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Good Questions: Pull Light Cover Solution?

2-14-pull chain.jpgHello AT,

I live in a pre-WW2 apartment building with pull chain lighting in my hallway, kitchen and bathroom. Does anyone know of a good solution for covering up them up? I haven't found light covers that work besides those asian paper lanterns but they aren't very sturdy or interesting.

Thanks, Cilla

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Dear Cilla,

With a little elbow grease you can choose from a large selection of options: the paper lantern shades (you already know), metal shades, glass shades or even the cool Modernica Nelson bubble shade.

If your fixture is hanging from the ceiling, all you need to do is turn it off at the fuse box, remove the socket hardware and slide on a shade. Although you might need to switch the socket itself to fit into the particular type of shade you buy, they really are made to be interchangeable with all of these types of hardware.

For this type of thing, we go to the Lighting Plus Stores that are dotted around town. Ikea is also a good resource and we have happily used these shades:
Foto
Septim
Melodi

Anyone else?

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Comments (18)

Similar problemo in my hallway: so, I changed the fixture entirely and ran one of those remote dimmer cords down along one wall. This way, got the light fixture I wanted and the dimming that is required in my life!!!

posted by Frank on 2006-02-14 12:39:47

I like the look of an exposed light with the silver coating...this way the light is only reflected on the cieling.

here's a link to an example, although they come in regular bulb form as well.

posted by Todd on 2006-02-14 12:40:04

My friend did this...sort of interesting and strange, but she took a regular lamp shade and hung it facing up over the naked bulb (so it looks upside down)
...it turned the ugly bulb into a curious conversation piece.

posted by Susan on 2006-02-14 12:43:08

If you're not sick of the Garland Light yet, it might work as a fun and relatively inexpensive cover.

http://www.unicahome.com/catalog/item.asp?id=13770&L5=False

posted by DT Jess on 2006-02-14 12:43:28

I'm with Todd.

Half-Silvered bulbs are the ticket.

posted by Scott on 2006-02-14 12:50:05

http://www.alluminare.com/products_detail_shade.asp?id=146#

Maybe if you got the 'right' lampshade - it might look like a nice pendant light?

posted by jennifer on 2006-02-14 13:14:54

There's the Lunette clip-on shade--available from Butter in NYC for 25 bucks:

http://www.butter-ny.com/shop/index.htm#lunette

(It was originally mentioned in an earlier AT post on Pure Design, though it seems to be discontinued there.)

posted by nora on 2006-02-14 13:55:51

In addition to the Nelson Bubble Lamps, I would check out the Le Klint collection :

http://hivemodern.com/products/?cid=74&cid2=102

posted by bryan.nyc on 2006-02-14 15:15:50

http://www.armsteadsporch.com/grito.html

posted by YCH on 2006-02-14 15:27:44

You guys are geniuses!

Frank: I rent so I can't make any permanent changes and my landlord has no plans on upgrading the electrical system.

I have those weird energy-saving bulbs but I think I'll try the silver-tipped ones.

DT Jess...I think I'll get a garland light for my bedroom. I think they're really pretty.

Thanks everyone else for the tons of options I now have!

posted by Cilla on 2006-02-14 16:21:06

Any regular lamp shade that clips onto a bulb can be used upside down with a chain pull going through the inside on the shade. Choose a shade style and size that looks best for your space.

posted by Jack on 2006-02-14 17:45:57

Check out:

http://www.eagle-emporium.com/bare_bulb_solutions.htm

and scroll down for traditional early-century beaded bulb covers. Available from a few other sources as well.

posted by Jason on 2006-02-14 18:13:27

The lamps/lights at Lightbox in the EV would probably work for you :

http://www.lightboxhome.com/

posted by manja on 2006-02-14 20:13:31

Pottery Barn has two styles of clip on shades for ceiling bulbs:

Spiral, $59
http://ww1.potterybarn.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpclgtshdacc%7Crshop&pkey=clgtshdacc&gids=p5152

Scalloped, $39
http://ww1.potterybarn.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpclgtshdacc%7Crshop&pkey=clgtshdacc&gids=p4191

posted by Sara on 2006-02-15 12:14:21

i just went across the street from my office to look at a lamp hanging in the window of Pier 1 on the corner of 15th st & 5th avenue, and i have to say its BEAUTIFUL!
its hanging from a chain that's threaded over the light cord, its round, maybe a foot across
its made of metal o-rings, like graduated, skinny cheerios and has a glass cylinder in the middle that looks like its covered in fabric, a pale gray-ish blue
i dont know how expensive it is (and its not on their crappy website) but it looks WAY nicer and WAY fancier than the usual pier 1 crap, and also looks like it would be easily adaptable to work with a hanging pull-string lamp
i highly recommend checking it out, espeically if you're looking for something mid-C at a non-mid-C price tag!!!

posted by ann on 2006-02-15 17:01:34

Thanks everyone!!!

Love the PB covers, Sara.

posted by Cilla on 2006-02-17 19:57:31

de5y fuck noob retard bastard dickdfucker

posted by com on 2006-05-08 23:08:17

Try Poaa.com , they sell a lot of European designs at VAT free prices.

Good luck!

posted by michael on 2006-10-02 12:06:01