Antique Pendant Lights

I have admired many kitchens in blogs over the last few years. Some kitchens are timeless, inviting and beautifully done. But some do mimic many others and though are nice, they are very trendy.

I love pendant lights, but swore that when able to remodel our next kitchen I would not put in the same RH pendant lights that too many other eager kitchen remodeling owners have hanging in their homes. I wanted our light fixtures to be unique and antiques that have been recycled. There is plenty of fabulous old stuff and artifacts sitting around this country that can be put to good use.

I did not want cheap imported light fixtures, nor any of the over priced foreign made ones that are being sold in every popular lighting and home furnishing store across the country. I wanted to give some older American made light fixture remnants a new life that can be enjoyed for...
many years to come.

 Pendant Light #1

 The first light fixtures parts came from two separate internet shopping sprees.

After endlessly searching till midnight (for several weeks) I found this heavy 14 inch wide by 12 inch tall, Plume and Atwood thick vintage milk glass light shade on ebay, which is over
100 years old!

(above photo's taken by the seller)

I saved it in my watch list for a couple of months while we looked for a town home, and like a nut I continued to search for the perfect style because I was not believing that it was to be 

"the one"

Seriously, I was lucky that someone didn't snatch it away from me.
Did no one else want it? I guess not (smiling)

Finally, I came to my senses and stopped searching like a midnight shopping addict
and bought the darn thing!

My plan was to take it to a local light restoration shop and have them make a ceiling rod fixture to attach to it and hang from. But after its arrival I was so pleased that I Googled the
manufacture Plume and Atwood to find some history on the former American company, and amazingly found this old brass P&A fixture on ebay from another seller. It seemed to have the perfect measurements!

(photo taken by the seller)

I took both parts to Tipler's Lamp Shop here in Austin on West 5th St., to be put together and restored. I had the brass rod shortened so that the complete fixture would hang 36 inches
from the ceiling.
It was rewired with a porcelain socket and the brass refinished with an aged look instead of shiny. 

Also, the chain was removed. Tipler's did such a wonderful job! They specialize in restoration and repairing of any type of light fixture. Their website states they do custom work as well
and for my project the price was very reasonable.

You can read about The Plume and Atwood's Manufacturing Co. history
on the informative website called The Lampworks here

This is the beautiful light fixture that now hangs over the breakfast table in our kitchen…

Pendant Light #2

I love seeing pendant lighting hanging over a kitchen sink, especially over a sink that sits under a window. My next move was to find a small milk glass shade resembling the larger one
and have it made into a pendant light. Now don't start thinking that I am a milk glass collector.
I just wanted white light fixture shades that were antiques and milk glass fits the vision.

I got lucky and found a fabulous shop on Etsy that sold just what I had envisioned for the
end result of what would be another restoration project… but already made!

By repurposing antique lamp shades, Brad Michael of Doylestown, Pennsylvania
sells his remarkable creations on his Etsy shop called Lucent Lampworks.
He creates some of the most adorable pendant lights I have ever seen.
The quality of his product is outstanding.
And trust me… I looked at hundreds before I found him.
Brad states his creations are simple and beautiful. Well look for yourself...

A small, simple and beautiful coordinating mate to the large pendant light.

This antique milk glass shade is 7 inches wide by 4 inches tall. The exposed brass
socket design is of the early 20th century. He uses a reproduction of the silk and
cotton braided cord/wire used in the early 1900s (made in the USA)
I chose a black cord with the aged brass finish for its socket and canopy.
I had him make this light fixture to hang 24 inches from the ceiling.

You can see Brad Michael's other beautiful creations
at Lucent Lampworks on Etsy here

~

I can't wait to share my next kitchen project!

A little bit of heaven on earth

We finally moved into the lovely 1978 Townhouse that we recently purchased.

Before the move, I had the wallpaper in the kitchen removed and the walls refinished,

 then the entire townhouse interior freshly painted.

  (the picture below is from the real estate listing)

Before Donna passed away (the previous owner) she added many wonderful upgrades to this home.

 God bless her and I truly will be forever grateful.

 It was her sanctuary and you can tell she loved it here.

It is so peaceful and besides the hard work and beauty that she put into it,

 the serene feeling was the main thing that attracted me.

It will be our sanctuary now and I have chosen to make

a few minor changes and enhancements to make it even more beautiful.

The first room I will dutifully enhance is:

The Kitchen

the black and beige walls were covered in beige fabric wall paper

and black grass cloth ~ no top cabinets, YEAH! (I hate them)

the back splash walls were mirrors that I must remove because my honey is an excellent Chef

and I cannot imagine me cleaning those mirrors everyday,

and I know he will not be cleaning them at all,

but he does cook delicious meals, lol

a custom made island on casters with a butcher block top ~ it will get altered a bit

the window looks out into the patio and has a plant shelf under it on the outside

black honed granite counter tops!

custom cabinets with pull out oak shelves and two lazy Susan oak shelves

in the corner cabinet next to the stainless dishwasher

the cabinets will remain white

I do not like the box light above the window ~ it will be removed

an antique pendant light will go there

a French door to the patio and covered two car carport

cream painted custom wall cabinets in the breakfast area

I love not have any normal stock cabinets!

this side leads into the dining and living area

an antique pendant light fixture will hang there over the breakfast table

the pantry on the left and the double door laundry area on the right

the pantry door will be changed into a pocket door because it is a bit cramped

next to the large refrigerator (it came with the house) which one day

will be replaced with a Big Chill

the 16 inch marble floor tiles that are also in the pantry and laundry area

in a soothing beige with shades of gray, cream and off white throughout

(the same tile is in the foyer entry with a few small black marble diamond shaped inserts)

Kitchen plans:

~ remove: wallpaper, light box over window, and two random inverted lights in ceiling

~ paint kitchen walls and remaining light box black

~ paint doors and trim white

~ remove the mirrors

~ add two antique brass and milk glass light pendants (sink window & breakfast area)

~ install a through the wall (to the outside) exhaust fan since there is no vent hood

~ tile the entire wall behind the range and fridge in Old Dutch tiles from the Netherlands

(known as "Friese Witjes" tiles of various shades of white)

~ Old Dutch tiles in a 15 inch back splash on sink/window area wall

~ Rocky Mountain Hardware Fleur de Lis oval pull knobs for all drawers and cabinets

~ pantry door removed and install a pocket door

~ reconfigure the island with add on bin cabinet and an extended top for one counter stool

~

Well my list is not that drastic,

but these few changes will create my vision of having

a timeless and casually elegant American kitchen with some

European kitchen style influences that I admire.

till next time ~ peace