Thanks to recessed ceiling fixtures and programmed controls this bright, open Family Room becomes a Home Theater in a minute. Window coverings in three layers are also remote controlled. Window coverings from CMI and mechanization by Lutron. Tole chandelier by Niermann Weeks. Photo by Wing Wong.
If the rug is a starting point for the decoration of a room then the lighting is the jewel in the crown. Decorative lighting fixtures do more than ornament a space- the right fixture will punctuate a room and convey the theme. A contemporary American home calls for a particular sort of lighting. Even eclectic homes can succeed, if you understand the interactions between your various styles and pieces. Otherwise, you run the risk of confusing the eye, turning a place into a mess.
To build on a theme of the Orangerie and surrounding gardens, a large green tole chandelier is the focal point of this home entertainment room. Eighteen candles incorporated into the chandelier light the center space, and its leafy metal work brings the exterior view indoors.
A wall mounted gallery lamp from Hudson Valley accents the client’s carved teak mandala and supplies task lighting for reading sheet music. Photo courtesy of Wing Wong.
The passageway between this music room and the home entertainment room presented a challenge. To allow the natural light to flow between spaces but to also darken (and buffer sound) for movie viewing, I added double faced drapes, which can easily be drawn across the opening by hand. (Drapery fabric, Savel, courtesy of Sally Green Interiors workroom.)
Using light to it’s fullest effect means including available natural light in your planning. Builders have included overhead lighting in most American homes since the late 1960′s. Although they function well enough to keep you from being completely in the dark after sunset, the effect is often institutional.
Shutters from CMI. Linen Gauze fabric; Savel. Tole oil lamp from Vaughn, New York. Wing Wong photography.
The green tole lamp from Vaughan comes in handy when the natural light starts to fade. A loop at the top of the lamp makes it easy move, and the bottle shaped counter weight is a reproduction of the original oil reservoir these lights once used.
Layering natural light, artificial light, and task lighting invites around-the-clock use of a room. Living rooms can be more than formal spaces reserved for occasional occupancy. Hallways turn into galleries, kitchens into gathering rooms, and foyers into conversation corners when decorative lighting is well planned and executed.
Placing a center table and Stephanie Odegard garden seat in the corner of a bright Foyer entry gives a client the perfect place to stack mail, write a note and leave the car keys. Mercury glass containers use available light too. Urns from Two’s Company. Flowers by JBID. Antique Suzani table topper through JBID. Photo by Wing Wong.
Even though they are not an independent source of light, mirrors are an important facet to consider when designing the lighting of your room. The convex mirror above reflects my client’s front door. The period and styling of reflective pieces is key to a good mix. where you install a mirror is something to be considered. In some cases a mirror can mimic a window, eliminating a claustrophobic and dark interior. Larger mirrors can create the illusion of more space in an otherwise cramped room. Sometimes, a mirror does nothing at all besides fill a wall.
Another situation common to many houses is the “black void” of a gas fire place. This is another area where decorative lighting can be used to make your hearth a welcoming place. I look for sconces or wall pockets that use real or simulated flame. Since the fireplace area is often not in use, including an interesting fixture makes for a more comforting view. Screens protect from wayward sparks and embers, yes, but they alone don’t necessarily do the job of enhancing the aesthetics of your room. The hearth is the center of the home, so it’s important to make it both inviting and beautiful, since what you see and what you feel are closely related.
Carriage style candle holders with silvered reflectors are reproductions made by Marvin Alexander. Bronze Shiva thanks to Greenbaum Interiors.
Like lamp shades, spark guards and screens originally insured against fire. Glass chimneys were a necessity when oil, wax and kerosene were common fuels. Glass and crystal have the added benefit of projecting light.
To the left in this picture below, a pair of candle holders, nicknamed “witches eyes”, ward off bad vibes! They have saucer shaped, convex mirrors that can be lowered as candles melt.
Georgian in design this antique chandelier features bells dropped from each arm. During the “social season” when ball rooms of the great houses hosted high society, breezes made the bells sway and sing in harmony with clinking champagne flutes.
To create more light in this dining room, I incorporated washed silver paint inside the ceiling coffers. Here again, mirrors reflect existing light to brighten a room- so on the wall oval convex mirrors flank an antique china cabinet. This Venetian glass, contemporary chandelier is as much a piece of jewelry as it is a source of illumination, and works well with the silver paint in the ceiling. On the side board, a pair of buffet lamps from Greenbaum’s complete the scene.
What makes the lamps remarkable is the use of gold flakes in the glass: When they’re lit, the lamps become iridescent. Because my client asked for a not-too-period-exact Deco apartment, most of the lighting is architectural. The glass decorative lighting ups the glam factor without overpowering the rest of the room.
Barovier & Toso is known for it’s Murano glass pieces. In the background their “Amsterdam” hangs above the Dining Room table. On end tables in this Living Room, a pair of Seguo lamps produced by Fontana Arte around 1927.
Selecting the ideal chandelier, in other words, is pretty important! Cast and gilded metals dotted with crystal in European shapes (French and English) have lit foyers and dining Rooms in the U.S. since the arbiters of taste (i.e. land barons and plantation owners) brought them to America via spice trade ships returning from overseas. Brass, while it was cheap, was used to reproduce Colonial forms. Iron and wood, both back in vogue lately, works well for country styled lighting in some settings.
Light is one of the most important factors to consider when creating the mood and feel of your space. The tone and source of the light can immediately change the atmosphere, and reflective surfaces can amplify light in otherwise dim rooms. Even the question of what style of lamp you choose will impact the success of a finished space, so be sure to consider how they mesh with the rest of your decor.