Choosing Statement Lighting

It's been a while since I did a post for the PIT STOP series and thought the timing was perfect to round up the LIGHTING options in the market right now since y'all must be getting your homes ready for the upcoming holiday season & parties. Upgrading your lighting is a quick way to bring a dramatic change to a room and with the multiple options available right now it will fit into any budget.

When it comes to Lighting the more different and unique it is, the more interest it brings to the room. Mixing up styles and finishes are very much on trend right now. For example the industrial options below do not need to go in a modern room, they would look great even in a classic/traditional setting. The key is to get the scale and proportion right for the space, a tiny chandelier over a large dining table will just not work. But if you absolutely love the chandelier and cannot live without it, then consider a trio of the same - by increasing the numbers you have then solved the proportion dilemma.

In addition to chandeliers there are various other fixtures to consider:

• Ceiling mount lighting fixtures - for low ceilings, hallways, passages, kitchens
• Wall mounted fixtures / Sconces - for flanking a TV or fireplace or mirror
• Pendant lighting - for dining rooms, kitchen and washrooms (see the post where we prefer pendants in washrooms as opposed to over the mirror fixtures as it lights up your face way better)
• Chandeliers - perfect for main areas, stairwells, dining rooms, bedrooms....really just about anywhere, even your garden (yes of course we had one in our garden up until last year)

In addition to sourcing items on line we make various pit stops to check out the fixtures in person.  So yes we practically live in lighting stores, tiles shops and Home Depot. Here are some lighting options that made an impact with us during our various pit stops:

Very nice industrial lighting spotted at Home Depot. The iron frames with naked vintage bulbs are a classic choice and would look great over a dining table. 

This funky spiked ball pendant was unique and would be great in a tall stairwell, making it the focal point.

We don't like anything too shiny and these options caught our interest as the glass/crystal had a matte finish lending a subtle elegance to the piece, plus the hexagon shape is a big favorite in our looks.

This chandelier was huge! when I say huge I mean 5 ft in diameter and with its murano-esque black glass it was absolutely stunning. I can see this piece fitting perfectly in an all white/black room.

15 years ago Dhiraj used to chant that LEDs were the future and they really have become the rage. This beautiful LED chandelier was elegant and clean with no bulbs to show. Love that the light was within the design. How ingenious!

One of my favorite chandeliers with the tear drop crystals, they come in silver or black frame options too.

This spiked version was unique and funky. Another great find for a dining room.

This huge globe crystal one was super impressive. Great for a large dining space. Because you have all that distance between the ceiling and the table you can really go up in scale for the lighting you choose here.

Loved the angles in this gold one, it would make a great addition to a Bohemian home

This was fairly large and the glass flower shaped design appealed very much to me.

Another globe! Pure Glam! 

The below lighting options were spotted at the Interior Design Show 2016 earlier this year where many Designers had their creations displayed. You can see all the pix of this show HERE.

Design by Tom Dixon, spotted at the IDS 2016

Lasvit Chandelier - spotted similar ones at Home Sense

My favorite from the show - the delicate gold rods branching out mimicking a tree, pure elegance.

This would make a great sconce option flanking artwork or a TV area.

The lighting we chose for the Berryman Residence below, where we completed the Full Service Interior Design & Decorate, was elegant and in keeping with the design scheme. The formal living room was adorned with a beautiful buff colored drum chandelier that had blown glass crystals hanging from the center opening. We selected this piece as it had the right scale for the large living room. The crystals were very pretty with shells, waves and curls in blown glass and we liked that they were not shiny (remember our anti-shine policy?). Go see the close up of the crystals on our website HERE.

The color was subtle, the crystals were subtle. Design is all about understated elegance. You cannot have everything in the room loud and shouting for attention. And that is why this piece worked beautifully as the finishing touch  to this space.

The chandelier we picked for the dining room was all kinds of awesomeness. The lengths of each string could be adjusted and the crystals were a combination of glass and cognac. Most certainly a show stopper in the room.

There are all kinds of lighting to choose from for your home, from general lighting for tasks to accent lighting for mood. Wise to pay attention to these factors when selecting statement lighting:

• Scale & proportion is the number one criteria when picking a light fixture. A large pendant for a small table will look odd and out of proportion. Similarly a small chandelier for a large room will also look out of place. Most people have very good taste and end up buying what they love with no focus on the overall design of the space and the proportions. This is when you bring in the Pros to help you stay on track, focused and spending your money wisely on getting it right first time.
• Height or how low the fixture will hang i.e. consider distance to the table below it, if it is in the line of traffic, there should be enough of clearance for a tall person to walk under it, etc, etc
• Single or Multiples for those scenarios where three sconces on wall will look way better than just one. Again this is where you have to consider proportion & design when making decisions.
• Style & Finishes for the fixture to match the overall design of the room. Mixing trends are acceptable right now as long as you consider all the other criteria.

And lastly not forgetting the all important 'Dimmers'. No light fixture should exist without a dimmer and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Dimmers allow you to control the intensity of light, softly lighting up your face and the room, bringing a moodiness and ambiance to your home.

Still stuck with what to choose for your space then give us a call and let us help you to narrow down your options. Hang around to see what lighting was installed in our latest reveal at the Jeffcoat Basement in the next few days.

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Big Hugs

Lynda