It would certainly be a conversation piece, but not sure the type conversation one would want at a serious meal. This could provoke a socioeconomic conversation that could end in heartburn.

Ok, ok, I get it! LOL. I really want to find something kind of rustic, unique, and colorful, but have had the hardest time. I have been on all the usual websites, auction houses, bricks and mortar stores, resale sites, etc since we moved in this house 4.5 years ago. I have only found a couple of other options, but they have been $2000 and up (darn you 1stdibs).
Oh well, the search continues......

Curious name "spool" it looks more like " wine cork" to me. I am wondering what it looks like lit up? I do not see the light bulbs. Will it cast interesting shadows in the room? Often I hear fixtures are chosen for the sort of light they cast. What does your space look like? This is a very casual look, does that match the room? I chose a fixture I love, no one else in my family appreciated it when I pulled it out of the box. I am not sorry I chose it. If asked I would bet they are still unimpressed, which is why I never ask!!

I think it is kind of funky and unique! It also depends on what else you're going to do in that room, but I think its cool!

I was going to tell you to sleep on it but see you've already done that! It just looks weird to me, you asked. I don't care for things that don't make sense like that and simply look like someone was trying too hard to be different, edgy or creative.

You could substitute marshmallows for the white beads, and chocolate colored beads for the blue ones and tell your guests it's a s'mores-themed chandy that you bought from an artist who specializes in food motifs. :)

Well, I don't love it, but I don't hate it. :)

Why is it so hard to find a funky light fixture. I have started a few threads on this myself over the last couple of years. I gave up. :(

I hope you don't and find something fabulous and let us know what it is!

angc, have you tried Etsy? I just did searches under both ceiling light and chandelier and saw some very unique and creative lighting. There are a lot of people selling vintage lighting there, but if that isn't your thing, check the Handmade box on the upper left after your search results load to weed the vintage fixtures out.

I don't see it as being rustic. It would fit in a retro home circa 1950's.

I think it would need to be put in a room that was already very eccentric or it would look out of place.

It's not the time of thing that would work just as a conversation piece in a conventional room, in my opinion.

Looks like it would be a pain to dust too, and I agree with the weird shadows observation. Light fixtures can be tough if you don't want what everyone else has.

Sorry so late in replying. No Internet access at work. I will post pics of the room tonight and reply . I spent a good portion of the day looking at the chandelier. It's a love hate thing.

Home finally. The marshmallow comment made me laugh. That was my initial reaction. Or else a Girl Scout project. It is also definitely more cork than spool. I love the colored beads though.
It would go in the only dining area in the house which is open to the kitchen. I have posted pics of our Neo-traditional house here before. It is basically a 20ft wide shotgun home. Front to back- Front door, living room, kitchen with bay window bump out, back hall/office/mud room, staircase, garage. Very traditional styling, but I am trying to inject some funk!
Here is the dining area. Still no consensus about window treatments (yea, nay, what, where) and I will be adding a velvet dining settee in front of the window.
Posting pics in next message...

Have you looked at Murray Feis lights? They have a few funky styles and their pricing is pretty good. The Maarid collection looked interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Murray Feis

What do I think now? I think I'm glad you didn't buy it yet. Your room is beautiful and I think you can find something different yet fitting. Have you looked at Currey and Co? They have some really nice funk...

Here is a link that might be useful: Currey and Co lights

It's kind of kabob-like. There's a picture from an article that shows it a little better and it looks better. Love/hate....I understand.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lighting Article

To me it says MCM. So, if that is the theme/decor I really really really like it. Or, I could see it in a bohemian setting.

I LOVE your space.
And I am a total fan of mixing it up.

Not sure where you are with your budget, but Layla Grayce has a wide variety of chandeliers - You'll see some Currey & Company here - but also other manufacturers in a lower price point.

Here is one that caught my eye:

Here is a link that might be useful: Layla Grayce

"What do you think? Fun and funky, or just plain icky?"

You asked, so....

I opened the thread, the image appeared after about a second or two, and I actually shuddered. "Just plain icky" doesn't come close to what I was thinking.

With geokid's picture of it, however, I didn't loathe it quite as much either. Not that I came anywhere close to liking it. And I don't see it in a DR, certainly not in yours. Maybe it would work in a kid's room. I think you need to continue your DR lighting search.

