Blinding Lights
Hello my fancy friends, thank you so much for tuning in today. I've missed you so much and I have so much to tell you. I had a two week hiatus, life and work just got the best of me and I didn’t want to put this episode out half baked, because it’s something I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you for a long time. We are diving into the details of decorative lighting today and you are going to get so much knowledge from this episode, you may never look at a lamp in the same light again. I wish I had a laugh track to play over that pun.
Now, firstly, one of the reasons I want to talk about specifically decorative lightly today is that I’ve seen enough evidence that I feel comfortable making an official statement. Farmhouse decor is done and dusted as a trend. I mentioned that this trend was on its way out a few months ago, but now it's officially over. That is, for now, of course. You can listen to my episode all about the trend cycle called “Seasons of Love” for more thoughts on when Farmhouse may return. And hey, if you love farmhouse style, or if you live in an actual farmhouse - keep rockin’ it ! I understand the appeal, especially in comparison to the more minimalistic styles that preceded it. It was a breath of fresh air to start looking at intricate details again. But change is healthy, and when we embrace change in small ways, like our taste in interior design aesthetics, we are better equipped to roll with the punches of life’s unavoidable changes. The point is, new things are always on the way.
A key factor in successfully embracing change, is to make sure when one system goes away, it’s intentionally replaced by another system. So if we’ve stepped away from farmhouse, what have we stepped into? We are still in a bit of a gestation process, but I'm definitely see notes of a more glamorous, maximalist style. Which means, we get to go all out. One of the things that I loved about the farmhouse trend was that it really got everyone talking about different types of lighting. I've never seen so many variations of sconces and chandeliers associated with other trends before. And lighting is such a vast world, you know there are architects and interior designers that get their masters degrees specifically in lighting. They have to understand how to calculate wattage and footcandles and have a great understanding of energy codes in various local jurisdictions. And I talk a lot more about the technical side of lighting in the episode “You Light Up My Life,” but today I wanted to talk a little bit more about the glitz and glam of the lighting world. This episode is specifically all about decorative lighting fixtures; materials, shapes, sizes, styles, and everything in between. Because now that that farmhouse chandelier might not be the coolest thing on the block, you're going have to decide how to upcycle it into something totally fresh.
But first, let's talk about the color of the week. We are in prime Cherry Blossom season, and I personally can't get enough of this time of year. There are so many varieties of cherry trees and other blossoming trees that are such a welcome change of pace from the gray days of winter. These blossoms range from the palest of white to bright pink, and if you want to bring a little spring into your home, try freshening up any room with two coats of Sherwin-Williams Ibis White SW 7000. This rosie, fresh white paint has just enough of a peachy undertone to look clean and still cozy. Spring has sprung.
Let’s start with the most talked about decorative light. Chandeliers have been iconic members of the suburban American design vernacular for decades. “Chandelier,” the word, comes from the French word “chandelle” and the Latin “candela,” both meaning candle. What distinguishes a chandelier from any other kind of hung ceiling light, is that it always contains multiple light sources in one single fixture. So the single light bulb hanging from the ceiling in the garage does not count.
There are many different styles of chandeliers, and within those styles are, of course sub-genres and material variations, but let’s look at the big bucket categories. The suburban aesthetic I mentioned before takes form in the candelabra chandelier. This is distinguishable by its multiple arms that extend equidistantly, often forming a circular shape, and might look a little bit like a snowflake if you look at it from below. It may or may not include a central frosted glass bowl at the very bottom. This includes the classic, ultra coveted crystal chandelier, in its many variations; but can also include modern and transitional variations. Think tiny fabric lamp shades or hand blown glass globes over each individual light bulb.
It’s important to note that the style and even the name, candelabra chandelier, is imitating an outdated form of lighting. Candelabras used to actually have candles in them, and many of these today actually have cylindrical white pieces of plastic called candle tubes, placed below flame shaped bulbs. This is not uncommon, however if you’ve listen to this podcast before you know I always encourage any stylistic decisions to be made authentically. That means we’re never trying to emulate or mimic something. We’re not pretending to be candles. We’re not pretending to have fake wood beams in our home. It’s okay to celebrate an electric light.
