Lighting Quest

I've been working with a client for a couple weeks now, trying to nail down all the lighting selections for a large home reno/addition project.  We have the bulk of the fixtures picked out, but there are still a few gaps left to fill.  As a result, I have lighting on the brain.  I really enjoy selecting fixtures, but have to confess, on a whole-house project like this, it's ALWAYS a challenge.  I'm not one to just pick a collection and stick to it (too easy!), but instead like to hunt and peck for hours on end until I find just the right ensemble of perfectly matched and mismatched pieces.  There has to be a balance between variety and harmony in the whole lighting scheme.  If you don't believe me, look at the lighting package the next time you see a really chic home in a magazine.  The fixtures never match.  Instead they are a very unique collection of pieces that seem to have been collected over time.  Think of lighting like you would jewelry--you select different pieces for different outfits.  They're all unique, but they all appeal to your personal sense of style.  When I try to communicate this to clients at the start of a project, I think they freak out a little. At first the task seems daunting and they lack confidence to mix and match styles and finishes, but by the end of the project, they LOVE the lighting and feel proud of how it reflects their own personality and definition of home.

This week's task is to find pendant lights appropriate for bedrooms that will work with very high, vaulted ceilings.  They have to be somewhat whimsical (funky is good) but also work with a 40's vintage house.  So far, on the main floor, we have a great mix of industrial-meets-classic/vintage-meets-glam, that shows off the bones of the house while highlighting the fun and warm personalities of the folks who live there.  Here's a peak at some of the main floor selections:

Foyer: Pottery Barn Capiz Shell Flushmount   (Petite, pretty and welcoming)

Living Room: Shades of Light Crystal Flushmount  (Adult space can use a little bling, but here the oil rubbed bronze finish keeps it from looking too frilly or precious)

Dining Room: Pottery Barn Paxton 8-light Pendant  (Looks great with the adjoining, farmhouse-like kitchen!)

Dining Room and Living Room Wall Sconces: World Imports Luray Wall Sconce (Simple and understated with a contemporary edge.)

Kitchen Island Pendants: Savoy House Schoolhouse Design Mini Pendant (Classic--again, supports a beautiful, farmhouse-like kitchen.)

Bath Vanity: George Kovacs Tube Bath Sconce  (A little more contemporary, but suits our other bath fittings to a T.)

The main floor has standard 8'high ceilings, so our fixture selections for those areas have been fairly modest in size.  However, the ceilings on the second floor are really high and allow us to play with scale and design a bit more.  The client really loves Monrovian star pendant fixtures and I agree that we have to put one somewhere in the house.  The question is where.  I think we've finally settled on the Master Bedroom as the right place for this fixture.  We'll put two of them up near the ridgeline, spaced in such a way that they divide the room into thirds.  I'd love it if we could do something more to dress up the vaulted ceiling, like adding wide plank tongue and groove boards, painted white, to give it that classic, cottage-loft feel.  Even if that doesn't happen, I think that two of these star pendants are going to add a really beautiful feel to the room--sort of ethereal and magical, like being in an outdoor gazebo on a summer's night.  Just the right amount of playfulness and romance.

Master Bedroom: Pottery Barn Oversized Monrovian Star Pendant

Across the hall we also have a large, lofty Family Room/Kid's play area.  We wanted something fun and playful there, yet mature enough to suit adults who might be lounging and watching a movie.  These capiz pendants from West Elm seem to have just the right feel.  We'll use the largest of the three and hang it in the center of the room.  Besides just being a really cool fixture, it helps to tie in the foyer below, which also sports a capiz shade.  

Upstairs Family Room/Play Room: West Elm Capiz Orb in large size

The are still a few more gaps to fill, so I'm hunting and pecking for those last few pieces.  I can't wait to see how it all comes together.  I love that these clients want a house that is fun, interesting and truly a reflection of their personalities, not just cookie-cutter and nice-but-safe.  Should be great when it's all done!