I’m in the middle of a lighting conundrum. You see, I was quite certain I wanted this.

I see it as abstract branches more than coral. But I have two concerns, 1. is it too beachy 2. it’s not stark white

So I did some looking around and I’ve got some alternates. But the results of my search have ended in a few conclusions. The main conclusion is that there isn’t really a lot out there for under $400 that is both stylish, isn’t a drum shade or paper pendant and provides more than 60 watts. Maybe I’m just missing it. If you’ve got any source suggestions I’d love to hear them.

Out of the budget but its ok to dream,

Turns out PB Teen has some good choices and I’m leaning heavy towards capiz shell,

 Could kick it bamboo/pagoda style or go vintage chinoiserie,

Bamboo tower

nice brassy sub for the Arteriors chandy above,

Soho 

a modern, sensible white chandy,

Robert Allen, Ebay

A more glamorous shell-like fixture,

Lamps Plus

Faceted and super delish but outside of the budget,

Furbish

Love this one but again not enough wattage,

 

Oval ring pendant

Nope. But I did snap this pic of this radical old VW van parked out front of my neighbor’s awesome craftsman home.

So Massimo Vitali,

Coney Island

get lost in this,

Lontano

Uninterrupted

love the tie-dyed effect and the color combination,

Dawn of Creation

Misty Blue

Oh, and you guys and your design blogs. Geez, you folks really went nuts for the Fiddle Leaf Fig huh? I had never even heard of the plant until I pinned this image to the Heffe House Board.

So, off I went with the google image searching and subsequently Craigslist searching. If you’re already familiar with the home decor niche’s love for this plant, you’ve likely seen the same pictures that I found. Lots of Peter Dunham designs….  Get yourself some more Fiddle Leaf Fig eye candy on this Pinterest board here.

Meanwhile – let me start fresh with my own picture of the Heffe House living room. Meet the Fiddly.

He lived outside in Fullerton, CA for most of his life, until I spotted him for sale for $85 on Craigslist. He is twelve years old and stood around 10+ feet tall until I trimmed his top. He also had a wicked lean. He is now standing tall with two trunks that I wrapped together to give him more of a single stalk topiaried appearance. You’re seeing a side of him now that Heffe and I won’t see much of for a little while. I’m turning his weak side toward the light source, in hopes that his leaves will even out a bit and his trunk will strengthen up on that side. He’ll get some regular top trimming to encourage that. He really needs to get healthy.

It does occur to me that it will take a LONG time to notice any strengthening, This plant lived under a pergola for a LONG time. Some of his edges are singed from the direct sunlight and he doesn’t have that deep green shiny leaf that he should.

It has also occurred to me though, that I might let him loose and that leany branch could stretch and stretch toward the windows until he looks like this. How is that not tipping over?

Like so,

Ruffalo home, Domino

The chosen navy hue is Benjamin Moore’s Blue Note.

And I couldn’t be happier. Its just the right the depth, the right amount of blue and I requested an eggshell finish for a little sheen. I went standard white with the trim and this time I decided to use a satin finish instead of my standard semi-gloss.

So we’re off to a good start.

I’ve collected a couple of other things like this print from NC photographer Valerie Chiang,

When I showed my Mom, she said, “so what…she’s at the fair?”  So she clearly LOVES it. The print looks fantastic against the navy wall, perfect really.

And I found this vintage dresser at a thrift store for $60, it functions like a credenza. It needs to be painted white but for right now the natural finish is tolerable.

 I plan to scoop this horse-y for over the dresser,

Peek-a-boo

Or this b + w photograph–I’ve been watching this one for a while,

 Horse and Halter

I like the idea of a b + w image in this spot, I was inspired by the photo of the woman at the Lonny office, not sure if the image is by Patrick Cline?

 But on second thought I could always be persuaded by a good abstract ocean landscape,

Another element I’m waffling over is the light fixture. I was almost convinced that I would order this,

In a way, I consider it to be an affordable version of a Stray Dog Design. I was all set to order until I read the reviews. The most concerning was that it wasn’t pure white. I’m not really looking for an off-white or a gray-white in this room. And I don’t really know how I feel about paying that much and then spraying it white? 

And so everyday I look at more light fixtures in hopes that just the right one will emerge.

It is going to be a busy weekend. Here’s a quick rundown of what is going to happen.

We’re all gonna pack up boxes like crazy tonight! Tomorrow we meet our new landlords to get keys and write some checks. I’ll probably walk around and breathe deeply and feel satisfied internally. I’m sure it will be this moment that I feel I deeply want the Fiddle Leaf Fig to live at the Gehry. Jury is still out on #HeffeHouse or #YesGehry. I believe I need two 12 year old Figs. I’m never satisfied.

After this – it will be a quick run back to my apartment to meet Heffe with his Dad’s truck. (Thank you sir!) There we will load up Kate’s dining table and chairs, and my blue couch. The couch will ultimately make itself at home in the Heffe living room with a new dark gray cover. The dining table will live under that beautiful light fixture. (By the way…. my brother Chad totally gave that chandelier the thumbs up, saying it would look great in his NC Mountain House. Now Heffe thinks its been affirmed that it should stay. Thanks Chad. That lighting fixture MIGHT have looked good in a NC Mountain House in the 70s.) ie. I’m not a fan of this fixture.

We’ll then snag Heffe’s big frosty glass top rectangular dining table with chrome legs and cart it to Yes Gehry where it fit snugly behind the open bar area of our teeny kitchen. It’s going to provide a nice clean moment, and the icy blue top should be just the right texture for the modern beachy vibe that I’m after. That’s right, a modern beachy theme.

Here’s some fun with Photoshop.

 Now that I  have an inspiration point for the place – I’m on the lookout for rattan bar stools for the bar. Thanks to Sarah and her persistence that I include a Massimo Vitali beach photo just about ANYWHERE, it clicked that Yes Gehry is the right place for that vibe — particularly since Heffe and I have been referring to the place as our beach house. (He’s even considering taking up surfing.)

How about a mural? Yes Gehry. Yessssssss.

Here it is in a more traditional installation, Eddie Ross’ dining room

It would be a welcome addition to this gallery wall,

How does it translate in a modern bath, pretty well I’d say,

Massucco Warner Miller

But I think my favorite placement for it might be a boy’s room like this maybe,

or this one,

David Scott

DC snacked her way through the flea market on Saturday convincing her grandfather to buy her popcorn and ice cream all before lunch.

great color but broken

nice detail on the legs I thought.

This curious set was marked Walker Toffee.

Gray was just one of the many colors these might look good in, $80 for the pair. They were Broyhill.