Over the holidays I went to the Leesburg Outlets with MJ and her mom. While it was a little nutty and crowded, I discovered that Jos A Banks actually sells clothes that fit tall guys with Magilla Gorilla arms. That was one bit of excitement.
More relevant to this blog, however, was the discovery of the awesome lighting at the Restoration Hardware outlet store. I love lighting; had I continued my schooling in interior design, that’s an area of specialization that really interested me.
The thing about landscape lighting is that the goal is to see the effect and not the source. We focus on grazing walls, highlighting objects, playing with shadows, and making sure paths are safe and easy to navigate. We aren’t necessarily looking for a fixture that commands attention, one that says hey! Look at this! What I found were ceiling light fixtures that called out for attention. Any big, open space would be perfect for these, whether it’s a barn, a huge screen porch, or even a patio in a grove of trees, where a stout branch provides support, The possibilities are endless.
What do we think? Is this something you would do? And one more fixture – how great is this for over an outdoor dining table?
Clark says
I’m always up for thinking outside the box. Great ideas, as long as they’ll hold up to the elements.
More importantly perhaps, there’s a Restoration Hardware outlet store … ? I love that place. Lets just hope my wife doesn’t find out, luckily I think Leesburg might be just far enough away not to be too dangerous.
David Marciniak says
Clark, I imagine there may be some retrofitting necessary to make the fixtures last outdoors. We’ve converted standard 100 volt fixtures to 12 volt, so anything is possible.
Leesburg is a really pleasant ride down route 15 from Pennsylvania. Come on down!
K Webb says
I actually own that last fixture, though it’s in my kitchen instead. While I adore it lemme just say ponying up for a billion CFLs with candelabra bases all at once is a bear….and they all seemed to die the same time too. Not using CFLs makes this thing nuclear hot. Aren’t I just little Johnny downer tonight? Still a really cool piece.
Also I did the reverse. I took a candle “chandelier” which was meant to be an exterior piece and hung it over my garden tub which I spruced up to be spa-like. Instant atmosphere and a great solution in a spot where I didn’t have electricity already available.
David Marciniak says
Are they dimmable CFLs? Man, finding those was a nightmare for our house.
Sounds like a great use of a candle chandelier,, and it beats the heck out of calling an electrician!
K Webb says
Mine aren’t dimmable but I looked at the site I ordered my bulbs from this last time and they have dimmable bulbs. The prices are great, shipping pretty fast and shipping is free on orders $50 and up.
https://www.divinelighting.com/
David Marciniak says
That site’s a great resource, and the price is comparable to what I paid. And, bookmarked!