technical, some crazy and fun. Today, I thought I’d share with you my 3 favorite DIY lighting projects from Young House Love:
Who would have thought a thrift store basket could become such a striking focal point? Using an old consignment pendant light (for the lighting kit) and some makeshift hardware, this light was up and ready with only minimal assembly required.
I love this project for 3 reasons: First, the way the light plays with the basket casts the neatest shadows on the ceiling. Second, this project is so simple, you can use almost anything you want (within reason) to make a really personal, meaningful centerpiece for your room. Finally, the basket Sherry and John used is actually a fishing basket, used in many African and Asian countries. What a cool fact!
2. The Chandelier-Turned-Office-Light
For this lighting project, John and Sherry modernized an outdated chandelier in their office that just didn’t match their aesthetic at all. All they did was doctor up the old bronze chandelier with a little indigo spray paint, and attach it to a giant drum shade for a much sleeker edge.
What I think is totally remarkable here is how Sherry and John used a fixture that they already had – just made some unexpected changes to help it fit their style.
I still can’t believe this heavenly looking thing is made from clothespins and wire fencing – craftiness at its finest! They simply made a cylinder out of the wire fencing, and clipped on the clothespins. They attached it to the ceiling on a few hooks, and ran a basic light bulb on a wire (standard lighting kit) down into the center to light things up.
Talk about affordable, stylish, and unique. I want one of these in my house!
Do you have a light fixture in sore need of an update? How about something you think would make an awesome pendant or lamp? Let us know about it!
To find even more fascinating DIY projects, or just for some fun reading, check out the rest of their blog here.