Good morning!   A lot of us have trouble creating our own vignettes in our homes.  Sometimes it’s easier to just copy someone else’s.   And there’s NOTHING wrong with that.  But if you don’t have the exact accessories (or the money for those accessories!), think outside the box.  Professionals refer to this as being “inspired” by someone else’s work.  You might want to call it “creative copying!”

Here’s today’s example:   When eating in Franklin with my mother and sister back in January,  I spotted this grouping of hanging lights in Merridee’s Bakery.  It’s simply a grouping of 1970’s amber glass lights, hung at different levels.   I not only liked this specific grouping, I like the idea of it.  However, I didn’t have 3 vintage amber glass hanging lights, and my husband wouldn’t be thrilled to have to run electricity to 3 new fixtures in the ceiling.  So, now what?  I tucked this one away in my little brain, of course.

While in London back in February,  I spotted lots of shell chandeliers in the Anthropologie store there.  It got me thinking . . .

I had three hanging shell things down in my basement.  They are not chandeliers – just cheap shell hangings (that remind you of 1970’s macrame plant hangers) you can by at those crappy beach stores in places like Gulf Shores or Panama City.  I had picked up one at a yard sale a few years ago, and bought two others the last couple of times we had gone to the beach.  I had one of  them hanging on my screened porch a few years back, but the three of them have been languishing in my basement for quite some time.

Last week, I went to Home Depot and picked up white screw hooks to hang these on and grouped them in the corner of our enclosed sleeping porch.  I think they look fabulous, mainly because they are a grouping.  More impact and more interesting than if I had hung just one of them.  I made it work by by taking the ideas of a few other talented people and morphing them into my own funky (and cheap) version.

So that’s my way of “creative copying.”  Elements of the amber light grouping + elements of the on-trend shell chandeliers + a little frugal creativity = my “unique” spin on a design inspiration.

Photo Credits:  Kristie Barnett.