In fact, that’s exactly what was done for the absolutely stunning chandeliers inside Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The concourse of our 42nd Street transit artery is bejeweled by two different styles of chandeliers, a modern barrel profile and a variation on the traditional Empire shape, which is traditionally like a long cone with a rounded cap at the bottom. But the Grand Central version is more like an inverted bell. Both of these are covered in bare electric light bulbs, which until 2008 were incandescent, and now run more efficiently as fluorescents. In 1913 when these lights debuted, electric lighting was not a common thing, and this was a lavish display of technology at the time! Although now the lights look distinctly vintage, but they were designed with the idea of displaying the cutting edge in modern invention, rather than trying to emulate torchers or candelabras which were more the norm.
Speaking of chandelier profiles, there are a few other basics you might recognize. There’s the drum style that conceals all the light sources behind a single large cylindrical shade, often made out of fabric, but perforated metal gives this type of fixture a more industrial appearance. If you want a mid-century modern feel that isn’t completely devoid of glamour, the starburst or sputnik style of chandelier can make a great conversation piece. This style of light has a configuration of straight, metal arms that appear to organically burst from a central core, similar to the satellite after which they are named. This design is attributed to Gino Sarfatti, and originated in the mid-20th century, when the space race was occupying everyone’s attention, and satellites seemed like the way of the future. The Soviet Union launched earths first satellite into space, called Sputnik 1. Sputnik is the Russian word for satellite. This is another example of embracing the forefront of technology for design inspiration that leads to a timeless classic. Sputnik chandeliers can be found inside the Opera House at the Met in Lincoln Center, NYC.
From a similar era as the sputnik, there is the linear chandelier - this subverts the traditional shape and organizes three or more lights in a neat, single row. Depending on the material and design details, this can look clean and edgy with metal and lots of straight lines, or whimsical and delicate if blown glass droplets get involved in the mix. I always think of the Arctic Pear Wave Chandelier by Ochre Studio for that style. There’s probably a hundred pear shaped glass droplets, clustered together in an organic row. It’s luxurious and modern, without feeling fussy.
Next we have the Ring Chandelier, which is a super modern set of offset concentric circles, all evenly illuminated with an LED strip light behind a frosty lens. When I see these they remind we of a cluster of hula hoops that are suspended mid air, and taking themselves very seriously. These can look really elegant in spaces with super high ceilings, and I’m talking twenty plus feet high. They are not seen often in private homes, and are much more common in public spaces like lobbies and atriums.
Lastly for chandeliers, there is the abstract category, which serves as a bit of a catch-all. This includes asymmetrical pieces that look like mobiles or pieces of sculpture. Many modern chandeliers fall into this category as well, like the work of Ingo Maurer or Ladies & Gentlemen Studio.
If you love the look of a hung ceiling fixture like a chandelier, but you are determined to have a clean, modern aesthetic, a ceiling pendant is a great option. Unlike chandeliers with multiple bulbs in one fixture, a pendant is a single light source. These are great over dining room tables, double height entry ways, and kitchen islands - where they are often hung together in clusters or three of five. There’s a wide variety shapes to choose from - one shape I expect to see taking off as a trend is the oversized dome pendant. This shape echoes the arched doorways, windows, wall graphics, and cabinetry that are everywhere right now. The dome shape gives the single light source ample space to reflect and refract, increasing the perceived luminance of a single fixture and the size of these eliminate the need for multiples or clusters.
There is also the classic globe shape, and this shows up everywhere from the iconic paper sphere lanterns in college dorm rooms, to the blown glass industrial chic variety. Globe pendants will always bring a modern edge to a space, no matter what other styles are in the mix. If you're worried your space is a little bit too active, maybe there's too much going on or you're right on the edge of creating a busy space, choosing a globe fixture brings subtle simplicity into the mix.
A variety of the globe that seems to be almost everywhere right now is the basketweave pendant. Now, this is also commonly seen in more of a barrel shape, but the concept is the same; a lightweight enclosure around a single light source. The basketweave pendant is inexpensive and brings interesting texture into a living space without calling too much attention to itself.
