Photo credits: Brooke Gianetti via manoblueblog; coastal living via my home ideas; 247 reno; save for later
I've always had a capiz shell chandelier in mind but as the years go on, I'm not so convinced about it anymore. Is it even pratical in a kitchen? Will it provide enough light? Is it going to be dated by the time I'm ready to renovate the space? I'm never one to care about trends but I don't want to be personally bored with it in a year or two.
I'm also having a bit of a problem with the price tag on some of these models? Is capiz really this expensive?? So what do think. Hot or not?
I don't think I would even consider one, especially in the kitchen. They look like a nightmare to clean!
ReplyDeleteI love the rectangular shaped pieces, but the standard circular chandelier type looks like it could feel dated in a short period of time. I think it's got much more pizazz in a more formal dining setting like the last picture in your post, but it could be too much in an informal kitchen setting. The phrase "go big or go home" comes to mind for capiz - it's clearly meant to be the "notice me" piece in the room.
ReplyDeleteI think the inverted-cone shaped capiz fixtures are already starting to look dated to me. Cute, but not the best for longevity.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you can find something in one of the fabulous vintage spots you've posted about, something a bit more unique. While capiz may or may not be on the way out, however, I do like the idea of this style of fixture in a beach house.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, thanks again for the photographs I won in your Giveaway months ago! I just finished the Home Office, the room they were hung in, and they are perfect in the room.
So HOTT! I'm in love with capiz and it screams "beach". I say go for it! Hopefully you can find one that fits the budget. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI agree that it seems like a great choice for your beach apt. If they are trendy, it is only in the magazines, b/c I live in a beach town and I do not have a single friend or acquaintance that has one in any room in their home. (I do however have a beautiful capiz star for our Christmas tree!) I cannot give any input as to how much light it will or won't provide.
ReplyDeleteI don't actually have one - so for practicality purposes I can't comment.
ReplyDeleteBut I love their look - and I agree with the latter post - I think they are only trendy in the blogging world. I think it will always be a great look in a beach house.
West Elm has some affordable options!
I was thinking I'd love a Capiz chandelier in the Nuni's room, but I think they're awfully expensive for something that doesn't look expensive. Have you looked at the stuff from Schoolhouse Electric? I think the style of some of their pendants would fit right in.
ReplyDeleteKate: I do like schoolhouse electric fixtures but not for here. I want to steer clear of reproduction vintage at the beach - go a little bit more contemporary. Not too much but a little.
ReplyDeletehmmm, interesting comments. we're considering that rectangular west elm one for over our new rh farmhouse table. i like the contrast of its 'delicateness' over sturdy rustic wood. but that's my concern.... will it be outdated shortly?
ReplyDeletejersey shore with no ceiling fans? I don't think it can be done.
ReplyDeleteI think even when they are considered "out", they'll still be "in" at the shore. I've purchased a variation from Viva Terra called the Lotus Chandelier:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vivaterra.com/pls/enetrixp/!stmenu_template.main?complex_id_in=482007.2561145.2561499.2006589.page
I wanted it for years and recently it was on sale. Also, Bryn Alexandra has a picture of one over a dining table in her portfolio.
Love love love these rooms. So beautiful.
ReplyDeleteCapiz is a bit meh for me. Every time I see a capiz chandelier, it's always in a kitchen or a room with bright white walls and really great natural light and I'm thinking that only under those circumstances would a capiz chandelier ever work. Otherwise it's just shiny shells.
ReplyDeleteI like them, but I do think they will be outdated soon.
ReplyDeleteI think capiz is pretty, but kind of dated already. It might be timeless in a beach house, though.
ReplyDeleteI've been considering the rectangular one for my house. I worry about the light becoming dated, but I also think that if you love something you should just go for it. Capiz would look especially great in a beach house.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE capiz. I'd switch out our ceiling fans for beauties like that in a heartbeat if we weren't in Texas, where ceiling fans are a necessity in the summer!
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm just too practical. My first thought was cleaning it would be a major issue with me. Being it's at the beach, the less work there is to do, the better.
ReplyDeleteI have a vintage capiz lotus chandelier which I've put in the master bedroom we're currently renovating and truthfully, it really doesn't cast much light. I need to put the potlights on for visibility and the chandelier is really just for ambience. If you have other lighting sources in the kitchen, then I think you'd be okay.
ReplyDeleteI don't think capiz will become dated, especially in a beach house. We had capiz lights in my parents house 30 years ago and I still think of them fondly. Capiz can be pricey though. If you don't want to make the investment, how about doing something else with interest and texture that still says 'beach', like the Leran lamp from Ikea?
