d*s reader kristin just moved up to lovely beacon, ny with her husband and needed some help with finding some great sconces for over her mantle. so i thought it would be fun to do a big roundup, especially since i’ve been trying to do some more lighting posts lately. i’ve chosen a wide range of prices, styles and types (hard-wire, plug-in, candle) so i hope you’ll enjoy the guide. as always, the guide continues well past the fold so please click here to see the full post or just click “read more” below. looking for more product guides? click here to see the rest.

[UPDATE: the bed guide and bedding guide are back up and running!]

[image above, clockwise from top left: agnes and hoss single arm sconce $450, saucer wall sconce $375, crystal leaf sconce $49.95, gabriel sconce $299, superordinate sconce $370, ph 3-2.5 sconce $864, orbit sconce $280, pistillo sconce $799, foglio wall light $236]

[image above, clockwise from top left: legna wall sconce $280, rialto sconce $149, swiss wall sconces from the 1970s at 1st dibs, beryll wall lamp $14.99, reflection candle sconce $24.95, i-club wall sconce $597, twig bunch wall sconce $49.95, small pucci wall sconce $280, anastacha wall sconce $2,010.25, caboche wall light $553]

[image above: torch sconce $375]

[image above: dogwood sconce $1725 (this is my favorite, hands down. it’s heaven)]

[image above, left to right: circles sconce $1150, rustic glass sconce $99-$179, butterfly wall sconce $649]

[image above: meridian sconce $110- $150]

just a little something light and floaty to start the day- every day i write my posts from the living room couch and look up at these seriously disgusting lights. i think i’d rather stare up at these, they feel so airy and breezy. you can pick up all three styles for $225 each right here.

now that fall is upon us the daylight hours are dwindling and i find myself trying to add more light to our home. our apartment only has windows at either end so finding light in the middle rooms can be a challenge. i’m not sure if this creep pendant by susan bradley would do the trick, but it sure would look nice. made of birch plywood, the light comes flat packed for $153 right here.

ok, so this isn’t exactly the most functional piece of lighting, but how fun is this? designer anneke jacobs created this chandelier re-using chiquita banana boxes she found on the street. i love the thought-process behind this and the grand, over-the-top feeling she was able to create with some everyday cardboard boxes. fantastic. click here for more on anneke jacobs. [via supernaturale, via inhabitat]

[the diy wednesday project is coming up next!]

it’s always a good day when a gem like this falls in your inbox. designer kyle cunniff sent over a link to these beautiful glass lights he created using a technique called slumping. the glass is heated until it becomes plastic at which point the form is draped over another object or into a mold to create the new form. kyle first began slumping glass bottles at the gerrit rietveld academie in amsterdam; aftewards he studied design at pratt and only recently resumed slumping. you can contact kyle about his work right here or via email right here. thanks, kyle!

for the past few years i’ve felt like i’ve been stuck in design limbo. i’m not sure if it’s the result of being around so many different design options, a personal style that’s in transition or just being unhappy with the space we currently live in. it started with an inability to choose paint colors (i’m surprised ac didn’t dump me after two years of painting “test squares” all over the house) and continued with half-finished projects, lighting that was never hung and chairs that have yet to be recovered. maybe i have a design personality disorder but i think maybe some of you might feel the same way. i feel like i’m constantly torn between wanting to live life like real simple magazine and have minimalist spaces that are impeccably organized, or live in something more ornately decorated with overstuffed couches and huge chandeliers. lately i’ve been trying to go more minimal and then i saw this wire chandelier from abigail ahern. now i’m dying to have highly decorative details hanging from the ceiling. which personality will win? we’ll see. until then, i’m imagining two dream homes: something sunny, clean and minimalist by the beach and something grand and decorative in the city. a girl can dream i guess.

gorgeous pendant lamps from tay lighting, via irene at bloesem. [i’m heading out early to today to finish up some work on the new site and some projects around the house. stay tuned tomorrow for the ugly pillow finalists!]