Pendants can also come with drum shades, metal saucer shaped shades, hexagonal wire cages, and industrial felt shaped into what looks like an upside-down cupcake liner. My favorites tend to fall into the category of linear pendants. Now this may be because in the world of workplace design, where I hail from, linear pendants rule the roost, but I find them to be both the most practical and the most elegant. If you aren't familiar with how these look, it's important to note this is a horizontal light fixture that attaches to the ceiling at two points one on each end, but only one of those needs to be electrified, the other one is just for stability and balance. One of the great things about a linear pendant light is that the direction of the light can be pointed completely up towards the ceiling, which effectively turns a light colored ceiling into a giant lighting lens. Or, the light can be pointed down like a traditional pendant, and some fixtures can do both. Linear lights can be exceptionally clean, simple, and modern; or there are varieties that are take the decorative route. Most of these fixtures have a metal finish, although there are more and more on the market today that are wood, and some are even felt. These look really luxurious over a kitchen island or a grand, extra long, rectangular dining table.
I can't wrap up talking about ceiling lights without mentioning the renter special - the flushed mounted ceiling fixture. This is different from the chandelier and the pendant because those hang down from the ceiling, where as a ceiling mounted fixture is attached directly to the ceiling, usually with a round, glass lense. Many of them have a half dome shaped enclosure to help evenly distribute light throughout the space. These work horses are no nonsense and there is no chance you'll accidentally bump into one, but due to their profile, they've been given the nickname of the boob light. No, these are not the most aesthetically driven light fixtures on the market. Maybe they would look better in pairs, I don't know. But there are flush mounted lights that have more modern profiles and more decorative elements to them. It is possible to work with your landlord to replace these fixtures, however I wouldn't recommend going down that route. If you're a renter like I am, I find the best strategy is to, for the most part, ignore the ceiling light completely, and supplement your space with free floating, plug-in lights like table and floor lamps. Ones that you love, let those be your primary light source. This gives you maximum flexibility and control over where light comes from, and you can even try a simple hack to bring in renter-friendly walls sconces, which I’ll talk about later. But let’s cover table and floor lamps first.
All the lighting fixtures we have talked about so far have been what’s called hardwired fixtures. We are now going to pivot to talking about plug-in fixtures, and in case you don't know the difference, let's do a quick rundown. A ceiling fixture, like a chandelier, needs to be directly connected to the wiring in your home, or hardwired. This is often done by an electrician, which is what I would recommend. You will find videos on the internet, showing you how to hardwire your own lighting. There are videos for all kinds of things today. However, electrical wiring is a complicated, mathematical ecosystem. Electrical fires are real. Getting a professional involved, especially one that comes with a recommendation from someone you trust, is the way to do it.
Of course, then there are plug-in lights. These are lighting fixtures with cords and plugs that work with power outlets, typically found along the lower section of the walls in your home. Plug-in lights offer exceptional flexibility, you can change your mind about placement very easily, no professional installation required. No need to worry about where the light switch is - you can turn these lamps on and off directly on the fixture.
Now, I don't want to assume that everyone knows what a table lamp is, but I do honestly think everyone knows what a table lamp is. It’s literally an icon of home decor and it comes in two parts - the base and the shade. Most often, the shade is made out of fabric, paper, or plastic; with metal rings at the top and bottom to stabilize the whole thing. But shades can also be made of blown glass, stained glass, and metal. Their shapes are similar to the chandelier variations we discussed - drum, empire, bell, dome, square, rectangle, and hexagon. The shade is attached to the base with a metal connector called a harp, and secured in place with a decorative screw called a finial. Finials can be oversized and elaborate or completely invisible depending on the shape and design of the lamp.
Table lamp bases are most commonly either glass or ceramic, and their shapes are only limited by your imagination. Artists and craftspeople have been making lamp bases out upcycled found objects for years, but most of the types you’ll see at home decor stores look more like chess pieces. Here’s an overview of the more common table lamp shapes:
Gourd - gets wider at the bottom and smaller at the top, or reverse it for more of an urn look
Column - straight from top to bottom - can be round like a Quaker Oats box, rectangular like a cereal box, or square like a box of saltines
Stem - straight from top to bottom, but very thin - simplified cousin of the candlestick lamp base
Stacked - a series of three or more sections, one on top of the next - They can look like a string of beads or a totem pole depending on the shape.
