a pendant lamp for my dining table
the problem: my dining table is towards the back of my apartment and it doesn’t get great light. the overhead/ceiling lights are way too bright.
the solution: a pendant light to hang over my dining table
the process: first, i got a super cheap swag light cord set to get an estimate of the hole I’d need to cut in a shade to fit the socket through. I looked for one that I could plug-in normally rather than wire into the ceiling because i rent.
i threw a shade from white ∆5 stoneware clay on my wheel at home. it took me a couple tries to get a shape I really liked - it’s surprisingly unintuitive to throw a shade upside down (relative to how it will hang). I fired the shade at a local studio. i chose not to glaze it because I liked the matte look of the raw clay.
i got a swag hook attached to a toggle bolt from a nearby hardware store. i drilled a hole in the ceiling and pushed the toggle bolt through - the first attempt failed (so now there’s one abandoned bolt on my ceiling), but the second one worked like a charm. i also picked up a handful of cheap cord stays to tack the cord to the wall in clean lines. i really love how this looks.
the cord on the cord set was really boring - just clear plastic. I happened to have a bunch of maroon/burgundy yarn leftover from a previous project and decided to embark on the (somewhat insane but eventually very worth it) task of wrapping the cord in the yarn. Rohit, a saint in human form, helped. it took probably close to two hours. i do not recommend this at all.
finally, i assembled and hung the piece and… it was not good. the light bulb was way, way too bright to look at for any length of time. and it cast really harsh shadows. so i set out (across the internet) to find a solution, and deep in the lighting forums, came across half chrome bulbs - a game changer!! the best!! the metal on the top of the bulb reflects light back into the shade and keeps it from being too harsh.
the final review: super fun. incredibly worth it. very doable! recommend to others (except wrapping the cord, unless you have incredible patience, a willing partner, and a good show to watch)
