For some reason I don’t have a photo of the kitchen with the old light (oh yeah, could be because I didn’t like it so I always cropped it out).

But I do have a photo of the same fixture elsewhere in the house. Because when we moved in every. single. fitting. in the house was the same boring builder’s special that you see above.

Ah, I love how pendant lights work to define a space so much more than the ceiling-mounted variety. The industrial brushed metal finish of the Ikea light we chose ties in perfectly with the cabinet handles, and at just fifteen bucks it was a very cheap tweak to the room.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank The Man for installing it for me. x

My latest guest post is up on Houzz and it’s all about lanterns. Take a look!

Light fittings are often overlooked but they really can take a good room and make it look a lot more resolved. We have been sloooooowwwwly replacing these shoddy light fittings in our joint. We’ve just done the lounge and dining and here’s what it looks like now:

Cool huh? I love the texture and warmth they add.

I love low-hanging lights but because of our low ceilings, this is actually as low as we could hang the pendant in the lounge area without The Man’s head banging into it. But if we hung the one in the dining area at the same height it would sit awkwardly between the laundry door the ceiling beam. I wanted to hang it low and centred over the table, but it wasn’t worth the expense of moving the socket, so we looped the cords and hung it from the beam instead.

We were wracking our brains for weeks trying to figure out a way to loop it through so that it would stay there. The guy at the hardware store suggested adhesive cord managers but that was complete fail. I don’t know why it took me so long but I finally I worked out that we could use fishing line to attach the pendant’s inner metal frame to the cup hook in the beam. Success!

Here are the before and afters, starting with the dining area:

And the lounge…

I’d had my eye on these babies for the longest time but never quite had the budget for them, then I spotted them for like 60% off at Beacon so I quickly snapped them up. You’ve gotta love a project like that!

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to do an Obsess & Inspire feature on Tord Boontje – what a travesty. The London-based Dutch designer has won hearts the world over with his iconic, whimsical laser-cut designs.

I adore the feather-like shape of the Icarus light… but is it just me or does the spiky-at-the-top and long-at-the-back arrangement look disturbingly like a mullet?

(Sorry, Tord, we still love you.)

Light by Peca | Rubber stamp set by Yellow Owl | Decal by Smiley Walls | Doona cover by Urban Outfitters |  Tea towel by Ferm Living | Wallpaper by Graham & Brown

I was working on a project involving a birdcage (come back tomorrow to see what it is) and it reminded me about all the cute birdcage-inspired homewares I’ve seen lately. I love the mid-century vibe of the bed linen and the abstracted concept of the light fitting. I’m not a fan of decals except in kids’ rooms like this adorable nursery.

Super bonus commenter points if you can come up with your own Catalog Living-style caption to that last image.

Typography coasters by Evil Mad Scientist | Bookmarks by Elsita | Jewellery tree by Bird of Play | Owl clock by Decoy Lab | Bird mobile by Petit Collage | Light bulb lamp by Suck UK

I’ve been in love with laser cut timber accessories ever since I bought the clock in our dining area. Here are some more fab examples, including one that you can make yourself (the coasters). The technique lends itself to flat, bold shapes, but 3D shapes (such as the lamp) and incredibly intricate detail of the storybook bookmarks can also be achieved.

Timber is a great way to warm up a room, and a laser cut wood item will add the lovely natural texture without looking too rustic.

Create a big impact with small change. I picked up some empty bottles from a local restaurant (who had kindly saved them for us) and inserted cheapo taper candles to add a focal point and sexy mood lighting to our Wine & Cheese Night.