After seeing geokid's picture - I like it even more. I think its cool and unique, and a great color palette. I say go for it!

What about something like this (Pottery Barn used to sell this clip-on stuff "Wakefield" chandelier; not sure if they still do.)

{{!gwi}}

Then there are these:
(memento bottles)

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

All from Napa Style (plus other funky styles with old teacups and spoons)
or this from PB:

Here is a link that might be useful: Napa Style

Sometimes you just have to do it. :) I do like that additional picture. I found my thread. Can't believe it was so long ago! Someone suggested anthropologie. Not sure if they still have lighting. I still like the one I posted with the edison bulbs and wings :)

Here is a link that might be useful: lighting

I love lighting! I think there are so many fun options. Definitely try Etsy, esp for funky.

I will be honest. I do not like it one bit. The upward spikes are disturbing. Also, it is very MCM in a way that does not go with your house.

I think it would pull all the elegance out of your room, yes it would be funky but not in a good way, not subtle enough, imoâ¦..

Definitely craft project in my opinion, and a mighty nice one I must say, it's amusing, but it's place in a room is too important to do amusing, possibly a doodad on a table can be amusing and funky like that, but not over the table.

I agree that it simply doesn't make sense for your beautiful and elegant looking dining area.

Yeah, those spikes are not comfortable to look at! Not a good mood setter, lol!

You guys are such a fantastic resource! I looked through both Murray Feiss and Currey and Co. again. I found a couple I liked, but they seemed too pretty. Does that make sense? I love our house, but it feels too precious sometimes. I want to rough it up around the edges a little, while staying true to the style. I am over the shades of grey and cream mixed with industrial trend and really want color again. Maybe the jutting marshmallow kabob isn't quite what I'm going for either (smile). I want the fixture to be unexpected, maybe a little jarring, but still interesting and attractive.
Etsy is one site I had overlooked. I looked for about half and hour, but have to wade through way too many mason jar chandeliers. I have never been able to sort through their site. I may need to have a couple of glasses of wine and try again.
PB and BD have some lighting that used to feel different and unusual, but now it's so trendy. I still love the original Love Notes (not positive that is the right name) chandelier the Wakefield is based upon. Have blogs just made everything so commonplace that it's nearly impossible to find anything new?

What about a vintage chandelier of good size painted a funky, unexpected color?

{{!gwi}}

I love this for funk, where they actually painted the "crystals" although i wouldn't paint real crystal, but there are a gazillion used chandeliers out there with glass "crystals".

There are some very fun pieces here:

Here is a link that might be useful: painted chandeliers

This one isn't funky but it is different, unique and graceful. Complements your other things.

Here is a link that might be useful: chandelier

This one is a little rustic. The beads are wood. You've probably already seen it, Ballards. It also comes in black.

I do sort of like this MF chandelier. Not as different as I pictured, but the rock crystals are neat. I don't much care for the painted fixtures. It reminds me of the Blue Man Group costumes;-) I have a pair of wood bead chandeliers that are an option like the one above for over the kitchen island. They are hanging in the back room waiting for me to make a decision about the table fixture.

about 10-15 yrs ago i remember seeing in a nyc home store (abc??? i don't remember which one...) lots types of fun and funky colorful murano glass fruit chandys... i loved them at the time, but didn't have a need for one--- don't know if something like that would be your taste... but, something like that could look nice in your space and would add color!

That one would look good! More interesting with the rock crystals.

Are you saying you have the Ballards fixtures or just wood bead ones?

This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 14:53

angc, I had linked M.Feiss in my previous response ... you picked the chandelier I have! Mine is the larger 2-tier, 12-light version. I'm very happy with mine and it added just the right amount of funky and different. A warning: you do need to hang it a bit higher than normal because the strings would hang in front of your face if you only take into account the frame of the chandelier.

Do you have a good lighting store nearby? I have a good one that will let me bring chandeliers home to hold up in my space. It really helps. Not sure I would have been brave enough to buy the huge MF chandelier if I hadn't been able to bring the smaller loaner model to my house. I need to see/touch/feel this kind of purchase.

blue man group ha, ha, ha!! - yes I chose some unfortunate examples to post - should have spent more time searching :-) But there are some prettier ones in the link.

