Kristan Cunningham » lighting – Trends and Design Ideas – Kristan Cunningham

The Least Expensive (and Most Useful) Light You’ll Ever Love

Kristan — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:43:54 +0000

You just cannot beat this perfectly utilitarian, no-nonsense light. For under ten bucks, you can bring some task lighting and some industrial chic flair into any space in your home. Heck, for that price, EVERY space in your home! Reading light, art light, uplighting, bookcase lighting…it can even be hacked into a pendant light!

Designers Edge 8.5 In. Incandescent Clamp Light from Home Depot, $7.49

Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Courtesy of Remodelista

(Headline Image Courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

SupermarketHQ for You?

Kristan — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:02:58 +0000

If you follow this blog at all, you know by now that I love Etsy. So do a lot of people, however, and the downside of its popularity is that it’s huge and can be crazypants overwhelming… especially when you’re just browsing. That’s why I like copycat site SupermarketHQ .

Sleek and petite, SupermarketHQ is sorta like early Etsy- manageable and shopable without all the crazy new tools Etsy now needs to help its shoppers. They divide their wares into three categories: wear + carry, space + place & paper + prints. Yet another way to connect with great designers all over the globe and another opportunity to make your home, your life and your wardrobe uniquely you!

Le Petite Sterling Silver Bike with Hearts Necklace from Rachel Pfeffer Designs $76
BA 8×10 photo from hassography, $89
Small Nest, Aqua from Heather Palmer, $60
Kimono Sleeve Top in Red from finch-design, $39
Grey Ceramic Cable Knit Cups from Reshape Studio, $28
Disc String Lights Custom Glazed from Pigeon Toe, $164

The Beat on Drum Shades

Kristan — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:31:56 +0000

Finding kickass lamps is easy. At any given thrift store, flea market or estate sale you can bet your paycheck that I’ll walk out with one. The hard part is finding ones with shades that don’t make them look dingy and dated. I know that a new modern drum shade will make any of them a fabulous find, but often they cost more than the lamp itself. So when I come across a source for an affordable option, I take note…and since I love y’all and want you to have kickass lamps in YOUR homes, I put together this little list of affordable drum shades (I kept the selections under $30) to spruce up your swap meet scores!

Beige Linen Drum Shade 13x14x10 $19.99 from lampsplus.com

Natural Fiber Tapered Drum Lamp Shade from Pottery Barn $29

Laura Ashley Classic 14 in. Wide Drum Lamp Shade, Black, Faux Silk from Amazon $28.80

Portfolio 11 X 13 X 9″ OFF WHITE DRUM LAMP SHADE $14.99 from Lowes

KIVSTA from IKEA, $25 16 X 10

Country Living Round Hardback Mod Drum Shade $24.99 from Sears

Home® Mix-and-Match Lamp Shade – Cream 11 X 13 X 9 $16.99 from Target

16” Drum Lamp Shade Natural Linen $16.88 from Walmart

Large Drum Lampshade from Destination Lighting by Design Classics from Amazon for $20.96

(Headline image courtesy of Warner Bros. Records and Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Inspiration & Ideas from Iacoli & McAlister

Kristan — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:34:34 +0000

The Seattle-based design studio Iacoli & McAlister make indisputably beautiful objects. Lighting, furniture, jewelry, all approached with the same careful attention to proportion and negative space. They also have a unique way of recycling existing objects and giving them new life, something you know I’ve got nothing but love for. Like this 7 lb. wrench they simply powder coated pink and hung on the wall.

Or these one of a kind pedestals, using vintage candlesticks as the base and a solid surfacing top.

These guys are filled with great ideas. I also love their simple stripped down approach to furniture and lighting. It really gets the creative juices flowing. These feel like things you can emulate, create your own version. Think industrial items + reclaimed wood + spray paint! Of course, you can always save yourself the trouble, everything you see here is for sale on their site!!

Amber Affection

Kristan — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:26:16 +0000

I know when you think of amber glass, you picture that hideous ‘70’s style of yellow cut glass, kitchy and retro at best, murky and ugly at worst. You know the stuff of ornate vases and lanterns. Juice glasses and ashtrays… I mean it was everywhere. Well, I’ve recently decided, it’s not all bad. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want an amber punch bowl. But that gold/brown color can be beautiful. A touch of amber glass catching the sun is warm and tasteful, when done right.

