I’ve been tempted to climb aboard the reality-TV bandwagon—though not to audition for The Voice and beg Adam Levine to turn his chair (and then jokingly warn him, “Keep your hands off my woman, Levine!”). Instead I’d love a home-decorator spin-off like The Choice (chairs meet dating), The Taste (cooking) or The Face (modeling). If it existed, mine would be called The Shade: a quiet little contest to find “the next great light for Clara’s big-girl room.” It would be tiny, earnest, and probably not a ratings juggernaut—but helpful for making design decisions.
We’d been meaning to replace the clunky wooden ceiling fan in Clara’s room with something friendlier and more appropriate for a child’s space. We’d used a tabletop fan for years and never needed a big overhead fixture, but a pendant shade made sense: it wouldn’t hang too low like a chandelier, it could add color and texture, and it would brighten the room well.
At first we considered one of our usual picks, but many of those shades are patterned and Clara’s room already has plenty of prints. So we checked Craigslist and a local shop where we’ve scored budget lights before—the Decorating Outlet here in Richmond. Craigslist didn’t pan out, but the outlet did: we walked away with four promising contenders, all priced around $35–40.
Here’s the lineup we brought home:
- Team Navy: A solid deep blue shade to coordinate with her curtains, free of patterns.
- Team Purple Damask: A subtle purple damask that might bridge the blues and reds in the room.
- Team Neutral: A burlap-like, natural shade to add warm, organic texture.
- Team Chevron: A bold, trendy navy-and-white chevron that’s ready to be noticed.
The Decorating Outlet offers a one-business-day return window, so we rushed home for an audition. I held each shade over the existing fan light to get a sense of scale and tone—admittedly not the same as seeing a hanging pendant, but enough to decide. Here are our impressions, starting with the boldest choice.
The chevron shade was fun and confident, but we worried it would introduce one more competing print into a room that already has a lot going on. It might have worked on its own, but we’re planning art for the wall between the windows and didn’t want the shade to fight any future pieces.
The neutral shade was pleasant and safe, but in person it read a little too plain for our taste. It didn’t add enough personality to the room, so we moved on.
The purple damask looked promising when the lights were off—the texture and tone played nicely with surrounding colors. But once lit, the pattern and purple tone faded and the shade began to resemble the neutral option. It was disappointing, especially since I really wanted it to work.
That left the last option.
Team Navy felt like the safest pick from the start, but it also felt right. Although the photos make it look darker than it actually is, we knew the new light kit would be brighter than the fan’s bulb. Considering our plans for wall art and other accents, a clean, unpatterned shade would balance the room without competing with future elements. In person it quickly became the obvious winner.
With auditions complete, we reached the installation round—where I wrestled with the heavy fan and removed it from the ceiling. Fortunately, I survived and the old fixture came down without incident.
Choosing the navy shade had another perk: it was the least expensive at $34. To save more, we bought a “damaged” pendant hardware kit at half price—the only issue was a shortened light kit, which actually suited our low ceiling perfectly. We trimmed it a bit and installed it for $25. The entire project, including the canopy, cost about $60 for a two-light pendant.
And now for the final reveal: this is the shade.
We love how the dark navy calms down the pink in the room while tying into other blue accents. It’s subtle and sophisticated without drawing too much attention—more like a casually stylish host in jeans rather than an over-the-top costume. Most importantly, Clara approved. Her reaction was exactly the kind of response we wanted: “Is that mine? Can I touch it? Is that for my big-girl room? I think it’s shiny and pretty like a pebble.”
We installed two 75-watt-equivalent CFL bulbs, so even with the dark shade the room is bright enough for tea parties, bedtime stories, and stuffed-animal sleepovers. Overall, the navy pendant strikes the right balance of color, texture, and light—an affordable, understated upgrade that complements the room’s existing scheme without overwhelming it.
P.S. Sherry is helping East Coast Creative by volunteering as one of their blog mentors. If you’re a blogger interested in pairing up with her for their Creating With The Stars competition, look for the submission details on East Coast Creative’s site.