I like the spool chandelier, but if you've already fallen in and out of it once, you will continue to fall in and out of love until you hate it and really need a change.
I love the MF you posted, and may go further with that one myself. I have a smallish dining room.
I've also been looking forever for an attractive, non-trendy, "different" DR chandelier. The ZGallerie linear strand chandelier is one I keep coming back to. It looks to me like rainfall, with a nice organic feel.

Here is a link that might be useful: linear strand chandelier

Have you checked out shadesoflight? They have some interesting ones.

Chispa, do you have any pics of the MF in your home? The smaller one is 45" high. Our ceilings are 12ft. It should work, right? I can't tell how noticeable the rock crystals really are.
The wood bead ones I have found are not the exact same as BD. Similiar shape as those posted by geokid and snookums. One barrel chandelier is enough, even though that red coral is yummy.
We have a couple of decent lighting places in town, but only one with a large enough in-stock inventory to be helpful. I haven't been there in almost a year when we redid our basement and office. Adding that to the Must Do list tomorrow. BTW, the budget is about $500 which seemed generous, but is proving a challenge.

Angc, no photos right now. My room is 15 x 15, ceiling starts at 9.5ft and vaults in the center at 12 ft. I'll give you some measurements that you can lay out in your space:
- 2-tier chandelier is a total of 56" long
- table is 29.5" high and 48" W x 104" L
- longest string is 27" above table top
- frame/ring of chandelier is 51" above table top
- I used about 21" of chain

I think the 6-light fixture would fit perfectly. You keep saying rock crystals. Not sure what you mean? The strings are made of round glass beads with capiz shells in different shapes. They shells have caramel "highlights" that would go well with your table.

"Funny" story. The lighting store will usually dress or set up a chandelier all ready for pick up. I get it home, the electrician hangs it and something is just off. Turns out there is a pattern when hanging the strings and the guys at the lighting store didn't read the instruction. I spent 5 hours removing everything, remaking some of the strings they had pieced together and getting it all back on, while hanging on a stepladder 12 ft up!! LOL. Wasn't funny at the time!

Angc, did you look at the catalog on the MF site? Page 180 has the cascade collection and you can zoom in for more details.

Here is a link that might be useful: M. Feiss Catalog

I thought the capiz shells were rock crystals. The zoom in feature did help. I am heading to the lighting place today. These are the lights for over the kitchen island. They are fairly large.

Horchow has a sale this weekend on lighting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Horchow

How near is the island? I think I would keep the table fixture simple and have them relate in some way!

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sat, Feb 23, 13 at 14:09

The Horchow sales includes Circa and Visual Comfort! Thanks for the heads up. It can be hard to find sale on those brands.
The island is only 8 ft away. Too much going on?

They are very bold and heavy looking, making a strong statement. I can't see mixing them with the light modern capriz shell or the quirky spool.

Angc, I like that you like it: in other words, it's not poorly made- the execution is good, the balance is fine, it works- and so, if you like it, then you should get it. I think the hate part might be coming from this forum, all the negativity, yet, no one had posted anything creatively similar.
Those bead chandeliers? I love them. I want one !!, but they are not original art and I do think the spool chandy falls more into that category.
Before buying, I would look endless at etsy and galleries for chandys that don't look like something else already out there.
You shouldn't be able to say in your mind " Ooh, I saw something similar at (pick one) Hobby Lobby, Ballards, Horchow, Target, Pottery Barn....

If you hated it at first and it took a year to love it, aren't you afraid you would tire of it again? I wouldn't buy something simply to be different. If you are unsure, there is probably a good reason for that and you wouldn't be questioning it.

Those look like large lights for over the kitchen island. How big is the island? How big are those lights? l don't think they will look that good with the MF chandelier. Very similar shape, but such a different vibe.

I've been wrecking my brain where I saw that spool chandelier in real life. Now I remember. Did you look at some of the other Arhaus chandeliers?

Or from Etsy

For scientists

Here is a link that might be useful: Flowers in Light

deleted weird double post!

This post was edited by chispa on Sat, Feb 23, 13 at 23:23