Kichler Light for the Living Room from Alexandria Lighting & Supply

Remarkably most of our furniture works fairly well in the new condo. It’s at least “good enough” so as not to have to spend a fortune on any large pieces. It’s taken a couple of months to arrange, move and test pieces in different spaces until they look like they belong. That testing process included framed wall prints too. But there was a receptacle for a hanging light fixture in the living room that was crying out for something. So we took a ride to Alexandria Lighting & Supply to see if anything might work. We already have two light fixtures from there. We thought a semi flush drum shade would be best - the foyer has a small one. Our style is eclectic more than anything else so we were open to a few suggestions. We found a Kichler light that met most of the criteria. It was unusual that it was in stock so it was an added bonus to get it right away.  We called our so very reliable handy man, who installed it the following day. The 75 watt LED lights were a bit overwhelming, even on the lowest dimmer switch setting. So we replaced them with 60 which helped a bit and not any easy thing to do! In the end we probably won’t use the light that often, but it does finish out the room. We were both a bit disappointed about the shade color as it is more in the “cool” rather than “warm” tones. But now that it’s been there a few days it sort of blends in. So I think we might be set for awhile, but I have a feeling that might change. 

Alexandria Lighting Chandelier

We never had a chandelier over our dining room table in DC. We had a very small lamp that was tucked to the side that sat on top of the table. The glass top dining table and chairs are from Calligaris. The table also doubles in size when needed. The furniture filled the space well in our tiny DC condo, but seems a little lost in a designated dining room space at our new condo in Virginia. So we have been studying the internet and visiting some lighting showrooms for ideas. Today we went to Alexandria Lighting where we bought an entryway table lamp a few years ago. When we walked in we immediately saw 2-3 items that we both liked. We were looking for something with brushed nickel, glass, and a white glass shade that would go with the eclectic style we have evolved in to. We have a lot of turquoise colored glass and metal pieces - candlesticks, side table, vases... we didn’t want something that was a dust collector, wouldn’t block the visual field, and could be dimmed. So we ended up with a “safe” bet and I am hoping it works out okay. I’m also thinking of moving the really heavy metal mirror to the dining room from the den to give the space a bit more something. My husband hates the mirror, but it may be just what’s needed. It seems rather sparse on that end of the house. I guess I’ll need to think about it. 

Holtkotter Tall Viennese Table Lamp with Dimmer

It took a month to finally get our hands on it, but it finally arrived yesterday at Alexandria Lighting. First the wrong size was ordered, then it was delivered to the wrong address. When we saw the size of the box at the store we were flabbergasted! All the packing materials filled a huge garbage bag. But it arrived in once piece and all we had to do was put it together - the LED light in to the base, and add the glass cloud shade. Of course, the three prong plug that comes with a fuse to handle the dimmer mechanism created a problem because there was already something hogging up the space. So we found an extension for the meantime and tried it out. We need to get used to the extreme change from what was there - a more traditional lamp with a large decorative dark base with a broad shade. This Holtkotter lamp is sleek and clean - almost floating! The dimming function is interesting - you just push a button on the base to light it up completely, or keep pressing it and release when you hit the ambiance that works. So this ends our year long freshening up of the studio apartment. Now we are looking forward to living in it.