Design Tip!!!

If you noticed in our before.... the bedding looked a little small for the bed...

before taking the shot I untucked the duvet from the end and pulled out the quilt as well ...

so - what we did...in order to still use a standard oversized king duvet insert...yet to get full coverage over the mattress and boxspring....we added a larger flange to the boarder of the bed....just the two sides... so we got a more proportioned duvet look without having to custom make an insert!

AFTER - ahhhhhh

In our after... we chose a window treatment (layered drapery under valances) to give the windows a larger than life feel.....they at least anchor the wall and frame the bed nicely. Next.. we chose the custom bedding fabrics for durability (for their two large dogs) and for a subtle and calming look that was still going to help us maintain the traditional feel of the home. Sometimes solid colors in bedding can make the room more peaceful and tranquil. The bolster and Euro shams help bulk the bed and the prints above complete the look by balancing the scale of the room. The lights don't appear to be as much of a focal point and the mirror (picked up by the customer.....damn they learn quick) helps give depth and subtle visual interest to the room. Note... we went with a clean white on the ceiling and and the quilt on the footboard (again the rogue and successfull additions of my clients) ties the green daybed into the scheme...someday, we'll give it a make over as well! BeforeI would have said we needed larger lights but I really like the feel of the room as it stands...

BEFORE AND AFTER

Before in this photo...the customer was living with the previous owners paint job.....ehhh ...crazy faux glazed ceilings! The windows looked small and far from the bed ....the lights appeared dwarfed and the bedding wasn't the clean chic traditional style the couple was going for. The customer was wanting to use the lights and bedroom set so we'll show you how we took the emphasis off the lights and made the windows more proportionate.

HOW TO HANG LIGHT FIXTURES

As with most things these days..there are guidelines but no real rules to hanging light fixtures. Experience is the best guide but however....if you are in a jam...consider these suggestions. Bar/Island tops and dining tables are generally the top of most peoples concerns. Hang your light 30 to 36 inches from the table/bar surface - this is the easiest suggestion to remember. Above everything else....you want to be able to see clearly through the area when standing and by all means when sitting. That takes care of the height...for width....try to make the fixture about 12 inches narrower than the table or bar. I've seen lights over tables that abort this rule as well as pendants over Islands that hang much higher - but again, these are suggestions. Your dining light should have at least 150 watts. Foyers are a little tricky - because its generally an odd shaped space and there are usually stairs that take a portion of it. I generally try to allow 30 to 36 inches to the closests railing if its a two story entry. I would hang it just below the floor of the top level and not below the door openings of the first level regardless of the ceiling height. 8 to 10 feet from the floor is the minimum I'd hang a fixture in a foyer. The larger the foyer...the higher I'd hang the light. But remember.....the taller the light....the more it shrinks visually. In an open room like the library photo above....we hung the fixture at 8 feet. We origionally chose a 36" light but we didnt want it to over power the room so we narrowed it to 29 inches. Don't get hung up (no punn intended) over centering chandeliers in rooms like this or in master bedrooms....the middle of the room is just fine....unless you are building from scratch and then you can get more specific. In a room like above where you have a cathedral ceiling....you might want to hang your fixture at 10 or 11 feet above the floor. Ours is about 12 feet. (theres an orange "v" shaped rock on the fireplace that is positioned above the transom windows...that was our mark) I think the photo is misleading....the light looks higher, but we wanted to hang it above the television and make sure that we didn't see it until we actually stepped into the room. The adjoining room had 11 foot ceilings and is directly off the space where you see the triple pendant.

The nook pendant is about 40 inches above the table. The pendant is a little smaller than I'd use on that specific table (about 72") if it were in the center of the room....but given the space and the amount of material surrounding it...we took it higher...at eye level with the 2nd level of shelving. This fixture came with pre-threaded posts....3 different sizes. Pre plan this type of fixture because you can't simply cut the posts. The dining table is also slightly higher due to the dining room height and the size of the shades. With them not being really tall, higher suited them better. We could go on forever....but if you have questions...just email us at shannon@interiorlife.net We haven't even discussed sconces, vanity lights, table, floor, etc