...because home doesn't happen overnight.

Ever since we DIY’d the wall shelves in the living room, I’ve had my heart set on adding lighting to the wall. That area of the living room can be pretty dark at night unless we turn on the overhead track lighting. But when the kids are in bed for the night and it’s just me and my HH, we prefer dimmer, warmer lighting. It’s about as close to romantic as we get. We have really nice over-cabinet and under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen {another post, another day} that gives our kitchen a cozy warm glow in the evening and I want that same vibe in the living room.

I considered wall mounted sconces above the wall shelving, similar to the popular library lamps you see nowadays. But I wanted something less formal, something undone. When I spotted this gold clip lamp from Land of Nod, it was love at first sight.

clip light 1

{Oh, and we have acquired another Buddha head. It was black and silver. I spray painted it white and gold. Because.}

The clip lamp is a plug-in with a power switch on the cord. The pothos plant disguises the switch well. I love it when stuff works like that. I ran the rest of the cord behind the wood shelves down along the metal hang rail. There’s a wall outlet below the bottom shelf. I did need a short extension cord to reach the outlet. A zip-tied cord bundle is hidden behind the basket furthest left on the bottom shelf. I tell you this because when I’m looking at interior design online, these are the tidbits I wonder about. Where does that lamp plug into the wall? Where are all the cords? What are these – magic lamps that don’t need plugged in?! And so forth.

clip light 4

There, see it? No magic lamps here.

clip light 2

The lamp is super gold and super shiny. {It’s also available in silver if you’re not gold rushing.} A warm white CFL is included with the lamp which is awesome for people like me who need instant gratification upon plugging in a new light and have no patience for dragging three kids to the store for a lightbulb. The clip has squishy pads on either side to protect whatever it’s clipped to. There’s a hole in the clip that looks like you could use it to hang the light on the wall if you were so inclined.

clip light 3

{Look! I put a picture of Mabrey in the picture frame that was empty for months. I’m going places, people.}

The neck is flexible so you can direct the light wherever your little heart desires. Apparently, my little heart desires to spotlight wooden sculptures.

clip light 5

This clip lamp is marketed as a desk lamp by a children’s décor company. I want to point that out because it never hurts to think about products in different contexts when you’re shopping for something specific. I never would have guessed I would find a light for our living room shelves at Land of Nod – and a desk lamp at that. Be open to using things in ways other than what they are intended for.

I can’t wait to see this little guy lit up at night. Maybe an instagram of him later this evening is in order?

Happy weekend, warriors!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

38 Comments

11.October.2013

Love the little addition of brass. So shiny! So pretty! (Yes, it’s true – I’m easily distracted by shiny objects.)

Ohhhhhhh, I’m loving the new addition! It looks great!

11.October.2013

Great little light! You wonder about where things plug in, I wonder about tissues and other mundane items. I never see tissues in designed rooms. Doesn’t anybody sneeze? Especially in bathrooms.

It seems like we are light years away from this point in our house, but ooohhhh when we get there…..

Love it! It’s the perfect addition.

11.October.2013

Gorgeous lamp! The room looks like it feels so relaxed. Love it.

11.October.2013

I wonder this same thing every time I see bedrooms. I think, “Where do they keep their kleenex box?”

11.October.2013

That lamp is amazing. I really enjoy your blog, your style, and your personality, so I don’t mean this as an insult. I just wondered why you would want to display two Buddha sculptures when you are a Christian? It’s your home, and you can do anything you want. I understand this. I just don’t think I could do it, even though it’s just art and it’s very sculptural.

11.October.2013

My little sister gave me this same lamp for Christmas last year! It’s one of my favorite things ever. Even my boyfriend is obsessed with it and wants a second one when we move in together (I use it as my bedside lamp) Somehow I never noticed the hole so that you could hang it on the wall! A whole new world of possibilities have just opened up to me!

12.October.2013

Love the lamp! It fits absolutely perfectly in your shelving system. Happy accident, finding it at a children’s store. I’ve noticed that sometimes items are cheaper when they’re for children too. Another reason to check, just in case. I’ll be watching for your Instagram pic!

12.October.2013

Great find for style and function for that space with just the right amount of shine. (Most of the time I like matte finishes even in metallics, but sometimes a touch of shine or sparkle just works.)

12.October.2013

Looks great! Very functional and stylish…the perfect combination!

What I always wonder about in pictures of bedrooms is why are there never alarm clocks on the night stands?! Am I the only one who thinks that??

12.October.2013

While we do celebrate traditional Christian holidays {namely Christmas & Easter} we’re very open to any religious or spiritual teachings that we find inspiring or thought provoking. And we have no problem exposing our kids to different religions or spiritual teachings either. The budding Buddha collection has sparked great conversations within our family.

