Acquisition

I'm not really a collector. For this I am thankful as the collector gene can get expensive (and the house can get quite full). However, I do have a bit of an affliction for lamps. I am often drawn to those with an historic quality, hearkening to bygone days. But I also like sparkly crystal and Lucite lamps, or those with a neoclassical bent.

In this case, old-fashioned sparkle caught my eye:

Yes, that is a blooming Christmas cactus to the right. Our Christmas cactuses love our house (i.e. neglect) and seem to bloom constantly.

I picked up this pretty lamp recently with a gift card I received two birthdays ago and had not used. In person, it has a lovely white ethereal glow and I think it will look even prettier at Christmastime. It is made from antique brass:

Here is an aerial view so I can show you my sparkly traditional chandelier. I moved the little Robert Clay painting off the wall for this vignette. I just noticed one of my candles is askew:

And lest we forget my Nova Scotia crystal lamp (which appears in most/all sideboard photos if you've been around long). I have moved it, but it seems most at home here. It was a house-warming gift from my mother:

I antiqued all my photos in Photoshop to soften them a bit, as they all looked way too bright with the new lamp turned on...

Hope your Sunday is lovely!

Fine Find: Urn Lamps for the Master Bedroom

I've been hunting for urn-shaped lamps for my bedside tables. I had a pair picked out online but they were so expensive that I simply couldn't justify buying them.

And then I made a serendipitous find at a home decor store the other day! I love unexpected finds. Here is my bedside table with one of the new lamps:

Wall colour: Benjamin Moore "White Down" OC-131, drapes custom

They came with a really ugly square shade and I almost looked right past them! I promptly replaced the shade with white silk English barrel shades, which were more expensive than the lamps!

The lamps look like carved wood but are made of resin (i.e. fake, sorry). I think they are nice replicas however. I love the little leaf detail at the bottom:

In the photo below, I turned on the lamp to show you how bright white the shades are. I love a crisp white shade in this north-facing room. The little framed print on the wall is a favorite of mine, called "Swan Rush and Iris" by Arts & Craft-era artist Walter Crane.

My bedside table is the first antique furniture I ever bought, at a store called Wisteria, back in 1991 as a student at McGill in Montreal.

Here is the other (mismatched!) side of the bed. I have a custom hand-built Mission style bed (below) which I bought many years ago after I started working (along with a matching high boy). It doesn't perfectly align with my new decor tastes, but is a really nice piece of furniture. Some day I may move it to a spare room.

The little lamp is classical, but I think it all looks fine together and adds some softness to the rectilinear lines of the bed. I am looking for a good antique table to replace the old country table we have here:

Redwing and Medalta No.2 pottery from my collection

Talk about mixed styles! My romantic bedding is "Rossini" by St-Geneve and is 100% Giza Egyptian cotton, woven in Italy and made in Canada. It is gorgeous. It was also a first decor purchase before I really had my colours worked out. But luckily it is historical and suits my style, if not my current pale-neutral colour palette!

I recently moved my beloved blue Al Barker seascape painting as I think it looks nice with the orange:

This room is proof that you can mix and match styles and incorporate new things you prefer now with old things you bought before you knew what you were doing!

A New Lamp: Scale?

I recently purchased this lucite lamp, from Restoration Hardware, to be part of the Office Redecoration Project (officially named, to be sure it happens). This is Step 1. I really love lucite and crystal lamps and don't care if they are a little ubiquitous - I declare I shall never tire of them!

I love the neoclassical lines of this lamp and its silver accents, but I'm wondering about the scale. I knew it was a little "overscale" when I bought it (everything at RH is huge). The height is 25.5" and the shade is 16" wide. Initially it seemed to dwarf my big iMac:

It seems gigantic to me because there was a smaller lamp here before, but it's starting to grow on me and looks "just right" in the photos. What do you think (excuse my messy office)?

The lamp, which arrived yesterday, actually came out of the box broken and is sitting a little askance. I need to take it to the store and order another.

It is growing on me, and will look polished with the new gray-brown drapes I have planned and the eventual antique-white walls. Today the old armchair went to the furniture doctor for a repair. It will be reupholstered...

