Cottage Ingenuity

Cottage dwellers are scrappy--and it's a good thing they are! With small spaces, often awkward layouts, and cranky windows, older cottages pose a myriad of trying situations that escape most suburbanites. But with the quirks comes charm that makes these homes as enduring as their owners.

My love/hate (no, not hate, just frustration) relationship with our cottage has had its moments. We overcame the couch fiasco by avoiding the big box stores and going custom. Finding a cute dining table to fit a small space is nearly impossible. And you all know my prior struggles with lighting due to this post.

Well, I'm happy to report that we finally see the light! I went with the CB2 double dip lamp mainly for the fact that it actually fit our budget. (It's out of stock now, but this one is similar). However, nothing is ever simple in a cottage.

The lamp arrived and went together swimmingly and I actually loved it! Until I tried to put the sofa back in to position that is.... See, this lamp has a huge 15" diameter base that weighs probably 40 pounds. Great for not tipping over a precariously designed lamp, not so great for small spaces.

<--- Huge base is the bane of my existance

I tried the lamp in every possible spot in the living room and only really liked it in the corner, with the light hanging over the sectional. The only problem was the giant base kept the sofa from being pushed into the corner. Our options at this point were to never fully open the closet door or to not use the cute end table the boy has almost finished making me. Not satisfied with either, we whipped out some good ol' Cottage Ingenuity.

Arched lamp minus base plus four 1.5 inch conduit bracket thingies (in the electrical department of the hardware store) plus some big screws equals:

(Please ignore the unsightly gash where the drill tried to eat the wall)

And the result:

Yippee! Now the lamp and the couch can co-inhabit the corner without sacrificing any precious space (or the sofa legs!).

Next up: Some lively pillows that aren't ridiculou$ and art with a heart!