Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Ikea lamp

I still didn't manage to install the RFID door lock - still cold around here - so I have to do stuff inside the house!
Last year we redid the bathroom and toilets, and that included the corridor upstairs, which got a place for 3 wall lamps, instead of the hanging lamp that did not illuminate much.
So we spent lots of time looking for lamps (more than 6 months) and never found anything we liked. Even the painter, with whom we have a subscription (he should pass by every month to fix this and that), complains with us that we still did not get lamps...

To put an end to that, during a visit to Ikea, my wife had an Idea(TM - ideas from Ikea) for making a lamp...using a fruit bowl.

So we got one, and I started devising a way of installing it in the very small junction box. The final solution was a very simple 2 long M4x40 screws, on which the lamp then hangs. I installed a white lamp holder, and here is the result:


You can see the two screws on the top - I want to dip them in tippex or white paint to make them white... - there is actually just one place of all the flowers where it is possible to secure it like that.
You can also see the black hole of the junction box - that is to be covered with a piece of white rigid plastic.
What you can also see, are the 3 little rubber feet of the fruit bowl...I did not take them out as I am afraid the paint will come out...but they will have to come out sooner or later.

As for the effect when the lights are on:


It is difficult to photograph the real effect, but I can assure you that it looks very nice!
I must get some weaker lamps though...I have now 7W CFLs and with 3 of them it is a lot for such a small corridor...

6 comments:

artzyfartzy said...

Love this!

O.C. said...

Great job. I might try something like this.

Tamara said...

I love it. I want it. Do you mind if i copy it for my place? Could you add a picture of what it looks like with the bowl removed? I am having trouble visualizing the box, light source, etc.

Alex said...

Thank you all for the nice words!! Of course you can copy it! send a picture if you do! also to you Pacific NW Blogfan! do send a picture if you ever try it out!

I'll try to get some pictures of how it looks like during assembly, but it is really very simple! Simpler than what you can imagine

maria said...

Hi Alex! I love your lamp!! I ve tried to find a nice looking lamp to hang on the wall, but it is impossible. Can we copy your idea for our apartment as well? Would you mind sending us a photo of what it looks with the bowl removed? Would be great! We can send you some photos when having put it all together. Peace, Maria
saga.maria@gmail.com

Alex said...

Hello Maria!
Of course you can copy! I'll be happy if you do!
I'll try to send a photo, but I don't seem to have much time these days (small baby). I just put 2 long screws in the junction box where the wires come out, and hung the bowl from them!