The only thing that annoyed me about the new lamp, besides being too expensive, is that you could see the harp through the silk shade (visible in the second photo). I was using a clear bulb, but when I swapped it for a regular opaque/translucent bulb, the harp was no longer visible. Tada! Problem solved!

Thoughts on scale?

Light Fixtures In the Bedroom

I was going to title this post, "In the Bedroom: How Big is too big?" but I didn't want to attract a different kind of reader.

My question is just that, actually. But it pertains to light fixtures. How big a light fixture can I use in my guest bedroom?

Here is my little guest bedroom, with its pretty white notes, patterned drapes, and little neoclassical-ish tables (on the opposite wall, which you can't see, I have some little urns, b&w sketches and classical accessories on the shelves):

The overhead flush-mount fixture is not centered in the room (and I cut it off in this photo because it's ugly!). Rather it is located in the far left corner. The new fixture (a chandelier or lantern) will hang more or less over the left bedside table.

Since I have pedestrian 8 foot ceilings, there is not much vertical height for a tall fixture. The room is small too, so I don't want a too-large fixture to dominate the room's proportions.

There is 45" clearance between the table lamp and the ceiling (unless I hang the fixture low-ish over the table and remove the lamp...).

I really like this romantic fixture from J.Covington Home which is 10" diameter and 19" tall:

Because the fixture isn't "airy" I wonder if it will take up too much visual space and over-scale the little side tables? It also leans more to my feminine side than to the historical-slightly-more-masculine look I've been favoring lately. I also wanted bronze to relate to the table's knobs, rather than silver (although I do love silver).

I also like this mini-chandelier from Shades of Light, again a little more feminine:

It is silver too, and a little taller (22") and wider (13"). But it's nice and airy so it doesn't have as much visual weight. I like the elegant look for this room. I am also considering this fixture for my master bedroom which has rectilinear Mission furniture that could use some softening up.

Another option is a lantern, which keeps the lines a little cleaner. This little Rococo-inspired number is nice, although I am not crazy about shiny brass (and it's sold out!):

What think ye?

Any thoughts on scale and style for my bedroom fixture?

Find! A Delightful Antique Light Fixture

Oh, I love it when I find something amazing that I wasn't quite looking for.  I was surfing Etsy the other night and came across this lovely old antique brass light fixture.  With shipping from the US, it's costing me $80.  

It needs a complete overhaul and possibly new glass but I am so excited to see if this fixture is as pretty as it looks.  I don't think the Etsy photos do it justice, but I have faith that it will clean up well (it was found stored in a garage for years). There is a great lighting restoration shop in Calgary, called Glazier Electric and I am looking forward to working with them on rehabilitating this fixture.

Don't you love a find?  And although I have been scouring the net for interesting light fixtures for half the rooms in my house this was an accidental find. I love it when serendipity intervenes...I just hope it makes the trip from Houston!

Finding the Light: Help Wanted!

Okay, enough diversions - back to decorating!  

I am currently searching for a beautiful light fixture for our downstairs bedroom.  The room is simple and small, with a wall of book shelves and beautiful grey-blue walls (a custom lighter version of F&B's Skylight).  There is lots of white trim, gently patterned curtains, white bedding, neo-classically inclined night tables, and some plain black & white sketches on the walls and shelves.  

Since there are a few antique brass accents in the room, I thought I would stick with a warm antique brass light fixture, perhaps with a historical influence but cleaner lines. 

 I've fallen in love with this charming lantern from Shades of Light (my favorite online lighting store - affordable, beautiful, current designs), but unfortunately it appears too large for the space, measuring 12" w x 24" h.  Do you know where I can find a smaller one?

