I am always on the lookout for a great chandelier. I love finding something vintage or antique in particular. Adding unique lighting and pieces to our home gives me such satisfaction and joy. So, I was thrilled to find this vintage wrought iron chandelier!
We built this house 13 years ago. Every single light fixture was “builder grade”. (Code word for cheap.) And I believe every light fixture opportunity was considered an upgrade. We quickly replaced each one as soon as possible. Some of the fixtures took a while to find and I’m so glad we took our time finding just the right one to suit each space.
Our kitchen has an oversized island. The dimensions are 61″ x 71″ so I wanted to find a large statement piece to be the focal point of the kitchen. I wanted something big, unique and fun, so it took a while.
There are SO many great light fixtures and chandeliers on the market. The sky is the limit if your budget is as well. I didn’t want to spend a fortune on my chandelier so naturally I shopped flea markets and antique and consignment stores.
I finally found this beauty at an antique store in Pawley’s Island, SC. while shopping with my Mother in law. It was dusty and dirty and priced at $125. I couldn’t believe the great deal! I showed it to my husband and he loved it too! Since we were on vacation we didn’t have room in our car to bring it back to Pennsylvania. My in-laws kindly hauled it back to North Carolina and my parents drove it up to Pennsylvania. (We have THE most awesome parents) This was no easy task either. This light fixture is HEAVY! I’m not sure of the exact weight but it is solid wrought iron. It measures 41″ tall and 30″ wide.
Once the chandelier was home I hired an electrician to install it for us. This was no simple task for a few reasons. First, the builder didn’t center the original light fixture over the center of the island. (who wants that, right?) So, the electrician had to start by cutting the ceiling sheet rock and moving the electrical wiring to the center. Because the light was so heavy it was necessary to reinforce the ceiling joists to safely hold the light. It took 2 guys to hold it while the electrician hung it! He hung the light 31″ off of the top of the granite countertop. (TIP: The rule of thumb when hanging a chandelier is to hang it 30-36″ above a table or countertop.) Here it is last year getting ready for Christmas:
The entire process took about a week. The ceiling had to be repaired, patched and painted after the light was hung. All in all it ended up costing about 3 times the cost of the light fixture. (oops) However, if you consider how much a new fixture would have been I think it is a wash. (Dell Math)
The detail on this light is beautiful. I love the leaf and scroll design on the chandelier. Each of the black drippy sleeves appear to be original. This is a six light fixture and we put it on a dimmer so it casts the perfect night time mood when we are entertaining or just us! It casts a pretty shadow on the ceiling too.
We love it! It looks as though it belongs in this kitchen and is definitely a statement piece! As much as we love this light, I think we will leave it for the next owners. If they like it of course. If not, I’ll be happy to haul it to our next home. I’m pretty sure no one else around here has one like it! What is your chandelier story?
For other chandelier stories see: Chandelier Love: https://www.dellsdailydish.com/family-crystals/
Consignment Store Chandelier: https://www.dellsdailydish.com/consignment-chandelier/