High vs. Low: Which Would You Pick?
Last Friday I posted this bath was done, for now...
{ HIGH }
...until I decide whether or not to splurge on this Eric Cohler light fixture!
{ LOW }
Then a reader sent me a link to a similar fixture on sale at One King's Lane.
At a fraction of the price, what would you do?
Spring for the High, or Embrace the Low?
82 comments:
I would spring for the high. It is so beautiful.
In this case I would spring for the low and apply the saved the bucks to my decor fund! sometimes, lighting makes or breaks a room. In this case your bathroom rocks as is. Your other rooms needed the spotlight lighting because of its location. My humble opinion; we're in process of replacing all builder boob lighting, light by light.
I always go for the higher priced item. I think its in my DNI!
I think both will work. The smaller fixture looks more like a typical "three lights in a row" bathroom fixture. The higher priced one has a little more of a "wow" factor. You have a way of making anything look good, though!
I like your original choice! not because of the price, but because of it's style. Also, the bathroom redo didn't cost a lot so splurge a little. And lastly, sometimes (all the time) when I settle for something because of the price, I usually don't like it and wished I had gotten what I really wanted!
Good Luck!
How "high" is the high? I like it a lot better than the low, but if it's hundreds (or thousands?!?!) of dollars more???
Personally, I love the High! If money isn't an issue, go for it.. Don't settle for something unless you love it.
Embrace the LOW ~ I love it!!
definitely go for 'High'..it is so elegant..it is not something you are going to change any time soon..xx meenal
I would go for the low. It's still very pretty. And nobody else would know it's a "low". It would help me keep the peace with my husband and it would leave me with more money in my pocket to do other things around the house.
I say 'low' if you can truly imagine having the 'low' in your space. They both will bring the same effect with color and essence of shape to the room. That being said, if you secretly have your heart set on 'high' & will regret your choice every time you take a seat & look at that 'low', go with the 'high'. Just my two cents :)
I definitely think there are similarities between the two, but I'd probably go for the High, Janell. I think the differences between the two make the High one just a bit nicer.
I like them both!! So in that case I would go low! But the high is so gorgeous too! Can't go wrong!
Since it is your powder room, I'm going to say LOW. The low is quite similar to the high, and I guarantee that most people won't take the time to appreciate the 'high' in the powder room.
I personally prefer the high...it looks better..
where is the low one made? is it a cheap knock-off?.. sure no one will really know in the end if you buy knock-offs..but you need to ask yourself how you feel if you purchased the low one or the high one..some peopel feel great when they buy the best..others feel scared and have buyers remorse if they buy high..
what's your feeling? that should help decide as well as aesthetics...
best of luck..
maureen
On a previous comment, I told you to go for the Cohler, but the one from One King's Lane really is beautiful too. It doesn't have the height of the other one, but in your space, that may be a plus. I really think in this case that the lower priced fixture would be beautiful!
I would spring for the high. If that's not realistic just now, I would stick with what you have. It may not be the most interesting light, but it's also just fine, and the "low" will always leave you wishing for the more graceful lines of the "high." Compromise is not always a good thing!
Heather
loveyourspace.blogspot.com
Do you have any other light in your bathroom? Both of these might give off too little light. They just have 3 candelabra bulbs. I think they are both beautiful but possibly designed for accent lighting and not primary lighting in the bathroom. Your guests will want to see their faces in the mirror and these light above the mirror may not do the trick. Check the bulb wattage.
Very important point made in the previous comment! I can't tell you how many fixtures I pass on for various projects due to them not having the right wattage for the particular space. In this instance the three bulbs replace the light provided in the current fixture with two bulbs, but great reminder!
Janell
Oh another thought. The 1st one looks like the curves on the bottom will run into or over the mirror based upon your electrical box placement. If the curves are flush on the wall the mirror may hit the bottom of the fixture. If the curves protrude out from the fixture then it may curve down over part of the mirror frame. Still love them both but make sure they'll work before you go to the trouble of buying. Good luck! Love your blog!
The high is awfully pretty. I think the low could look better if you switched out the white "tubes" for more of a beige like on the High one, and switch out the bulbs for something similar to the High one as well. :)
Lisa! Ha, you are just like me, looking at something and figuring out how to make it different! Janell
I prefer the design of the LOW one, so I would go for that...
Go for the low. Not only will you save, but it looks like a modern take on the old (high) and more updated.
I agree with lisa, if you change those things out i don't think you would miss the high choice. Also I think it is a good point that it is in the powder room. I would save the money for more wow in a more prominent area, but the bathroom would still look amazing!