While I love this fixture, I think it might overpower the small room with its modest 8 ft ceilings and small-scale furniture.  One interesting thing is that the fixture is not centered in the room but rather will be situated over the leftmost night table.  I hung a paper replica and it looked way too large/tall when you allow for a bit of chain length for hanging): 

After much searching and scratching off of options, I came upon this clean-lined antique brass fixture from Hinkley Lighting.  It is classic but perhaps a little too sedate.  It sits closer to the ceiling, so doesn't need to relate quite so much to the tables and lamps already there : 

 Ideally, I'd prefer a lantern (open) style but would like it to be a little different from the typical glass bell jar variety you see everywhere.  I like this gothic style which is also available in a smaller size, but it's a little churchy to me:

I really want an antique brass fixture that is simple, striking and modern, while still making a nod to tradition.  Any ideas?  If you have a good source for reproduction historical, industrial or old-looking fixtures with clean lines, please let me know.  In the coming weeks, I will hit the local lighting stores (Lee, are you reading?).  : )

Which style do you prefer?

The Blue Room: Rearranged!

Thanks for your wonderful response on my last post about my small blue guest room.  The room was painted a tranquil blue and now I am starting to decorate.  

As a start, I took Joni's suggestion and moved the bed under the window:  

This room is as tiny as a Paris hotel room, so I had previously placed the bed against the wall (where the mirror is), but it looks good centered on the window, and leaves space for a small bedside table on each side.  But there is now less room to walk around:

I have temporary bedside tables but plan to get new ones.  I'd prefer antiques, but I have searched every antique store in Calgary and area and cannot find one I like (let alone a pair).  I am growing impatient (never my strong suit).  I like this affordable option from Pottery Barn:

 I generally prefer wood-coloured (brown) furniture as it's more classic.  David prefers the brown too, but for this room, I think the white would be prettiest.  What do you think?  With new knobs, I think this piece would be quite pretty.  I like the drawer (to hide away things) and the shelf (for holding magazines)! 

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I still have to figure out what to do about that window and ledge!  The centered arrangement would allow me to put drapes around the window, making a sort of canopy around the bed (although the ledge is problematic).  But that option feels a little overdone to me.  I am not a canopy/wall-o-drapery type of person.  So I am considering options and hoping for a lightening bolt to strike!  Fabric is a must, whether I do a simple Roman shade or a valance.

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In the meantime, our new St.Geneve Canadian duvet (a Christmas gift from Mom) arrived!  This duvet is the real deal, made of 100% Canadian goose down (no feathers), 100% hypoallergenic, and guaranteed for 20 years!  I purchased the Lajord Light option, which is 800 loft and it so lightweight:

The duvet cover, also from St-Geneve, has not yet arrived but I may try the duvet tonight to see how warm it is!

Trim work will be painted white as soon as I'm up to it.  I've had terrible headaches and back pain lately and haven't been good for much, but I am planning!

Here is the view from inside the room:

After the trim is painted, I will choose a new light fixture and hardware for the closets!  I am torn between a pretty chandelier and a simple lantern: 

I like this very affordable chandelier from Shades of Light

Oh, and art!  I can't wait to put up some pretty new prints, which I hope to frame myself.  

P.S.  If you missed my previous post, I started a picture framing class at a local art school.  Last night we learned how to hand-cut mats and next week we learn how to cut mats using a mat cutting apparatus and also to cut glass!  I will post soon about my framing adventures!

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Now for your feedback, do you think I should use white or brown wood side tables?  

Our New Chandelier

A few weeks ago, our lovely new Schonbek chandelier arrived.  We had it installed immediately and I've been meaning to share some photos with you.  I am very fond of this fixture.   I should mention that I purchased the fixture from Carrington Lighting (South) in Calgary and the service was exceptional!  I've never been treated so well when buying something for my home.

Schonbek has been designing crystal chadeliers since 1870 and many of their pieces are reminiscent of a bygone era.  I love the style we chose as it reminds me of a French design with its low-slung Empire feel.  I chose a simple style and a fairly small-scale fixture (24" diameter) because our dining room is quite small (about 12' square)!

I think the new fixture looks grand with our old dining room furniture, which is from the early 1900's and is a Queen Anne style.  I almost chose a contemporary fixture but finally settled on one that really spoke to my heart.  And I can keep the room current with simple art, clean-lined tableware and accessories.

