Light Conversation

Vision Board 0

How do you envision what lighting you want to purchase?

Some people use poster board.  Some people use Pinterest.  But our customers, well they really commit!  Here's to using your own wall as a vision board!

Here is the after.  The sconces look lovely in their new home.

This customer had purchased her chandelier quite a few years ago, but when she moved house, she discovered she had the perfect spot for a set of sconces.  

Placing a photo of the scones on her wall worked for her and we recommend it frequently.  For chandeliers, we recommend using a piece of poster board to mimic the chandelier - cutting out the same circumference and holding it over your table to help envision that diameter.  

We do have a size guide to help you with the numbers. Or, feel free to email or call us for help.

Using Crystal Sconces in Your Bathroom 0

Have you wanted to put a pair (or two) of gorgeous crystal sconces in your bathroom? A local customer did.  She had been pondering the idea for a while, and finally thought, why not?!

In this bath, there were 2 separate vanities and each one has a set of 2-arm sconces, our Sconce 2, on either side of the mirror.

She is very happy with the result, and we think it is beautiful.  

Tools of the Trade - Needle Nose Pliers 0

We couldn't be crystal chandelier makers without these little guys!  If you want to tackle any crystal pinning or re-pinning project, you will need these pliers. And, they are great to have on hand for small bits of repair work.

The best ones have a medium length nose. If the nose is too long and slim, you will have difficulty manipulating harder pins.  If the nose isn't slim enough, you will be unable to grip the tiny pin heads. 

Here is my perfect pair of needle nose pliers:

These have a built-in cutting edge for cutting pins and handles that spring making for easy grip.   I personally like the soft covered handles, though others like the harder covered handles.  Around here, we tend to put our name on our favorite tools!

You can purchase these types of pliers in the tool section of most hardware stores. You can also find them in hobby stores in the jewelry making department.  

 Happy pinning!

-Nancy

Adding Crystal to Your Plain Chandelier 0

Do you have a plain chandelier that you would like to dress up a bit?  Add some fun crystal to it?  We love that idea!  Below are two metal chandeliers to which crystal pendants and strands were added for a lovely look.  

Of course, the big question is how do I do this?  How do I add crystal to my light fixture?

Some fixtures are manufactured with holes in the stampings or metal parts, but the added crystals are not included in the design of the fixture.  In that case, it is easy to add.  

If your fixture does not have any holes, you will need to create some.  Our favorite way to do this is with a punch plier:

Depending upon the material, you may be able to use other tools.  If you can't seem to make holes with any tools, then you can use a thin piece of wire to wind around different parts of the chandelier.  Leave the wire loose enough for a hook to slip through.

We think it is fun to vary the size of the pendants you are adding, but we recommend having the same size on one level.  In other words, the pendants hanging from the front of each arm should be the same, but they can be a different size or shape from the pendants hanging on the top of the chandelier. And, the ones on the top should be all the same (or alternating with another style).  A pattern should emerge rather than every thing being random.

This customer was able to unscrew the candle holders from the body of this beautiful silver candelabra in order to add bobeches and prisms.  

Shop our collection of chandelier pendants for ideas on what might look best on your chandeliers.  Or, feel free to email us a photo, and we will make suggestions. 

Tools of the Trade - Colander 0

When cleaning a chandelier, what do you do with all of those little crystal parts that come from the chandelier? 

If you read our cleaning instructions, you will see us mention placing them in a colander - preferably a plastic one ... or two ... or three depending upon how many crystal pendants your chandelier holds. 

Because plastic is softer than metal and won't damage the crystal, we recommend plastic colanders.  They are relatively cheap and available. 

As you remove the crystal pendants from your chandelier, place them in the colander.  Don't fill it too full; you will get the best results with less than a third full. Sparingly, sprinkle your dish washing liquid (or whatever you want to use for cleaning your chandelier) over the crystals and place the colander directly under your water stream to rinse using hot water.  

Once the water runs clear, you can set your colander on a towel and begin wiping the crystals dry.  As you wipe each one, place it on the towel.  Once all are done, place a layer of paper towels into the bottom of the colander. This paper towel will keep the hooks from getting stuck in the holes. You can also layer your crystal with paper towels if you like. Place your pendants back into the colander and rehang them on your chandelier. 

Happy Cleaning!

Tools of the Trade - Roundnose Pliers 0

How do you get those little crystal pins between your chandelier crystals round?  With roundnose pliers!  We call these curling pliers because we use them primarily to make the pins curl around each other when connecting crystals together.  

These have smooth grippers with nothing to leave a mark, and the tips graduate for options on sizing your loops. These are the perfect tool for reworking or repairing any pinning between crystals or on your chandelier. 

If you can't find them in the tool section of your hardware store, you may be able to find them in the jewelry marking section of a craft or home store.