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Home Decorating Design Dilemma

Help! Art in place of pendant lights? Is this a thing?

last month

last modified: last month

I know this sounds crazy but can I hang a piece of art (thinking a sophisticated mobile or some modern swirly abstract thing that must exist...) in the living room instead of a pendant light? We have plenty of recessed lights, cathedral-in-the-vatican amounts of ceiling lights. But the room could use that *look up here* wow factor. I don't want to wire anything. It's simply aesthetics I'm after.Is this a thing? Or are we talking a totally different tax bracket where I sell my organs to commission a snotty artist who only goes by one name?

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olychick

last month

last modified: last month

I think it depends on your style. Most that I see are modern in modern homes. You could also consider an unelectrified chandelier...either a candleabra or just the fixture with no lights/candles.

Yikes!!

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Comments (10)

Jinx
last month
“Or are we talking a totally different tax bracket where I sell my organs to commission a snotty artist who only goes by one name?”

That made me laugh. 😄

Can you show the room? It’s hard to say without seeing the space. What is the height of the ceiling?

What is your decor style? That’s a big factor, too.
Amiya Powell thanked Jinx
P Banos
last month
How about pendant lights that are art?
Amiya Powell thanked P Banos
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You could use a much shorter lamp there to get rid of it blocking the view. However, it seems like a piece of art centered on that wall might not work......... that wall is basically the dividing line between two different rooms, right? (Yes, it's a great room... but the way the furniture is.... it just seems divided.) I would be confused about what to put up for that reason alone.... :) Personally, I would do a grouping of mirrors.... Something hung like these "Garden District" mirrors from Ballard: I'm not sure if the dimensions on these particular ones are right for your space, but I think something similar could work and look very nice.
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Source for art glass pendants?
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Comments (18)
I have access to Home Depot, Expo, Lamps Plus & Lowes. All without any luck. I was trying to find a simple chandelier and pendants without getting too matchy. A friend told me to try a lighting store. We have one called "Lightbulbs Unlimited". It took a couple of hours, but we pretty much designed exactly what I had in mind. I did start out wanting glass, but ended up going with ORB fixtures. There are some beautiful glass pendants. If our kitchen wasn't so close to the dining room, I would've stuck with that dream. Good Luck!
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Comments (18)
Too high, too small ; I agree with all of the above. Above the mantle is prime space/location, you shouldn't have to merchandise around the picture to make it look right. I disagree with adding more matting, possibly you should look for a print that can be framed with all of the image showing, this particular print looks like the matting is hiding some of the picture by cutting off parts of the trees, not too effective, imo. The colors do work in your room, the red is great.
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need help with big living , furniture and art on wall , and fire place
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Comments (7)
Having all the seating pushed against the walls is contributing to your living room looking oversized. Float the furniture in the room as Erin suggests. The wood is pretty (though I get that you aren't as enamored of it as your husband), but between the floor, walls, and beams, it is a lot. You will probably want to cover up as much of it as possible without letting your husband know that's what you are doing. A rug to ground the seating area (big enough to extend at least under the front legs of the sofa and loveseat). A couple pieces of artwork to flank the wide doorway (one LARGE for next to the guitar). Side and/or coffee table, plus some table or floor lamps will help pull it together. If you can move the lighting to be more centered in the room, I think it would look more balanced. If you don't need/use the ceiling fan, replace it with a contemporary light fixture (depending on your climate, you might really want that fan, I know).
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Kendrah
last month
Heck yeah you can. Perhaps you could take cues from my father-in-law, who was a very special man. One day when my husband came home from school he noticed that his dad decided to hang from the ceiling fan in the catherdral living room a large poster of Babe Ruth and on the other side a poster of a baboon. He had a strong affection for both.

On the other hand, you could look into large Calder-like mobiles, if it suits your taste. An artist in Philadelphia makes such mobiles. I don't know if they would get lost in your ceiling.

Saatchi Art - mobiles - Some of these are terrible. Ok, most of them are. The paper cut out is pretty nice.

Warren Muller- Found object light installations (I'm guessing it is more the cost of selling a lot of plasma instead of an organ or donating eggs.)
Amiya Powell thanked Kendrah
Amiya Powell
Original Author
last month

Thank you so much everyone for this! (I would address all individually but I'm literally a possum in a person suit, no clue how to work the site). Adore the mobiles, definitely my cuppa. And after the Babe Ruth/baboon gallery, I'm feeling confident I can go nuts. I think we all forget sometimes we're decorating for our pleasure. I needed that.

The room is currently empty, new build. I added a picture w/ the approximate layout & another w/the furniture choices (I'm definitely not in the all-white-everywhere tax bracket).
arcy_gw
last month
last modified: last month
I am not a fan of pendant lighting/ceiling fixtures in a living space. Architectural details are the norm on a ceiling--beams, cornice etc. A mobile of some sort, a Chihuly, heck make your own! would be fabulous. I made them for many a nursery, my kids all made them for their rooms, one is still hanging in what was my son's room--it's CD discs.
Amiya Powell thanked arcy_gw
Kendrah
last month
Your ceilings look lower than I was expecting. Yes, it would be cool to hang something if you want to but I don't think the space needs it. I was thinking it was a two story tall ceiling.
Amiya Powell
Original Author
last month
Noted, I would actually prefer nothing but started to worry it would be dull because my taste is so simple. I don't like knick knacks and things everywhere and thought it might look empty. Thank
mcarroll16
last month
Empty is the ultimate luxury! I'm happiest when my decor is purely functional (plus fresh flowers). Looking at your inspiration picture, it needs a couple of throw blankets, end tables, and lamps. Those would make the seating area fully functional. Add one potted plant or a nice art piece on the wall, and your room is lush but restful.
Amiya Powell thanked mcarroll16
suzysuetx
last month
Nothing is fine, also think about cleaning it.

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