Art prints on the sideboard are by Albrect Durer (hare) and John Derian (tree).  The former is from art.com and the latter was purchased at a small shop in Paris.

FYI:  The fixture is called Schonbek Adagio 5103 in Antique Silver.  It is in the Schonbek in-store catalogues but not shown on their website.  Just Google for retailers or buy from your local Schonbek dealer.

P. S. The antique photo effect was added in Photoshop to give the pictures a vintage feel. 

Found: My New "French" Dining Room Chandelier!

After searching high and low, deliberating for days, and bringing two imperfect fixtures home, I've finally settled on this fixture for my dining room:

I love that this fixture is pretty and elegant, but still simple and not too uber-chandelier, if you know what I mean.  This traditional beauty, named Adagio, is from Schonbek and it is made with real crystals.  It comes in at 50% over my original budget, but the quality is very high and the fixture is beautiful, classic and looks great up close.

Despite the Italian moniker, this chandelier looks very French to me and I've decided to think of it as my French chandelier (which adds a certain je ne sais quoi!).  It's reminiscent of French style because it has the same low-slung look as an Empire chandelier, which I have always loved but simply don't have the house to accomodate!:

Plus, the little laurel leaves decorating my chandelier are very Napoleon (see crown below), and you can't get more French than Napoleon Himself:

The fixture comes in several finishes but my preliminary pick is Gilded Silver (as shown), which is a soft pale champagne gold colour.  My second choice is Antique Silver, which is more of a true silver colour.  I think the pale gold looks more classic and sophisticated, but the silver would look better with the various silver and nickel accents around my house.

The tiny crystals which decorate the fixture are mostly done in "clear" (uncoloured) crystal, but there are a a number of accent colours available. You can choose accent crystals in amethyst (so pretty), smokey gray (glamorous), topaz (classic), and so on.  The accent colours sound tacky, but they are actually quite pretty.  For now, I will stick with clear, as shown!

I didn't plan to spend so much on a fixture, but my favorite lighting store, Carrington, is having a big 20% off sale, and the price seems very fair for a crystal chandelier, which I shall take with me when I move!  Luckily, I only have to buy the mid-size (24" wide, 27" tall) and not the larger, saving a few bucks.  My room height simply cannot accomodate a larger fixture.

I recently took order of a contemporary drum-style fixture by Quiozel (this one), which I loved for its classic lines and blogged about here.  But when I brought it home, it seemed too big, stark, and imposing for our small dining room. So back it went and I reverted to the traditional look.  While I really wanted the clean look of a contemporary fixture, the one I chose (after a ton of searching) just looked too modern and dominant once it was in the house. 

I want this fixture to harmonize and I don't think I'll tire as quickly of a classic traditional look.

I haven't ordered it yet. Before I do....any thoughts?

Our Front Entrance: Help Needed!

I think a front entrance should be a magnificent intro

duction to your home!  And no, this isn't mine!

Unfortunately, despite our marvellous taste, we don't all live in architecturally perfect homes, and some of us have rather mediocre front entrances.  I don't think 

my front entrance qualifies as a "foyer".  It seems more like a lonely box.  I am a little embarassed to share this space, but what the heck...it's changing as soon as possible!  

Here it is from the outside:    

Nothing very exciting here folks!  Seeing this photo makes me realize that (a) we really need to change the raspberry door (we do intend to repaint the house, perhaps cream and white, and I will do a dramatic glossy black door, or maybe teal blue, like the top photo!).  Oh, and (b) that I need to ditch the wreath (I am a recovering wreath addict which I bet you never expected).  No comments about the lousy trim work please...we plan to re-do the entire house eventually.

I do have a lovely etching on the wall just inside the door, but seeing this photo makes me realize that I might need a pair of pictures on this wall...one is a little lonely:

Now, here's the inside:  

This silver mirror (which I just painted) is definitely not working.  It was always too small and now the colour isn't right.  And it could use some friends.  I don't think there's room for a table here, but maybe a small wall console/shelf?  I could spend ages finding a great wall shelf, so in the meantime I am seeking a dramatic, large, long, character-filled mirror to charm this space.

