Artichoke pendant lamp: Food for thought

I have a bare light bulb sticking out of the flush-mount fixture in my foyer. It's unsightly. It doesn't make for a welcoming entrance. And it has gone unaddressed since I moved into my apartment eleven months ago. So of course, with one month left on my lease, I've decided it's time cover-up this little design flaw. Good timing.

After spending a few days scouring the online market for a statement-making fixture that would brighten-up the rather dark space, I finally found the perfect pendant (bye bye flush mount): Poul Henningsen's 1958 Artichoke lamp. Composed of 72 laser-cut steel "leaves," this 55-pound baby will add some architectural interest to whatever room you hang it in (dining room, kitchen, bathroom, to name a few), but it will also put a huge dent in your wallet. It costs $7,312. I know.

But lucky for those of us who can't dish out that kind of cash, Bella Modern, a Los Angeles-based webstore, sells a pretty darn similar-style pendant for a whole lot less. Their version of Henningsen's Artichoke lamp only costs $159.95 (to be exact), and though its shade is made of polypropylene rather than steel, who cares. You're getting an iconic look on the cheap.

Great, now I'm in the mood for artichokes. Off to the market.