Splurge!!!
I'd spring for the high! I've seen those same fixtures installed in a public space here in my hometown, and I drool over them (and reach out and touch them a few times) each time I walk by. They are beautiful!
Go Low....after it's hung n the room you will not give it a second thought!
Enjoy your blog so much!
Dianne
Low - I have a feeling the Low Version looks so much better in person.
If this were furniture then I'd so go high better quialty etc...but a almost perfect match in lighting the lower version is a must
I like the low version myself, except yes, change out the tubes or paint them. I think the high one would take up too much space visually above the mirror since the scrolls are so loopy. It will be interesting to see which one you choose and your reasons why!
I adore the more expensive option! It look more luxe and elegant. And I agree with Atlanta Money Talks. Make sure the height and dimension of the light fixture works with the electrical box placement before your purchase.
Anyway, I think both choices will look good in your bathroom.
Jessie
www.mixandchic.com
I say go for the low! You have gotten so good at painting lately; you could just paint the candlestick tubes gold/brass. It looks like it might fit with the mirror a bit better, too.
I think the cheaper version might actually look better in that space. The higher end version looks like it's more of a sconce, because the third light is placed higher, and might look out of place above the mirror so high up. Just my opinion though. :-) Love your blog!
- MM
How low can ya go!
Rashon
www.ilovethrifting.com
The first question you need to ask is, can you afford the high? If it's in your budget go for it. If you buy the cheaper one you will be able to show your readers how to achieve the high end look for less. Something I am always trying to achieve. You are such a skilled DIY you could make the the cheaper fixture work and look fab. looking at the picture the glaring differences are the candle covers, the cheaper bulbs, and the shinier finish. You might need to faux the candle covers and dull down the metal with some Rub and Buff. Can't wait to see which one you pick!
love the lines of the high. go for it!
Go for the high!! Looks like you have plenty of room aboe the mirror for the increased height of the fixture and the shape will add alot of dimension to the space rather than the more vertical 'low'.
For me it would depend on the difference between the two. If the high wasn't too much higher..then break the bank. But to be honest, I love the low version. Very smart looking and would give an equally beautiful impact. Perhaps the size would swing the decision, larger is better?
I would go for the low and put some kaarskoker candle sleeves on the white candle part. That is part that really sticks out on it. They come in all different designs and could really make the "low" one pop. If you don't want to do the kaarskoker sleeves then I would do the "high".
I am a bargain hunter, so I would definitely go low. It's pretty, and I would definitely love to save the difference to go towards something else.
when the low is so similar to the high...sometimes you can't get that lucky.
if the price difference is within $150, i would spring for the high...sometimes just knowing that you got exactly what you wanted and dreamed about is SO worth it.
I would embrace the low! You can always change it up a little to seem more like the high... Maybe change the color of the "candlesticks"??
the low version seems squat -- like it was smooshed down. I would go for the high since the bathroom was already a budget friendly redesign -- the splurge willbe the icing on the cake.
I love the high but it looks like the low might fit easier with your junction box. Both will be stunning!
while I generally believe that once you find the perfect thing, it is better to save and get what you really want, the lower version is so similar! It is equally as beautiful, so I would say go for the low, in this case =)
I love the LOW. I thought you were calling it that because the shape of it is lower, than the other which has high points. I didn't realize low was in reference to the price. Bonus! Seriously, love both but the shape of the low looks like it would fit better and compliment the area above your mirror.
The splurge is fabulous! But since it is a powder room and probably not used (or seen) all that much-unless you just can't go without it I would say embrace the low. Think about it for a little while--that usually helps me come to the right decision...
My default is to say go for the low. Both are beautiful! You can always get nicer bulbs too for the lower version (the higher priced one is pictured with nicer pointed bulbs...so much nicer) which might help. Good luck with your decision!
How much higher is the high one? Maybe the perspective is wrong in the picture, but the more expensive one looks like it might be too high for the space provided. It is beautiful, however. The cheaper one does give the same feeling.
I do think the expensive one looks a little more expensive but the cheaper one looks like it would fit better in the space, actually.
Every time I've gone low I've regretted it. If you can afford it go for the high one...it is more elegant.
I'd spring for the high or find a vintage piece. The Low one seems to be off in scale and shape.
I personally would purchase the low- but that is because of my personal budget limits! They are both so beautiful... I can't wait to see what you choose.
I would purchase the high! I love the look of it much better than the low. Can't wait to see which one you pick!
Go for the high! I like the scale of it better. Too bad it's the more expensive one!
