Lighting on a Budget

There are a lot of us who like to mimic things we see in Pottery Barn catalogues. Why not? But, did you ever think about the fact that a lot of Pottery Barn products are actually knock-offs of higher end goods? I've been looking a lot at light fixtures lately and I thought I would post about how to get a high end look on a budget.

One day I was in a high end furniture store and saw a beautiful chandelier that looked similar to the one below. I had been drooling over the PB version for a while and was surprised that the one in the store was much more expensive. That's when I first realized that Pottery Barn copies higher end designs and that there are versions of the same products at all price levels (even over $20,000). The chandelier below retails at PB for $399.

There is a slightly smaller Home Depot 5-light version for $189.

Pottery Barn sells a beautiful track light for $159.99...

... or you could go for this Home Depot version at $25.78

Restoration Hardware has gorgeous industrial style pendant lights for $259 - $619...

...or you could get a similar look from this Lowe's Pendant Light for $49.97

This Kichler chandelier costs $600 - $700...

...but this Home Depot light retails for $179.00

We got this Home Depot chandelier for our dining room for $71.40. It looks great and I didn't have to feel guilty about the price tag. 

When looking for great lighting check out Craig's List, Ebay, and local stores. If you live in the Charleston area,  Charleston Lighting and Interiors in Summerville has three rooms of closeout and floor model lighting at unbelievable prices. The perfect chandelier or light fixture does so much for a room!