Jumping right in--has anyone else been coveting these Lindsay Adelman light fixtures? I have. Oh, I have I have I have. I want a brass one in every room of my house.
WELL TOO BAD, FRIEND--they're $15k a pop. So if you, like me, were starting to halfway imagine trading in your car for a light fixture, I bring you glad tidings. I mean, THE GLADDEST OF TIDINGS YOU GUYS.
Lindsay Adelman (not to be confused with Lindsey Does, this blog) understands the sick burning need you have for this chandelier in your dining room, so saint that she is, created a parts list and a general guideline for DIYing your own amazeballs version at home. Instead of this fixture being flat out unattainable, you can spend about $130 and part of your Sunday creating an even better looking brass version. Truth. Speaking as someone who is scared crapless of electricity (I know, I'm such a girl) I can assure you that this is completely doable and not at all scary. You'll just need some patience and some nimble-ish fingers (and a helper--can't emphasize that enough). And you will be rewarded with this:
Here's the deal though--the parts list is not everything you need, particularly if you want a hard wired version instead of the plug-in version specified by the parts list. It also doesn't include the ceiling canopy, and that was actually a little difficult to find (don't worry, this will not be a problem for you). And while there is a very helpful wiring guide, there is not a start to finish breakdown for building this magnificent piece, so I am ever so thankful for my electrical genius engineer of a man who was able to make this project happen for me. Sweet Jake, fetcher of water when I'm thirsty and builder of chandeliers when I'm desperate, I cannot shout it any louder that this never would have gotten past the parts ordering stage without him.
Anyways--I'm breaking this project up into a three separate posts since there's just so many pics and so much info I need to give you. I'm going to start with the parts and source lists, since you'll have to order most of it. Believe me when I say that waiting anxiously for all your supplies to arrive is actually the toughest part of this whole project. You can do this!!
PARTS LIST & WIRING DIAGRAM
From grandbrass.com
A. 1 plug - item # PL183PBK (optional--ours is hard wired so we didn't order this part, but LA does provide a wiring diagram for this)
B. At least 3 feet of wire (again, ours is hardwired and only needed to run to the ceiling junction box. If you choose to use a plug option, add on the distance to your preferred outlet) - item # WI18POG
C. 1 brass loop - item # LO111
D. brass pipes, various lengths:
2 brass pipes - item # PIBR07-0X8
3 brass pipes - item # PIBR03-0X8
1 brass pipe - item # PIBR05-0X8
3 brass pipes - item # PIBR06-0X8
2 brass pipes - item # PIBR04-0X8
E. 3 nuts - item # NU430
F. 1 cluster body - item # BOLG3
G. 3 brass swivels - item # SV140
H. 2 coupling bodies - item # NE449NP
I. 5 sockets - item # SO10045
J. 5 tubular bulbs - item # BUET10C40*
K. 1 globe bulb - item # BUEG16C40*
L. 5 slip rings - item # SR0-3/8
M. 5 brass cups - item # CU578
N. 3 brass cluster bodies - item # BOT2
2 steel nipples - item # NI0-1/2X1/8 (not shown on the diagram)
1 brass reducer - item # RE1/8FX1/4MS (not shown on the diagram)
O. 2 plug buttons – item # FI1/8PLUG
*I recommend ordering more than you need of each bulb type. I wasn't sure how easy it would be to find them locally when I needed to replace them, and I also wanted the freedom to play around with how I arranged them in the chandelier since I used a mix of both. They're pretty cheap so I ordered 7 or 8 of each.
From amazon.com
P. 1 twin socket adapter
From mcmaster.com
1 box of wire connectors - item # 7108K32 (not shown on the diagram)
12 feet of white wire - item # 7587K138 (not shown on the diagram)
12 feet of black wire - item # 7587K133 (not shown on the diagram)
1 black electrical tape - item # 76455A21 (not shown on the diagram)
wire strippers - item # 7660k14 (also in tools list)
*If you are hard wiring into existing ceiling wiring, you may need slightly larger wire connectors. You can always pick these up at the big box stores.
From Snake Head Vintage on etsy.com
1 ceiling canopy (polished satin brass)
**this store is AWESOME and so cheap, plus shipping only took like two days.
TOOLS NEEDED
Wire strippers - 7660k14 (McMaster)
Small to medium flathead screw driver
Socket tester with good batteries
Step stool or chair
Optional but recommended: Small to medium Phillips-head screw driver
Socket tester with good batteries
Step stool or chair
Optional but recommended: Small to medium Phillips-head screw driver
When you have all of these things on hand, you'll be ready to move onto PART TWO!
Part ONE | Part TWO | Part THREE
Posts
This is one special chandelier. I like it so much
ReplyDeleteHi Lindsay, thanks for posting this! I was wondering if the brass looked just like the brass in the photo on Lindsey Adelman's site? Some of the photos I've seen of the DIY the brass looks a little tarnished or not quite the same sheen, how is it in person? Thanks! Virginia
ReplyDeletehi Virginia! The brass has stayed shiny and bright, but keep in mind it is a brushed texture to begin with so it's not the highly polished reflective brass. And as a former art director, I feel the need to give a quick PSA: the original version has probably been photoshopped in most professional photos in order to show this (very, very expensive) product in its best light (forgive the pun). Even when a photo appears perfect, there is always room to add a little extra sheen or tweak the photo levels. Hope this is helpful!
ReplyDeleteIn Zora lighting ,we make replica lindsey adelman in great quality, made of aluminum with electroplating and hand blown glass.
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