My mom was right

After my bedroom light fail in June, my mom posted: "Maybe the issue is that it is so cylindrical, ie that the sides are straight?" There were many issues with the DIY shade (including that it was too long and narrow), but over the weekend I attempted a fix with a more conical shade shape along the lines that my mom was suggesting, and wouldn't you know it, we love it. Hurrah!

As a reminder, here's what the light looked like in its original ceiling fan form:

I didn't like such a large dark shape against the ceiling, and even though the ceiling fan is great we didn't really use it. So I removed the blades (which can easily just be screwed back in again, no harm done), and the glass bulb fixtures. I was left with this, and assured Sam I wouldn't leave it this way:

Then I left it that way for awhile, before constructing this monstrosity out of embroidery hoops, poster board, and fabric:

For a complete reminder of my drum shade debacle, see this post.

I wracked my brain (and the internet) for alternative ideas for almost a month, and pledged that I would set things right before leaving for my 2.5 week vacation this coming Thursday. Over the weekend we made an impromptu IKEA trip (we made one large purchase, which I'm making some custom changes to and will post about once I finish), and I was determined to find a solution while we were there. I decided to grab a large colorful drum shade (more conical, like my mom suggested, and larger than my homemade version), with the hope that it would do the trick. It came with some metal rods inside for mounting it on a floor/table lamp, which I just pried off. Then I sewed on a few loops of thread that could attach to the hooks I'd already put in the ceiling for the previous shade, and was thrilled when I stepped back to see the final result.

Voila:

I'm quite pleased. It softens the light in a nice way, and the colors tie nicely to the rest of the room.

Here's a closer look at the shade:

Here's a shot looking up from the bed, which is the most important vantage point since it's what I see every night before going to bed:

I used clear globe lights rather than normal bulbs, which I think gives it a nicer look. Overall, I'm happy with the final result and quite relieved to put this project to bed!