how do I light thee? let me count the ways

We all know the quandary one faces when choosing proper lighting. (But who knew that "quandary" had that second A? I sure didn't.) You have all these questions to consider, such as:

1. How do I want it attached to my house? Table, floor, wall, or ceiling?

2. What kind of bulb do I want? Natural? Flourescent? Pink?

3. Should it shine toward the ceiling or the floor?

Right now, our lighting is pretty solid in that we don't need to replace anything. Nothing is truly an eyesore...except in our kitchen.

It looks a lot like a mosquito machine, or anything from the 80's. So in its place, we'd like to put something like one of these...

zgallerie

We like the industrial look of this first light. Clean, sharp, stylish.

potterybarn

I, of course, love this second light. It's pretty! And I think it could be really fun in the kitchen. So far, this is my favorite choice. It wouldn't shine directly down and hurt our eyes, and it would add a funky element to the room.

potterybarn

This is the look we started with, though technically it is too big for the space. Hawk would hit his head immediately and repeatedly. We like that it shines upward and that it has faux candles for an older-world look. Only downside besides size? Difficult to clean. We think it would be hard to dust, and who doesn't get those little bugs in their lights from time to time. With this light, they'd have a cylindrical cemetery for everyone to see.

potterybarn

We love that this lamp is rustic. It makes me think of a summer camp or someones northwoods cottage. Only downside: shines straight down. Could be harsh at night.

restorationhardware

This is another great possibility...aside from price. We like that it isn't perfectly clear glass, so the light is diffused instead of shining at someone. The silver is bright, clean and fresh.

restorationhardware

I'd prefer a pendant light, but if we had to go with something wall mounted, we would likely choose this light. It's more three-dimensional and arts and crafts-like.

corbettlighting

This light would be so much fun! But highly unlikely. But a girl can dream, right?

target

And this last one is my new favorite. It just shouts fun, style, uniqueness, and a soft glow. Now if I could only convince my sleek and stylish husband...

What would you choose?

icj,

~j

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