Now, the view from inside the house:  

The chocolate brown Pottery Barn Henley rug isn't working. But I love it because it's wool, soft and thick, and was very affordable ($119).  Plus, it's good for miserable Canadian winters with muddy, snowy boots.  I need to find a replacement and I'm now thinking of having a rug made, once I choose a colour.  I am so sick of searching for the right colour/size.

We have a lovely antique light fixture in this space, which is a rosy-purple colour.  Hence, I am considering a plum coloured rug, to reference the fixture.  

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I think that an interesting mirror in the right metal colour will be a great accent for this space.  

I like the curved mirror in the entryway below, the mirror to the far right of the photo, that you can barely see.  It looks long and tall:

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As far as the rug is concerned, I really like the plum colours in this photo:

A nice thick wool rug in this shade would be gorgeous with the antique light fixture.  I would prefer to run the rug down the hall, but the wall is offset and it wouldn't look right, sadly.  So I think I'm stuck with a 3x5 rug, or maybe a 4 x4 square.  

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Yet I wonder if the plum rug would reflect my mood for the rest of the house, which is more quiet and muted?  Instead of plum, perhaps I should do a rose rug, maybe an antique rose colour.  The adjacent living room is in more muted tones, so maybe a more muted rug would be a better fit:

Then I wonder if decorating around this purple fixture is the right idea.  But I like the fixture, and it gets a lot of compliments.  And if I replace it, that's one more thing to look for!

And there is always the infinite potential for art to pull it all together, like these pretty little prints from Art.com:

Please, send your suggestions my way.  They are sorely needed!

More Dining Room Lighting Dilemmas

The more I look at light fixtures, the more confused I become about what style I really want for my dining area.  I've been contemplating a contemporary style (see my previous post) to prevent the room from looking too stuffy with our 100-year old antique furniture.  But then again, I love the look of a conventional chandelier and have a penchant for sparkly things!

The other day, I stumbled upon this beautiful antique-looking fixture (below).  I think it's an Italian style, but I'm not entirely sure.  I like the slim candles, the painted metal (and how pretty it looks in a light-coloured room), and the sparkly beads.  It's ethereal, light and elegant, but also totally unfussy.  Perfect for my space. {P.S.  This is a Niermann Weeks fixture, according to Things That Inspire...thanks TTI!}

Dining room from Better Homes & Gardens

Sadly, Italian fixtures like this are hard to find and stretch the budget if they are antiques. I found a reproduction version online at Butler Lighting.  It's a perfect shape, but I really don't care for the bronze colour.  Plus, it's over $1300 USD...

Does anyone know where I could find a reproduction fixture in this style?

But...lest I despair...in all my mad surfing I found another fixture by Murray Feiss which I really like (below).  It's a chandelier reminiscent of the classic crystal variety but without so much crystal!  I think it's lovely and fancy, but also simple enough to work with our not-terribly-fancy decor.  

The fixture comes in 4-light and 6-light designs.  The 4-light version is a little smaller than I wanted (1/3 the width of my table), but being dressier than I planned, I think it might suffice.  The 6-light version is quite large (over 1/2 the width of my table) and with the style and the height of it (its quite tall), I'm afraid it might dominate the whole room.  

You see, the size of the 6-light design fits the "rules" (just over 1/2 the width of the dining table, etc.) but since the room is not large and adjoins both the kitchen and the living room, I think the scale of the large fixture might be too much with everything going on in the small space.  Plus, it is very tall and would come down to just above 30" above the table, which fits the "rules" but seems a little overscale for the room.

I know people declare that a chandelier should be a focal point(!), but let's face it, this isn't a grand dining room.  It's a dining area that sits squarely in the middle of two other rooms, a practical hard-working kitchen and a relaxing living area.  There is a lot going on here, so I actually want a fixture which complements the space and fits quietly into the flow of the other rooms.  

Below is the living room end of the room - I think the fixture complements the decor and works with the antique gold colour of the coffee table.  

This week I plan to make myself a scale model from paper to check the size!

Any thoughts?