On the search for lighting.

We have a lighting issue in this house. The fixtures that were here when we moved in were (and still are) functional, but are cheap and ugly.

Not even the kind of ugly that could pass for retro or vintage. Think 1970's trailer park kind of ugly. And where there isn't something cheap and/or ugly, we have no light.

So I've been on the lookout for lamps and other lighting fixtures. This is not my forte, but I figure it doesn't take much talent to find something better than this:

I have hated this brassy beauty in our dining room since Day 1. I dislike it so much I've blocked it out of my brain; I don't even see it anymore when I look in that direction.

Until some random point when I do see it, and then I become obsessed with replacing it.

But my frugal nature won't allow me to just pop into Lowe's and pay $150 for a new chandelier. So I've been scavenging local thrift shops in hopes of finding someone else's castoff that I can recycle and spiff up for my own home.

The fun thing about shopping thrift stores is you can find all kinds of other cool stuff on your way to finding what you're actually looking for. Not great for hoarders. Great for people like me who have a mental list of items I'm keeping an eye out for.

Last week I stopped at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I did not find any sort of lighting fixture I couldn't live without. I did, however, find a neat old picture frame I'll show you later.

I also took a few minutes looking over a set of lighting fixtures that were cool enough I decided to take pictures in case I figured out some way to use them in my home.
 

I'm guessing these are leaded glass. They're pretty heavy, and the glass has a detailed pattern. I wonder how much light they give off.

And I wonder if I could think of any other way to use these globes, other than as light fixtures. They're just so cool!

I didn't buy them. But if someone more creative than I (which doesn't take much) can give me any ideas, I'd go back and snatch 'em up if they're still there.

Anybody?

Or am I fooling myself and these are the ugliest things you've ever seen?