Ball - a globe or sphere shaped base
Accent lamp - under 15” in height and width - these types of lamps can be more monolithic than a standard table lamp, where the shade and the base merge into one form, like a simple sphere light or the swirly Murano Glass Mushroom lamps that you’ll see in vintage stores
The most important thing when selecting a table lamp is to consider its size in comparison with its surroundings. Size and portion are a staple in all interior design decisions, and these factors are often skipped over to get to the more flashy elements like color and material. But I promise you, having a well proportioned interior is like getting a suit tailored - without it, things just look off; but with it, everything seems to naturally fall into place.
Let’s consider where and on what the lamp will be placed. There are two components to this - the size of the lamp, and the height it is placed in a room. Most lamps are placed on side tables, night stands, or some other kind of small table. In these instances, it's important to calibrate the height of the lamp so that the bottom of the lampshade aligns with your eye level when you are seated. So that’s seated eye height as opposed to standing eye height - an important distinction, because ultimately these lights are bringing light to you as you sit and read, talk, work, or eat. This varies depending on the furniture in the room and of course your own unique human proportions, but somewhere around 45” from the floor is the accepted average. Don’t be afraid to get a friend and measure out exactly where your eye level lands. So this means, with a standard side table standing 20 inches high, you want a table lamp with a base around 25” high, with the bottom of the shade aligned with the top of the base. If you also have lamps on a higher piece of furniture in the same room like a console or a credenza, those lamps must compensate by being smaller in order to maintain the seated eye height consistency between lamps. This is where the smaller cousin to the table lamp, the accent lamp, can be very useful. You can have a wide variety of lamp styles in one room, and keeping them all at this consistent shade height, aligned with the human eye, will help unify them.
If you’re placing a lamp on an even higher element, like a mantle, break away from the seated eye height zone and align with the floor lamp zone, which I will talk about in a minute.
Neither the base nor the shade of the lamp should be wider than the piece of furniture holding it. This usually isn't a problem when placing lamps on living room side tables or night stands, but if you're placing a lamp on a skinny entryway console or a fireplace mantle – measure the depth of that surface first and don't go larger than that. Ideally, the base of the lamp is an inch or two smaller on a skinny piece of furniture, and if it’s on a side table, it should be about one third of the size of the table. For example, my nightstands are twenty inches wide, and my bedside lamps are six and half inch wide at the base - that’s pretty close to one third of twenty.
Then, you will need to consider the proportion of the lamp shade. Most lamps come with shades that have been fitted correctly to their base, but if you are ever in a situation where you need to re-shade a lamp, maybe because you found a shadeless one at a great flea market, keep in mind the following concepts. The shade is meant to fully cover the lamp’s bulb, harp, and other hardware, but not to cover the decorative base. The height of a shade should be somewhere between one half to three quarters of the height of the base, so that means the base of the lamp is taller than the shade. But, the width of the shade should be larger than the base, anywhere from one and a half to two times the width. So shades are shorter and wider than their bases, but keep in mind the multipliers I just mentioned, because if the proportions deviate beyond those numbers, that’s when things start to look either top heavy and clumsy, or like a little kid that’s outgrown their coat. Measure each section of your lamp, know the bases’ height and width; and the harp’s height and width. Multiply the bases height by .5 and its width by 2. Make sure both of those numbers are greater than the harp’s dimensions, and then those are the ballpark dimensions for the right shade size for your lamp.
One other important thing to note, lamp shades have different attachment fitting hardware. If you have an existing lamp shade, note the the style of fitting and find a shade with the same type. The right fitting hardware is one of those hidden keys to make a re-shaded lamp look awesome. There are spider fitters that sit on top of the harp and are secured in place with a finial, Uno fitters that are secured in place by the light bulb, and bulb clip-ons that attached around the bulb. Each one changes the way the shade sits and can accidentally expose the hardware if the style is mismatched.
