Nautical Vintage Outdoor Lighting
Here’s my big flea market find from last weekend in Hayward, WI. I’m pretty pleased with these beauts! This past weekend Joe, my parents and I were visiting my Grandparents’ cabin and we took a trip to a giant Monday-only flea market. I instantly fell in love with these glass orbs and thought of a few uses for them:
- DIY pendant lights
- Candle holders with rope handles
- Luminaries
Rules for Flea Markets
There were quite a few things I wanted to buy, but I stuck to only projects I could implement right away. I’ve got enough long-term projects on my list, so I wanted something that would deliver some instant home gratification. So I figured I’d use them for what they’re intended for: Outdoor lighting covers. And I talked the guy down from $4 apiece to $10 for the set. A savings of $2, you guys. Quite proud of my haggle-adverse self. But it’s pretty much expected at flea markets that you’ll wheel and deal, so that took some of the pressure off.
Joe on the other hand, is a natural smooth talker. He’s got no problem striking a bargain with strangers. He scored a few goodies, himself. Looksee.
This was a special find for him because when he was a kid, this was the exact same Swedish reel he had at his Grandma’s cabin in Annandale. He would always go to the flea market there, so it makes it even more special that he found this replica at a flea market last weekend. We also found a $10 wetsuit and a few other fishing poles and lures. But back to our lights.
Patio Lighting Before and After
Here’s the blah lighting we had before that came with the house. Who knows how old these are. They’re actually just fine, however, they’re really boring. No visual interest whatsoever.
Before
After
And here’s what the new fixtures look like! The anchors and rope are really playful. All I needed to do was get a ladder, unscrew one screw and pop off the old ones. Then I screwed the new ones into place. Simple. They all must be made the exact same size.
Patio Ambiance
For reference, we have a deck up above and a walkout patio right below. So we’re below deck right here. Ohmygosh, get my nautical pun?! I have more, folks. I have more.
They happened to be selling a set of three of these, and I just so happen to have three lights under the deck! Lucky day for this girl.
Big thanks to Trevor for helping me hang the strings of lights a few weeks ago 🙂
I can’t wait to spend some time down below deck. Potential future hot tub location?
They look plenty interesting during the day. (Notice the steering wheel on the bottom?)
But at night is their true time to shine. Smitten!
Joe and I are really digging these vintage nautical lights. The anchor and ship theme is so fun. The rest of the patio still needs a lot of work, and we have big plans for it. For instance, tin roof slats. But for now, this little upgrade has totally set the vibe. I’m thinking maybe we make the whole thing kind of 60’s swanky. Or add Edison bulbs?
Like we said, the patio is still a work in progress, but these little tweaks bring us closer to having it feel like home. Who knows, it could take us in a whole new direction! It wouldn’t be the first time I based all my design decisions on some small detail.
Cheers to summer nights and festive lights!
Cabin Photos
Good thing Joe remembers to take pictures. Here are a few random photos we took from last weekend. Hope everyone’s having a relaxing summer!