13.October.2013

I love the gold lamp! Really lovely addition to the room

13.October.2013

I checked back to see how you’d respond to this question, asked with courtesy and sincerity but potentially awkward nonetheless. Points to you for answering with equal sincerity and courtesy. You have graciousness and great style, as a blogger and as a design afficionado. :D (P.S. Our family’s similar, and I’d love to stumble upon either of the Buddhas you have. Very elegant.)

13.October.2013

Thank you Dana , for answering my question with dignity and grace. It was my mistake on this matter, because I thought you had stated in your blog that you were Christians. Some bloggers declare it outright, and I guess I had you confused with others, so I apologize for that. I understand your search for truth and exposing your kids to different teachings. Most of us go through our own spiritual journeys to get where we are. May the Lord bless you and your family.

Love the lamp Dana. It’s such a great edition to the bookshelves. They
are looking great! I love looking in unconventional places for things. Some of my fav finds have been scouted in the “kids” department.

14.October.2013

This is such a lovely corner. Well done.

14.October.2013

I’d be way too hung up on the cord showing to even try this. But, this is REAL life (not a photo shoot) and as you stylishly demonstrated, it’s barely visible. Thanks for being real :)

14.October.2013

I have to say, this, like everything else in your home is stunning! It’s simple yet elegant and has just the right touches. And yet it is all so very realistic. Adore!

I do have one question. Where on this wonderful planet, did you find those big poofs underneath your shelves? I have been looking for something like that for my daughter’s room for ages and have been unable to find anything I really like. I’m sorry if I missed a previous post on this but I am in LOVE with those!

14.October.2013

Have you got yourself a gold iphone then? :)

14.October.2013

I adore that little brass light!

14.October.2013

Great lamp! Love the shiny gold. Love your design style; I’m pinning some photos!

15.October.2013

First time commenting on your blog but a frequent visitor. I JUST got this clip lamp, in fact, two of them for two leaning bookcases. I am still styling the bookshelves so it was a surprise to find your post this a.m. and so well timed as I am disguising those chords today! I love the reflection in this lamp and how it bounces light during the day. And the curve of the lamp is sweet and very flexible so you can turn it in all directions. Haven’t found a thing about it I don’t like, except hiding those chords is a must. Your bookshelf is a work of art and a lesson to study!

15.October.2013

Ok confession my hubby and I are using this room as inspiration for the feel of our family room. it’s gray and not decorated the same at all but we just like the feel this room gives off. We are thinking that shelves like this are a must have around our fireplace. Where did you get them?? did you just make them from tracks and stained wood?? in love. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE your wooden shapes. I just bought a wooden fox that i’m in love with. maybe he needs some shape friends!! love the house

15.October.2013

The shelves were DIY. Off-the-shelf rails and brackets + premium grade pine boards that we stained and sealed.

15.October.2013

Haha, no! But Mabrey broke my case months ago and ever since the mountain biking incident of 2013 ;) my iPhone hasn’t been working correctly. I’m infamous for waiting until my cell phone is on its last leg to replace it – even if I’m due for an upgrade. Maybe when I get around to upgrading I’ll invest in a gold case…or leather!

15.October.2013

West Elm earlier this year when they went on sale!

15.October.2013

No worries at all!

16.October.2013

Awesome inspiration – love the minimal, clean look.

24.October.2013

Loving the inspiration, I’m an apparel designer and it comes naturally. But interior decorating, ehhhh not so much. I just can’t envision how things could go together and the investment in pricey purchases give me great distress, haha. I love the chair! Where did you find it! We are looking for a great chair and ottoman to go with a mid century styled couch, but we have so mnay wood colors going on in our small aparment, I am worried it all won’t match! Thanks

25.October.2013

The chair is from Thrive and mixing wood tones is a good thing!

04.February.2014

Hi! I’ve been a reader for awhile, but never comment. I love your house and how warm it all is… I am not sure how I found your blog, but I’m glad I did… Would you mind sharing where that black and white pillow is from? I keep spotting it in your photos and I love it. I’ve been looking for a bold/graphic black and white pillow kind of obsessively for a few days now. Thanks so much for sharing your home with us!

05.February.2014

It’s actually dark navy and white. It was a Crate & Barrel purchase last year.

18.April.2014

Pretty. Have you considered painting the verticals the same color as your wall? Not sure if it would help the them ‘go away’.

21.July.2014

Hi! I love the DIY shelves you put together in this space. I want to do something very similar, if not exactly the same in our basement. Our other bookshelves are full and I pretty much need an entire wall to house our growing book collection. I’m not sure if we will be able to do this, as the basement wall is….cinder block foundation. Maybe build a false wall?? Anyhow, could you share your sources for the DIY shelving?

p.s. My hubby and I just watched the Tiny documentary too and have been inspired to stick with our 1500 sq ft Minneapolis story and a half. We got plenty of space!

21.July.2014

Find more info on the DIY shelves here…(after the third image in the post)

https://www.housetweaking.com/2013/08/01/library-day/

P.S. – Good for you!

04.March.2015

Awesome post! I am in the process of finishing off some renovations in my house, and this was a really great read. Thanks for sharing!