Bright Lights - Low Budget

My house has some serious lighting issues.  My property backs up to a wooded area – wonderful for privacy, not so much for brightening up my space.  When I moved in, a builder-grade silver chandelier with frosted globes was hanging in my dining area.  I wish that I had taken a picture of that monstrosity, but I sold it at a yard sale a while ago and am trying to forget that it ever existed.

Anywho.

Have you ever tried to find a dining room light that doesn’t use frosted glass? There aren’t many available.  Apparently dim light is very in right now.

It was around this time that I was introduced to the wonder that is Restoration Hardware.  They have an amazing contemporary style that takes a neutral color scheme and makes it feel fancier than you could ever imagine the color gray could be.  It is also a tad bit on the pricey side.  But I had never been, so why not?

As I was perusing the showroom at the Fashion Mall, I saw the light.  Literally.

HOLY CHANDELIER.

It was perfect! Bright light, no frosted glass anywhere in sight and filled with crystals.  It met all of my requirements.

Plus it was sparkly.

It was also $2,600.  Slightly over my let’s-see-if-we-can-do-this-for-under-100-bucks budget.  I left the store sans chandelier, telling myself that if I ever win the lottery I'm going to have one of those bad boys in every room of my house.

[Sigh] Doesn't it look amazing in someone else's living room?

Fast forward to a few months later, when I decided to browse the lighting section at my local Menards.  Where I found this beauty:

And it was on sale for $80.  SOLD.

Menards made my lighting dreams come true.  They also gave me laminate countertops that look like granite – but that’s a story for another time.

It is a beacon of happiness in my kitchen.  And I can now see while chopping vegetables in the evening.  It’s a win-win for everybody.

The moral of the story – keep shopping at expensive stores.  Order more design magazines that contain items way out of your price range.  You never know where you might find inspiration – and a knockoff that comes pretty damn close to the real thing.

Jordan