A few pics of off-the-wall lighting applications

...not to be confused with lights that fell off the wall!

There are two projects on this page. What you're seeing are only thumbnail images. Click on any image to enlarge it. If you mouseover the enlarged image, you can click on the arrows to move to the other pics in the group.

Familiar classic vintage fixture with a new twist

This application is a simple twist using the iconic chain-suspended overhead light globe that was found universally in non-residential settings for many decades. Indeed, the style was long out of favor for a long, long time, but as fate would have it, it's come back into fashion and is jumping from the shelves at Lowes and Home Depot. The glowing globe has found its way to the homes of the mortals. The original style had several variations in the size and contour. This variation is an over-sized globe with a slight bulge on the top side.

The inverted globe conceals a standard flush mount porcelain utility fixture that lays on its base so that the bulb extends upward. It's fitted with a full-range dimmer, cord and plug. Although it could be used as a light source, it's an ideal accent light. The two pics were shot with different dimmer levels.

This is a complete free-standing industrial motif lamp that's built from parts that were gleaned from various places. The base is a discarded cast metal heat sink for high voltage transmission applications. It came from a metal salvage yard. The central stem is discarded water pipe with an electrical conduit coupler attached inline to house the on/off switch. The bulb receptacle and glass cover are flea market finds.

The underside of the lamp has four threaded female attachment hubs along the bottom rim that originally connected the base to the equipment it was used to cool. The attachment hubs are fitted with adjustable screw-type levelers with felt-padded bottoms which, in addition to keeping the lamp perfectly vertical, also lift it above the supporting surface to add a bit of design interest and refinement.

The entire lamp is painted with a reflective dark bronze paint with a slight texture that works well with the imperfections in the metal. While the lamp body is dark, the reflective nature of the finish distorts the true color in the photos. The closeup shot of the switch assembly is fairly close to the actual lamp color. The wiring, the switch and its housing and the leveling feet are the only new components in the lamp. The bulb choice depends on how the lamp will be used. It's capable of powering a high wattage bulb, or a low wattage clear bulb, as pictured, if you choose to use it as an accent piece.