Monday, March 14, 2011

Simple. Sophistication.™ From the Ground Up. Part Two

The second part of our shopping trip was concentrated on lighting and the different types of fixtures that caught my client’s attention. I recommend to start with formal accessories at the front and then slowly work your way to relaxed and functional pieces as you move through the house. The first two types of fixtures we looked at where pendant lighting and flush mounts. A pendant light can be used as a signature piece at the entrance of your house or can take on a more casual appearance in any hallway. My client fell in love with this light immediately because of the youthful, yet classy appearance of the canvas material.
Flush mounts are a must-have lighting fixture, but as I always say, a functional piece doesn’t have be to ugly! My client and I found the perfect example of a flush mount that is so beautiful that it might end up replacing a chandelier in their master bathroom.
We both loved the crystal details, the fabric lining and the price because it costs half as much as a chandelier would! This is what I call a statement piece on a budget.

The next thing we discussed were sconces. I love using these wall fixtures in bathrooms on either side of a decorative mirror, so in my client’s house, we are looking into displaying them in her powder room.
Style Secret: Fabric lighting fixtures require less maintenance overtime compared to glass.
On the same topic as wall fixtures, I want to quickly rave about bath bar lights. I recommend them for all women because if you have one on each side of your mirror, they evenly light up your face when you put on your make up. I know I am not the only one who puts their make up on in my daughter’s bathroom because it has the best lighting! Don’t look for them to add any decoration to your room, but for functional purposes, they are nothing short of amazing.
This next piece was sold the moment my client and I laid our eyes on it. Not only would it match all of our nickel appliances in the kitchen, but it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and is effortlessly detailed. We are planning on white cabinets, and I think the combination of wood and nickel creates a great contrast! The island lighting fixture we plan on purchasing is going to have nickel shades instead of fabric.
The last part of our lighting extravaganza trip spurred from my client loving to read books in her bed at night. She showed me some swing-arm lights that she saw in a magazine, but I don’t recommend them and here is why. Even though they are very functional, they are easily worn out and start to look shaky after a while. I recommend installing recessed lighting in your ceiling that can be controlled bedside that will light up your book from above!

 
I am really excited with the progress we have made in this short amount of time in this house. Designing on a budget is always challenging, but anyone can do it! Everyone given the opportunity is going to pick the nicest appliance on the market, but if you are realistic about your purchases, you can save a lot of money.

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