From Top Left clockwise:
Amber Glass Pharmacy Bottles from Restoration Hardware, $14-48
Hoopla Table Lamp Amber from Crate and Barrel, $79.95
1960’s Retro Mod Swedish Cocktail Set from Retro Art Glass, $180
Amber 1/2 Gallon Glass Jug from Midwest Supplies, $3.75
Cambridge Glass Depression-Era Amber Ball Decanter from Fab Funky Finds on Etsy, $40
Amerock Traditional Classics Knob from Rockler Lumber, $4.78

The Very Symbol of a Good Idea

Kristan — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:37:23 +0000

OK, so if you’re a good person, you’ve switched all your bulbs to low wattage Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) which last longer and basically save the Earth. Well, I’m sorry,but you’re a better person than moi. For starters, I just don’t like the light they give off, and B…I’m a bat. I buy every bulb in 25 watt and still dim them to nothing. I have all of my lights on dimmers so I can have the perfect glow for any given situation, look gorgeous all the time, and pretend there’s no dust on my furniture… and the CFL dimmer-capable bulbs are just not so capable!

But now….. thanks to the GENIUSES at IKEA, I have a better option, a compromise of sorts. They’ve created a new bulb that is a halogen bulb inside an incandescent bulb. While not AS green as CFLs, the halogen consumes 30% less energy than incandescent bulbs. And they give off a nice warm light and dim beautifully. AND they’re available in both regular E26 and chandelier bulbs. Thanks IKEA designers. I was hating myself for awhile there. I’m gonna go bask in my warm light now…

2 pack/ $3.99

String Theory

Kristan — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:44:00 +0000

The You-Can-Do It-AND-Pay-Your-Rent Version!

The Real-Deal Version

If you’ve ever felt like Design Within Reach is, in fact, totally out of your wallet’s reach, then you’re gonna love this do-it-yourself project. This glorious pendant- a take on DWR’s Random Light- is an itty-bitty fraction of the real deals’ cost… but, let’s be honest, a helluva lot more mess! All you need is some crochet thread, a balloon, and fabric stiffener. Check out how to make your own modernist string light at one of my all time favorite websites: instructables.

Inspiration: Objects Turned Pendants

Kristan — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:45:15 +0000

Just about anything can be turned into a light fixture…if you can drill a hole in something, you can wire it to light up. The possibilities are endless, and with the cost of lighting being what it is, I thought you might like to take some inspiration from these cool industrial fixtures and try your hand at your own. Come on, you know you have something rusting to perfection in the garage…

Below: Inspiration from World of Interiors

Below: Inspiration from Cisco Brothers

Below: Inspiration from The Brick House

Below: Inspiration from Barn Light Electric

Below Inspiration from Emmas Designblogg

Below Inspiration from Orginelle yeah, y’all…that’s a bunch o’ hangers. genius.

Below Inspiration from Poetichome

Ball O’ Light – Brought To You By Lampgoods

Kristan — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:11:51 +0000

Surfin’ the old Etsy-universe, I happened upon something awesome. It’s a shop called Lampgoods, and I simply <3 it. Affordable lighting is a tough thing to find and this guy is creating some beautiful vintage/new creations at some hard to beat prices. In his own words: “After searching for lamp fixtures and finding ‘the same old thing’ that everyone could have, I decided to create my own.” He uses frosted, etched and milkglass vintage glass globes as well as repurposing some objects to create old-timey looks with brand new sockets and wiring for safety purposes. Kudos, my friend, kudos.

Vintage BLUE BALL Canning Jar PENDANT Created $69

Caribou. Industrial Minimalist PENDANT $69

Lewiston. ARTS and CRAFTS Vintage PENDANT Created $99

Great Pharmacy Style Floorlamps Under $200

Kristan — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:13:24 +0000

This tried and true classic floorlamp is a must have in every home (I read, write and laptop the evenings away in the comfy chair under mine!) and this roundup has my traditional as well as modernist friends covered…

Target, Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $39.99

IKEA, Barometer Floor Lamp, $49.99

IKEA, 365+ Brasa Floor Lamp, $79.99

JC Penney, Linden Street Adjustable Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $109.99

Lamps Plus, Lite Source Aged-Copper Adjustable Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $124.91

Van Dykes’s, Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $129.99

lampsgalore.com, Grandrich Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $139.98

World Market, Rust Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $139.99

Bowery Lighting Co., House of Troy Floor Lamp, $144.00

Ballard Designs, Weston Floor Lamp, $149.00

JoAnn’s, Shiloh Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $161.99

ylighting.com, Tenda Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $170

Restoration Hardware, Baxter Pharmacy Task Floor Lamp, $199

Crate and Barrel, Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $199

Pottery Barn, Wyatt Floor Lamp, $199

lumens.com, Bruno Adjustable Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $200.20