I would go for the low, it has the same look and feel as the other. Think about how you will feel when you look at it, will you always think I should have splurged, or will you think I am so smart and this fits perfectly for our home and budget. It is not a wrong or right it is what fits the best all teh way around. I had to take a second look to see the differences, at a glance it gave me the same feel as the HIGH!!! Kathysue
I think the overall open feel of the "high" is much nicer than the squashed look of the "low". I don't care for the straight line of the bulbs on the "low" and the whole thing looks a bit like a tied shoe lace knot. I would splurge and save on something else.
Though it would be more financially sensible to go with the low, I think the high is much more beautiful. The low looks like a perfectly nice light fixture, BUT the high looks like sculpture. The lines of the high are just so much better. I always regret going for the cheaper but not as nice option. So ask yourself; will I always wish I got the high version?
It is always nice to have a WOW factor no matter what the room is.
I hate thinking back to things I just missed buying at a flea market or couldn't afford at the time. If the high would be one of those for you I would get it. If not, go low! Love the bathroom though!
I'd go low. Side by side you can see a slight difference, but once the low is installed, it'll look lovely!
I would definately go with the Low. Only you'll know the real price and it will look just as pretty.
I guess it depends on the price difference. If high is $5000 and low is $50, I'd go with low. But otherwise I like the lines of the high version better. Or maybe it's a mental thing that we think if something costs more, we should like it more.
tough call. I got to say I love the higher end much much more. However you could probably make the low end work by aging the white "candle" part to be less white, and rubbing the base with some aged metal rub to make it a little less... uniform i guess. Also A change in the bulbs to that more antique candle look would help. I guess it comes down to how much you are saving.
Best advice I have ever received....don't buy something unless you absolutely love it. I say, go for the high, it has very nice lines.
It would depend on how high the high is :) I love both fixtures and I think the second one is definitely worth getting if it is a substantial savings. I mean who keeps things forever anymore?????
They are both pretty, but is the "high" one bigger or is it an optical illusion? If it's bigger, it might look out of proportion to your wall & that entire area. Otherwise, I'd probably go with the "high."
I actually think the low one would look better over the mirror, since it's so tall.
Both are too gorgeous though and your taste is spot-on
I sincerely love them both. I do whichever you know fits the wall space the best. Sometimes, it's all in the name, so if the quality is just as good, I'd pick the less expensive and use the difference on something else (I'm always an angler for doing more :). How can you go wrong? You always have great taste, Janell!
If it was me I'd go with the low. I'm always looking for a bargain!
get low now. and I don't mean the song ;) xoxo shel
Low, definitely.
it's got to be the high...the low just looks, well, low next to the high!
I think they are both beautiful light fixtures. It sounds like you've had your eye on the Eric Cohler fixture for a little while so I would probably go for that one. I say splurge! You deserve it! I actually like the height of the Eric Cohler fixture for your bathroom. Whichever one you decide on will look stunning.
Doesnt matter high or low..it must satisy you..Good blog on lifestyle..
Thanks
_______
Roger
Traumeel
In this case I would go for the low. The high fixture is fabulous, but the low is pretty too. In this case I think the low would be almost equally as dramatic in the space and you could use the extra savings for more projects!
How much do you love the high one, and would you regret not buying it and settling for the low? That's what I'd ask myself if I had the funds to spring for the high one. If I had the funds for the high one I'd definitely buy it. I don't mind peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
In this case cost is not your only concern...
The high one will draw your eye upwards to fill the void above the mirror and balancing the future crown molding.
The low one will appear too small once the crown is in place. Low is not a good choice.
I've learned that cheap light fixtures look cheap and are actually sometimes dangerous. A well-made fixture is worth every penny for it's ability to amke everything around it look better. Circa lIghting/Visual Comfort products are consistantly fantastic. I say splurge!
Like Lisa said - try switching the bulbs out to mimic the higher priced one!
Also, more expensive items usually have better product photos.... so even thought the photo of the lower priced one doesn't show as well, it might be pretty impressive in person!
As close as they are in style, the peak of the middle light on the high would be fabulous above the mirror. Go for the high.
Woah. Lots of comments =) I agree with Barbara @ HodgePodge - the high might take up too much space up there...The low is a nice final touch, or cherry on top to the wonderful mirror. Go low =)
I'm late to chime in..but I say high. You have high ceilings and that one with it's dimentions will have a more grand look. Your update cost was close to nothing and you saved big dollars on your "genious" dining room light. You deserve it with your other frugal yet great choices.
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