[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is my second light from Kohler, and the first one was incredible, truly my favorite light in my house, so I was pretty excited when the Artifacts 3-Light Polished Nickel Chandelier arrived.
First the box it came in is huge. You will definitely need a truck if you are taking it from where it is delivered. That said, it is packed perfectly, and it arrived in pristine condition. Layers upon layers of foam inside that this light will make it to you without blemish. Again, this is a testament to how much care Kohler is putting into their products…and why I was so bummed when I was finished installing.
I’m very handy, so putting the light together and mounting it wasn’t a problem. The instructions are sparse, however, so if you aren’t familiar with such tasks, you’ll definitely want to study the picture a bit. The toughest part is threading the wire through the down rod. It takes a bit of effort and luck to get it through, but it does fit, and everything screws together nicely. I will say the ground wire is a bit thin, and a thicker ground might’ve aided the threading. Anyway, the whole process from cutting the power and removing the old fixture, and snapping it back in and getting my first look at the Kohler Artifacts took around 45 minutes.
The light is very large - I snapped a pic with a soda can for reference - well crafted, and quite heavy. You’ll definitely want the outlet box to be securely mounted to a ceiling joist to bear the weight. Lightbulbs are not included, and a standard bulb is too large for the frosted sleeves to fit over, so be prepared for that.
The disaster happened while I attached the glass and metal ring. I read the directions, and it tells you to make sure the glass is sitting on the smooth metal, and not the threaded screws, and so I made sure that was the case. However as I attached the opposite side I heard a scraping sound and saw the the glass had broken over the secured side. I attached the last two screws, and it seems to be holding, if perhaps hanging a bit off center. Still ultimately I doubt I will feel okay leaving it up as it is so heavy, and the glass is only held up by three of the four sides. It is a shame, as it is a beautiful light fixture. And it certainly could’ve been my mistake somehow, perhaps putting too much strain on it as I affixed the opposite side. I don’t know.
Kohler is certainly putting much care into their products, and because I’m not sure if it was my mistake, or by faulty design, so I’m giving this light three stars. It is beautiful, well crafted, and striking to look at, but, for me, probably unusable, which is a bummer.
