I wished for a kite like that when I was a child :/

try Home Depot lighting section. If the base is a standard size, you could probably find some pretty affordable options to replace the cover while you are a resident.

a small parchment (kite shaped) shade over the sconces and a parchment box kite or trapezoidal kite on the ceiling.

Also Scott; you'd be amazed at how easy it is to replace a light fixture. Despite it being a rental, i'm confident you could switch out that entire pendant yourself for the duration that you are a resident there. Long as you have access to kill the power to that fixture for the time it takes you to take off the cover plate at the ceiling, untwist the supply wires to the pendant cord, and put up your replacement. All in all, it's a 4 on a 1-10 scale of difficulty.

A parchment kite over eack sconce and a large box kite or a tapeziodal kite on the ceiling or abstract wavy shapes.

This affordable shade would be perfect: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30103266. It’s not an actual light fixture; it’s a pendant, so it would work perfectly with your existing light fixture. I actually own it, and it doesn’t look cheap at all!

Why can't you replace the whole fixture - just keep the old one in the box and replace it when you move out.

Leave it. It is nice, and adds a modern element to the room.

Even if the room is traditional, every element in it doesn't need to be.

I say keep it too. If you should change anything it should be the wall sconces.

A third vote for keeping it. I like the crisp contrast.

Another vote for keeping the globe fixture. It works with your large print -- which is also modern. Together, those elements bring a nice counterpoint to the traditional style.

I might think about replacing the sconces, instead (though the photos don't really show them well enough to discern...).

The room looks great!

I think it looks nice, too. Or if you really want to change it, maybe something with a drum shade?

I'd keep it. It looks nice.

Can you crochet? you could make a nice elegant shade to go OVER the globe you currently have.

I would just replace the whole fixture but keep the old one. Replacing these sorts of fixtures is very easy and only involves 2 sets of wires. Just make sure you turn the power off or flip the circuit breaker off before doing any work!

Thanks for all the comments, everyone! I'll sleep on this for a bit. I will say that the round light does look much better now that the room is painted - before it was an ugly off-white color. Thanks, again!

Replace the entire light fixture wth a nice chandelier. Don't worry about your apartment being a rental, installing a new fixture is incredibly simple and when you move you can replace the old spherical fixture and take your chandelier with you.

I've done this with three different apartments, it's very easy.

One more vote for keeping it. I think it works very well in the room.

the first thing I thought was keep it. It is a clean, classic fixture that can fit in with a wide range of decor...

What about something like this or similar:

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p11956/index.cfm?pkey=cpendants

It has both a classic and modern element to it and it picks up on the leaded glass of the doors.

Regarding the current fixture, I do like the round globe with the picture, I am not as excited when I see it next to the door. I do agree with the other posters regarding the sconces. I also think the elements on the mantle should be replaced, they are too small. If you like something modern, perhaps some kind of greenery on the mantle next to the picture-I am thinking like green grass in a modern white or silver planter. Cone shaped topiarys might be a more classic version. Something not so large as to take away, but a bit larger than what you have.

A final option is removing both the sconces and all of the items on the mantle. The picture is great and doesn't really need much else.

keep the fixture and change the sconces to something that works with it

The white large ball, looks cheap. It might not be but it looks it. If you can remove that ball and replace it with something not as garish and smaller, you would save the work of having to replace the entire fixture. Just the shade, something more interesting and smaller, definitely smaller, since the room is not that large and the stem of the pendant is rather long.

I actually don't mind the current fixture...it works. But agree that if you you can, just change the fixture to something you love and save the old one so you can replace it when you move out.

What about something like this from Ikea: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60071344

or custom make a drum shade from here:
http://www.lumens.com/lumens/search2.asp?s_id=0&submitted=1&search_freetext=drum shade&x=0&y=0&=relevancy&=false&=40

or order a custom artwork shade from etsy: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21575177