We’re excited to finally share a project we’ve been quietly working on for more than 14 months: a lighting collection created in collaboration with Shades of Light. It started back in October 2011 when they asked if we’d help design a line of affordable, playful lights. We jumped at the chance.

From the beginning our aim was simple: design lights that feel casual, joyful, and approachable while keeping the entire collection under $99. That price target was a real challenge—especially for larger pieces like two-foot-wide chandeliers—but Shades of Light committed to making it work without sacrificing quality. The result is a range of pendants, shades, chandeliers, and small decorative add-ons that are budget-friendly and full of personality.

The collection includes standalone shades for table or floor lamps, ready-to-hang pendant kits (complete with ceiling canopy), drum and scallop pendants, and a large wire globe chandelier that’s an amazing value at $89 for a two-foot-wide fixture. Many finishes—like rusty bronze, plum, dark teal, white, black, gray, and red—are painted locally by a lighting artisan, and a number of the pieces are made, wired, or painted right here in Virginia. We loved that this was a local collaboration; we sketched, prototyped, sampled paint colors, and photographed the finished pieces together at both our house and Shades of Light’s headquarters.

One of our favorite parts of the project was the in-home photoshoot. It was perfectly grassroots: clamps, reflectors, and a lot of laughter. To get a shot of a pink farmhouse pendant over our sink, someone actually held the nearby mercury glass pendant out of frame while another fixture was clamped to a rod above the sink to make it appear hard-wired. Those behind-the-scenes details are what make catalog photos feel so polished—there’s always a bit of magic (and a bit of chaos) in front of the camera.

Function and fun meet in the collection. The large wire globe chandelier creates dramatic ceiling shadows when paired with clear bulbs; swap in frosted bulbs for a softer glow. Drum pendants and geometric-inspired ikat shades come with optional sculptural metal diffusers—choose from a hex honeycomb or a quatrefoil pattern—to add texture and visual interest to an existing fixture. These diffusers are simple add-ons that can instantly upgrade the look of a pendant you already own.

We also added tiny, inexpensive DIY-friendly options to the lineup: appliques and decals designed to personalize lamp bases. At just a few dollars each, these add-ons include bees, numbers, and scalloped motifs in various colors so you can customize a thrifted lamp or refresh a beloved lamp base. They’re perfect for anyone who wants an easy, affordable way to change up lighting without a major investment.

Personal touches made the project especially meaningful. Burger’s face even inspired a series of chihuahua-themed drum shades in several colors—because yes, we are that sentimental about our dog. Clara served as the family quality-control inspector, changing her favorite shade every time she saw them. And there’s an amusing memory of Burger stealthily stealing a half-loaf of bread off the dining table during one of our first meetings with the Shades of Light team—proof that the best collaborations include a few laughs and a little mayhem.

Beyond the finished products, our hope is that this collection inspires readers who love DIY. Even if you’re not shopping for lighting right now, you might be motivated to paint a metal pendant, re-cover a shade, or create your own decals to make a lamp feel more personal. Small tweaks can have a big impact.

This project is a reminder of how much joy comes from switching gears and working on something hands-on. Side gigs like this help support our family, keep our creativity sharp, and give us a chance to experiment and play. We’re genuinely grateful to everyone who has followed this journey since our blog’s early days. Thank you for being part of it—you’ve helped make ideas like this possible.

We’re proud of this collection of lights, shades, and add-ons, and we can’t wait to see how you’ll use them in your home, whether as a subtle upgrade, a statement chandelier, or a fun DIY accent.