I really like them, so I don't much care about the trend issue. I have an old one from West Elm, currently hung under a recessed light above the tub in the master bath. It's not the sunniest room in the house, but I think it looks lovely (walls are gray). Cost Plus World Market often has cheap ones, but they might be a little sparse-looking in person.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this light from west elm is an option, hung in multiples:
http://www.westelm.com/products/w503/?pkey=cpendant-lamps-chandeliers
It has a slightly different look, and with a 60w bulb in each one, you'd get a good amount of light.
Looking forward to seeing what you choose!
I think capiz shell is properly beachy and I agree about the ceiling fan. I don't understand fans above a table cooling off your food.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the results.
I agree with the comment about it being a nightmare to clean BUT if you don't really cook while you are there, I LOVE the first one:)
ReplyDeleteIm not too worried about the cleaning bit - I find all light fixtures to be difficult to clean so this one would be no different. I am concerned about having enough light - its the only fixture at the end of the kitchen so it has to be bring. (you all know how I like a lot of right??) So I think that alone is going to rule this option out.
ReplyDeleteCapiz is my faaaavorite! Airy and chic ~ PERFECT for the beach! Hope you go with a capiz light fixture for your kitchen! :)
ReplyDeleteI have two capiz floor lamps, and I love them! I love when I have the windows open and the breeze makes the shells (capiz?) click against each other. Mind you they are in my living room not my kitchen so I would have to agree with the "cleaning would be a bit of a nightmare" comments. I think you would be able to tell there was grease on them, they wouldn't shine like they are supposed to. And even one cooking experience every few months would be enough to have a beautiful capiz chandelier look like plastic circles hanging on a metal frame in no time flat. As an example of the way grease can destroy a kitchen I will share with you a story that is just too gross for words: I used to store my wine glasses in the cabinet above my stove, behind closed cabinet doors, yet every time I would pull one of those things out, I would have to clean the grime that collected from the last meal I prepared. (And I love to cook, and I love to have wine, so it was a real bummer to have to do that every time.) I don't think they'll be dated soon, they have been out for quite a while, but don't put it in the kitchen, I think you'll regret it.
ReplyDeleteThey're awfully trendy.
ReplyDeleteI think the capiz chandelier would really fit in so perfectly in a beach house.
ReplyDeleteIf it is your only light in there I think you would be sorry. You can always hang some strands of capiz off your fixture...or my fave, bits of found shell and driftwood...and other "gifts from the sea"!
ReplyDeleteI have always loved capiz shell lighting. Such a wonderful choice for a coastal home!
ReplyDeletexx-Gina
I too love the capiz chandeliers. As for cleaning - I say use the compressed air made for dusting electronics. I'm not sure how much light they allow. Perhaps you can start with a capiz piece and add extra strands of crystals from an antique chandelier or maybe string together tiny mirrors. Or maybe consider a more traditional chandelier and make or purchase capiz chandelier lampshades that can be changed out if they don't stand the test of time.
ReplyDeleteI need me some ceiling fans at the Jersey Shore or I will melt like an ice cream cone on a hot summer beach. ;-) That said, I know they're not so sexy. Capiz is pretty sexy but as many comments say...maybe a dust magnet?
ReplyDeleteI just dont love them. Maybe they are just to frilly for me!
ReplyDeleteAnother option; available a couple of places, including Target: http://tinyurl.com/274hmjh
ReplyDeleteNot cheap, but totally sculptural and modern.
I love them I'm eyeing one now from West Elm I want. I must have it trend or no trend I'm like you I don't really care about that;but the price does matter and the one I heart is not that exspensive.I say go for it you only live once and I'm sure you will place and use it well!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty, but def not for areas where you need a lot of light. They are more decorative than functional, IMO.
ReplyDeleteI have the capiz West Elm chandelier in that last picture. It's much brighter than you think it would be - much, much better than our previous builder light box. Lights up the table well (without being overwhelmingly bright) and has a nice glow to it too.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of capiz, but my first experience with a capiz chandelier was the worst. As soon as I opened it and took the plastic off of the shells, a lot of them were broken. And I didn't want to try it again:-(
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with the capiz shell being a "trend". When I think of trendy, I think of something in this year and out the next. West Elm has been featuring Capiz Shell fixtures for 5+ years...
ReplyDeleteThey are the outer shell of an oyster found mainly in the Philippines. In Philippine colonial days, Capiz seashell were used in making windows, because they're translucent enough to allow considerable daylight to pass through.
So if you're looking for coastal charm with a beachy & airy look - I say go for it!
:D Lynda
nyclq-focalpoint.blogspot.com
Well, color me OLD. I don't think capiz looks dated because it seems like a classic material that has always been around.
ReplyDeleteEspecially for a vacation residence, it's important to really connect with the location. Capiz is a nice way to bring some beachy goodness inside, without having to buy shells at the nearest souvenir stand. If you've decided against a capiz light but still like the idea of capiz, Crate & Barrel has round capiz placemats. And there's lots of capiz on eBay.