Now that the master bathroom is done {from a renovation standpoint}, we’ve made a shopping list of what finishing items are left to purchase. One item on the list is a ceiling light for the master bedroom. I thought it sounded like a fun item to start with. More fun than register covers, that’s for sure.

{view of master bedroom from master bathroom}

Yes, I finally got around to deep cleaning all the bedrooms over the weekend. No more construction dust! We can actually see out the windows now, too. More details on that coming in a separate post. Back to the lighting issue…

So far the rest of the Underdog’s lighting is simple – even industrial. In the bedroom, though, I’m thinking of something a little more dreamy. But still simple. Since we’ve been frugal with our lighting options elsewhere, I’ve set the master bedroom ceiling light budget at $200. Not outrageous but I consider it a splurge for us. {The cost of the boys’ bedroom, nursery and dining lights was less than $80 total.} I’ve just started browsing and put together a roundup of my favorites to date. Of course, I may end up buying a light that’s not even on this list but I thought I’d share my search for those of you who are curious about my thought process.

1 – Dandelion Chandelier {$200} This chandy features thin brushed steel wire wound into a sphere. I like the feathery texture and think it would put off a warm glow when lit.

2 – Star Chandelier {$196} Twinkle, twinkle little star. I imagine the rays of light and shadows this starlight puts off are amazing.

3 – Golden Bronze Criss-Cross Pendant {$200} The mix of bronzed metal, fabric shade and crystals is unique. I especially like the ‘X’ pattern of the metal.

4 – Capiz Pendant {$70} This shimmery chandy may look familiar. I hung it in the master bedroom of our previous home and it stayed there with the sale of the house. It’s the least expensive option I’ve found so far but a lighting kit has to be purchased separately as the chandy doesn’t include one. As much as I dig it, I kinda feel like ‘been there done that.’ It would totally work but I’m itching to switch things up. I don’t want the Underdog’s decor to be a reproduction of our last home. Still, it’s a great piece.

5 – White Cloud Pendant {$150} Sleeping under this cumulus-like pendant would feel like sleeping under the open sky. It has a very organic aesthetic that I’m lovin’ too.

6 – Zig Zag Acrylic Pendant {$177} This is probably the most modern option I like. The frosted acrylic zig zags are arranged in a way that gives the light a woven appearance. This pendant is also one of the smaller options so I’d have to double check measurements before saying ‘yay’ or ‘nay.’

A few other thoughts I have about lighting for the master bedroom…

• The placement of the bed will be beneath the window seen above, directly across from the bathroom. That means the centered ceiling light will hang just above the foot of the bed so a hanging pendant/chandy will work – as opposed to a flush mount light – since there won’t be anybody walking around under the light.

• The wattage of the ceiling light doesn’t have to be super powerful. For one, I like a dimly lit bedroom. Second, I really want to hang two wall sconces bedside for reading. HH and I are both bedtime readers. Between the ceiling light and two wall sconces {not to mention mounted lights in the closet}, I think the lighting will be sufficient for what we need. Ambience.

How does Handy Hubby feel about the possibilities? He likes them all – some more than others. Like with any other decorating decisions, he’s leaving the search up to me. I narrow the options down, show them to him and then we make the final decision together to ensure it’s something we can both live with. Over the years, we’ve found this is the best way for us to make home decor choices together.

Narrowing down the possibilities to a select few is key. HH isn’t good at making decisions when there’s a huge playing field to choose from. {Unless you’re talking about girls, that is. He did make a pretty good choice on that one. Ha!} For example, HH has been looking for a new pair of shoes for months now. Zappos has him corn-fused with their huge selection. He’s easily distracted.

What about you? Any lighting purchases recently? Any in your future? Any thoughts on bedroom lighting? Any other ideas on how to make joint decorating decisions?

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

My latest Ideabook is up over on Houzz today. This month I featured a slew of chandeliers that can be used in various settings. I really believe that switching out seen-better-days fixtures or builder stock lighting can make a world of difference in any house. Here are a few of the lights I featured…