Bargain hunting for lighting

Took a trip to Binondo with my architect-contractors, Paul and Rommel, to once and for all see the bargain finds for the house that they\’ve been raving about.

We went to a lighting shop on T. Alonzo Street…

…where Rommel excitedly showed me the LED pin lights he planned to use for my house.
Each set, casing and bulb included, comes out to about P380, which he says is just slightly higher than a standard pin light.

Because I\’ll have LED pin lights, it\’ll be more efficient for me to use them as my everyday lighting, and save the cove lighting for entertaining. Yay.

Here\’s Paul waiting for his light bulb moment:

Ang kulet!

As far as light bulbs go, this one below was by far our favorite.  Made of cut up steel pipes, it certainly is a curious piece:

Downside, apart from the price, is that it uses halogen lights– not very green 🙁

If you\’re more adventurous you can go for a red bulb, maybe to help ignite those passion projects– it\’s a great find at P1,020! 

Other pieces I found interesting:

Also check out this statement piece–a steel floor lamp typical of most modern minimalist homes:

I saw a similar lamp on sale at the Abenson\’s booth at the Megatent fair (or maybe it was Blim\’s), selling for about P7,000, aluminum (not steel).

Having a huge piece like this in an almost empty space is an interesting design direction– reminds me of a big outdoor parasol that greeted me at a friend\’s living/dining area in her condo.   Paired with a cleopatra bed, it really lent the space lots of charm. 🙂

How about you?  What lighting pieces have caught your attention?  Any tips on suppliers?