Upside Down Table Lamp Pendants part 1

I've had this idea for a hanging light fixture for years now....upside down lamps.  It's funny because I thought I got the idea from a display at Urban Outfitters, but when I finally found the picture I took (in 2006), it wasn't an upside down lamp but just a couple hanging shades.

 These lights would look really fun in a corner perhaps with a reading chair, but were not what I had envisioned.  So my search for using upside down lamps continued.  I found a pictures of a place in L.A. called S Bar.

  The design of this bar was inspiring on multiple levels.  I love, love, love the unique lounge chairs paired with the long tables!  The hanging lamps are all different with similar sized bases and shades.  Look at the wall to wall area rugs and the frame to frame portraits on one wall.  There is a lot going on here and I would love to see first hand how it all looks in the dim evening light.

I'm in search of the perfect lighting for my dining room (with shutters lining one wall).  For a while I planned on three or five upside down lamps (always aim for odd numbers)  but my brother suggested I use the upside down lamps in my kitchen instead.  This idea sounded perfect and Dan (my husband) was totally up for the challenge.  The next day I found three black lamps at Home Goods and when we got home Dan jumped up on the counter so we could imagine their placement and try and figure out the logistics of our new find.  

We thought of hanging them from their cords covered in fabric but this didn't sound secure.  We considered rewiring them with a weight rated electrical cord but couldn't find something attractive at Home Depot.  We thought of using a 1/4 inch galvanized electrical conduit as a down rod, and attaching it into a fitting on the base of the lamp.  This could have worked but would have been difficult to get all the metal to match and look finished.  Dan browsed the aisles of Home Depot trying to get more ideas and he ended up buying three light pendant fixtures at eighteen bucks a piece for us to use for parts.  I think perhaps you could find something similar for less at Ikea.  The pendants were a great idea because the kit included a down rod and canopy cover for the ceiling box.  

...Click here for a step by step guide on how we created our upside down table lamp pendants!