Minimalist Modular Lamp Mount: DIY with 3D Printing and Wooden Dowels
I recently purchased two pendant lamps for my home office, but ran into a challenge: my ceiling is made of solid concrete, and I didn’t have access to a hammer drill to install hooks to suspend the lamps. After months of temporarily suspending them from two tall tripods, I decided it was time to create a more permanent solution—one that didn’t require borrowing a hammer drill. This was the perfect opportunity to design something that met my specific needs.
Concept and Design Goals
I aimed to create a wall mount that was minimal, low-cost, and modular, using only the tools and supplies I had on hand. The design needed to be clean and unobtrusive, yet strong enough to hold the pendant lamps at a considerable distance from the wall, given the large size of the shades.
Initially, I considered printing two wall brackets to be mounted on each wall of the corner, with a 45-degree support between them. However, this approach felt bulky, challenging to design, and ultimately didn’t align with the minimalist aesthetic I envisioned. I found inspiration from a filament spool rack model I use from Printables (designed by NicG), which combines 3D printed plastic components with wooden dowels. This use of both natural materials and printed parts was exactly what I was looking for.
The Final Design
My final design centers around the use of spheres that connect wooden dowels to each other, to the wall for mounting, and to the lamp for suspension. These spheres can slide along the dowels to the desired position and be secured in place with small screws. I applied this concept consistently across all connection points to create a cohesive and modular system.
To accommodate the lamp’s wiring, I designed a sphere at the tip of the dowel with a seamless groove to guide the wire. I also created a cut sphere with a wire channel and screw holes to grip the wire securely, preventing the lamp from sliding out of place while also maintaining the set height.
Modularity and Versatility
Although my design was tailored to my specific use case, I wanted to create something versatile. The modular nature of the design means that the final form isn’t rigidly defined—the length of the dowels determine the mount's configuration. The horizontal dowel dictates how far the lamp hangs from the wall, while the 45-degree dowel provides support. The longer the 45-degree dowel, the stronger the support, forming a larger right-angle triangle.
Assembly Guide
To Print:
Set of Spheres – download here on Prusa’s Printables
To Buy/Gather:
¾ inch dowel (length determined by your specific needs)
9 small wood screws
2 drywall anchors and screws
Drill and appropriate drill bit
Steps:
Download and print the pieces. Enable support and variable layer height to get smooth spheres. I included the configured .3mf project file on printables!
Determine how far from the wall you want your pendant lamp to hang, then cut the horizontal dowel to this length.
Calculate and cut the length of your 45-degree dowel. I used the rule of thirds, but you may adjust based on the support needed.
Test fit all the pieces to ensure everything aligns properly.
Drill pilot holes and use wood screws to affix the 3D-printed pieces to the horizontal dowel, only drill the pilot hole and do not screw in the wall mounting piece. This piece will be screwed into the dowel after it has been secured to the wall.
Secure the horizontal dowel to the drywall with a drywall anchor and screw.
Test fit the 45-degree dowel into the bottom of the horizontal dowel.
Mark and mount the wall support for the 45-degree dowel using a drywall screw and anchor.
Insert the 45-degree dowel into its wall anchor and the bottom of the horizontal dowel. Then, secure the horizontal dowel to the wall mounting piece.
Feed your lamp wire through the wire support pieces, and secure the lids with wood screws to firmly hold the wire and lamp in place.
Enjoy your new lamp setup!
