GENERAL NOTE: The first floor, I'd like to keep the lighting fixture finishes in the silvery / pewter tone range, to go with an overall blue/green color scheme. Second floor, a mix of clear glass and dark oil-rubbed bronze or black, to go with gold/orange/red/brown. Third floor, leaning towards opaque white, to go well with bright kid colors.
Sigh. I'm worried my house sounds chaotic already. I'd like the overall look to be a mix of Victorian industrial / Sri Lankan / medieval, with beautiful patinas developing on the finishes and as many antiques as we can afford (i.e., one or two now, but more accumulated over the years). I want it to be comfortable for family and friends, not a sterile showplace. But still clean, trimmed down looks, not cluttered or fussy or foofy. Is that possible???
First Floor
1) Airlock entry: there's no light in here right now -- can we run wiring here? If it's possible, I think it would be good to have some light here. Either a semi-flush mount above, or two sconces where the two candles are right now (I'd prefer the latter).
2) Foyer: Moroccan-style silver lantern pendant from Two Fish, purchased already. We'd talked about hanging two of them, staggered, but I actually am not sure there's room for that -- it's not a big space, and the ceiling isn't super-high. What do you think? One pendant may be enough. In which case, I think we should also add a sconce on the wall immediately to your right as you come in, probably before the door to the parlor.
3) Parlor: There's a single sconce there already; I don't love the style, which is a little fussy for my tastes, but it can just stay for now unless the budget opens up. I might embroider something interesting on the shade. There's also a ceiling light, which I really dislike -- Pam, you should feel free to take that one away and use it on some other project, if you like, assuming Kevin doesn't object. I do want a chandelier in there eventually, but can wait to purchase it, since that's going to be the music room, and it's a secondary room. I'm also going to have a table lamp in there, because I love it so. Buying it tonight.
4) Dining Room: Here's a question. This light is already hanging in the library. I don't like the brass, but I realized I do like the shape of it quite a bit. Can we paint it a different color (brushed silver or pewter or some such)? And can we add any sort of shade around the bulbs? (I'm not sure if there's something there to hold shades on or not.) If so, I think I'd actually like to use this light in the dining room! Saving us tons of money! :-) If that isn't going to work, I'm leaning towards Rejuvenation's King's Hill: ($845)
I'd also like at least two sconces in this room, and quite possibly four. (If so, they'd be flanking the doors to the parlor, and to the family room, since they're opposite each other.)
5) Family Room: I may wait to buy a ceiling fixture for this room -- I want to be sure I love it, since we'll be spending a lot of time there -- but would definitely like to have the wiring for one installed. Maybe a sconce too. But I do think my two stained glass peacock standing lamps will end up in this room (one is uplight, one downlight), so will have to choose other fixtures very carefully to coordinate and not clash.
6) Kitchen: We're still looking -- nothing's jumped out at us as perfect yet. But some pendant lights over the island, and I think a chandelier over the dining area. Simple fixtures, but casting a lot of light. So far, the only thing I'm seriously considering is the Rejuvenation Council Crest (in a different finish than shown)
7) Mudroom
8) Powder room: I love the Rejuvenation Mock's Crest. Do you think this would work in a powder room? Would you direct the downlight towards the mirror?
Second Floor
1) Stairs leading up: Pam suggested hanging a ceiling light up there, and I agree, casting light down into the foyer as well as lighting the stairs. No selection yet.
2) Library: I'd love to use the pierced iron chandelier that Pam found us for free -- very medieval! We can hang it so that it doesn't block the stained glass window, right? That's my only concern, since it's so much more substantial than the fixture that's already there. But I think if it's high enough, it'll be fine. We'll want some sconces on the hallway wall. I'm not sure if we can fit them anywhere else, given all the bookshelves -- I think that's okay, if so.
3) Kevin's study: There are two sconces there already -- Kev needs to stop by the house and see if he likes them. They look sort of dingy to me, but maybe they're just dirty, or need better shades.
4) My turret study: Ceiling-mount two of these Calhoun globes, staggered -- I'm purchasing them tonight! I'll also have a standing lamp and/or desk lamp, I imagine.
5) Guest room: Pam offered a pendant of amber blown glass: would this fit as a chandelier in the guest room, or is it too big? I was going to use golds and creams in that room; I have some gold beaded lights (one standing, two tabletop) already. If it won't fit there, let me know, and I'll think about where else would be good. Maybe the stairway light?
6) Guest bath:
7) Laundry:
8) Master Bedroom: Chandelier, plus two sconces to either side of the king-size bed. (We find that when we use lamps on our inevitably cluttered nightstands, we tend to knock them to the ground and break them. This has happened more than once.) We're leaning towards the Wyatt sconces from Pottery Barn, which are super-adjustable -- Kev is concerned about light shining direclty in his eyes when he's slouched in bed, reading.
9) Dressing Room:
10) Master Bath: Pam has offered a free clear moroccan pendant, which we'd like to hang over the bathtub. We'll need other lighting, obviously.
Third Floor
1) Playroom
2) Kids' Bath
3) Kavi's Room
4) Anand's Room
Misc
Pam has:
two iron gothic scones: I just can't think of anywhere good for them -- they're *so* over the top. Kevin?
The house has:
a) opaque white light -- this is fine, use somewhere
b) opaque white light #2 -- this is fine, use somewhere
c) old kitchen pendants (maybe reuse these in laundry or craft room)
d) ugly stained glass (prob. plastic) (I hate this -- if Kev's okay with it, Pam is welcome to take it away and use it on another project)
e) opaque white light (in the kids' bath; leave there if we can put some kind of shade on it -- I'd rather not have a bare bulb there, I think)
f) cut crystal light (I wouldn't buy this, but I don't hate it either; maybe leave it for now, see if we want to reuse somewhere, though I doubt it, since it's a pretty different style from everything else we're doing)
g) foofy foyer light (Ditto previous)
WHEW! That's all my brain can handle right now.
Don’t forget about task lighting under the cabinets. Or is that later?? Jason is a lighting designer. I wish he had time this month. He is swamped from now until Easter. But the boy can walk through a place and tell you exactly what should go somewhere – and why.
We may still be doing lighting after Easter, in which case I’ll definitely draft Jason to at least do a walk-through and help refine our plan. 🙂