Moving on to floor lamps, these are highly versatile light fixtures, that stand freely without the support of a table. There are two functions that a floor lamp can server; they can be the primary general light source for a room, or they can act as freestanding reading lights, supplementing other main lights in the ceiling. There are four general styles of floor lamps to know:
Console - straight lamp with a shade, looks like a elongated version of a table lamp
Tripod - balances on three legs, may have a traditional drum shade or an adjustable spotlight
Arc - a curved base that stretches out horizontally with the light at the end, allowing the base to be positioned on the floor in one location, and the light to hover over an adjacent area
Torcher - straight light with a metal shade that points all or most of the light upwards to the ceiling
Multi-Light - has three or more lights attached to a main pole
When it comes to sizing, floor lamps can come anywhere between five and seven feet tall, that's 60 to 84 inches. There are definitely outliers that extend beyond these ranges, however the vast majority of floor lamps available through retailers will fall somewhere in that vicinity. If your goal is to provide general lighting for your space, you want to aim for a higher floor lamp, but the light should be no higher than 65% of the total height of the room. This allows the light to shine upward and have enough room to illuminate the ceiling plane. So for instance, the ceilings in my house are nine feet and three inches, so any floor lamps in my space need to be right around six feet, or 72 inches. This formula applies to higher table lamps like I mentioned before that might be above your fireplace or on a mantle. These lights fall into a higher zone of general lighting and should be no higher than 65% of the total height of the room to the top of the shade.
If you goal is use a floor lamp as a reading light, the rule for regular table lamps comes back into play, where the bottom of the light’s shade should be at eye level or around 45” from the floor.
Okay, before we finish up, let's have a little bit of fun with wall sconces and I will give you a really cool DIY hack if you are a renter or just a noncommittal, budget-savvy person. Wall sconces are light fixtures that are hardwired directly into the wall. These often serve as general lighting for liminal spaces like hallways or parking garages. However, sconces have become exceptionally popular and they are being used more and more in place of table lamps, night stand lamps, and even floor lamps. The word sconce comes from the Latin word “absconsus,” meaning to conceal, cover, or shroud, and also has ties to the Middle English word for lantern. Conceal the light. There are four main styles of wall sconces, plus three different lighting strategies that can be applied to any style. Let’s review the styles first.
Flush mounted - the fixture is attached tightly to the wall - these often take up less room for narrow spaces and look more understated
Wallchieres - this portmanteau of wall and torchiere include most decorative sconces, these extend off the wall slightly with a fixed arm that attaches to an esctuheon plate on the wall. These are usually visually delicate.
Adjustable arm - these extend off the wall slightly with a swinging arm that can be moved and adjusted to support a specific task - these are great next to a headboard or a sofa for reading
Picture lights - these are synonymous with wood clad home libraries and personal art galleries - this wall light sits directly over a piece of art to give a dramatic downlighting effect
Speaking of downlighting, all of these sconces can either have light that projects straight up, straight down, or a little bit of both. Up lit scones will keep the focus on the ceiling and the height of the room. These can be great for short and tall rooms a like, to exaggerate the room’s proportions. Downlights will keep the focus on the walls and the flooring. These can be great to light walking paths, hallways, and corridors. Lights that shine up and down will give a balanced, all-over glow and illuminate a space more evenly.
Wall lights are really excellent for lighting faces evenly, which makes them a go-to for powder rooms or anywhere with a mirror, but they add character and ambiance to any room with people in it. The goal with placing sconces on a wall is to have the light high enough so that a person’s face is lit by the fixture, without being so low that is creates a flashlight-under the chin effect, or so high that it casts shadows. It’s also wise to avoid having anyone knock into them by accident, and maximize the distance from the floor and the ceiling to give enough room for the light to illuminate a wide surface. The general accepted mounting height is between 66 and 72 inches, but, just like eye height, you can always measure the distance from the floor to the center of your face. For me, that’s more like 57 inches.
So what if you don’t have to opportunity to hardwire a sconce into your wall? Maybe you’re a renter like me, or you just can’t make the time to coordinate with an electrician. There is an entire world of plug-in, cord powdered wall sconces. I like the ones from Dutton Brown a lot, but you can also find any sconce you love, install it into your wall the same way you would a piece of art, either with a screw, nail, or even a command hook if the fixture is light weight; and simply hide a tiny battery powered light puck inside it. These little guys are everywhere from home improve stores to overlord online shopping outlets. Sconces for everyone!
Well, that’s the run down on decorative lighting, what your favorite? Are you a chandelier forever kind of person, or a floor lamp fanatic? Make sure to follow me over on TikTok, I just created an account there and I will be posting lots of fun videos in the coming weeks. Until then, take awesome care of yourself, stay hydrated, and don’t dim your light for anyone. I’ll talk to you in the next episode.
Lights mentioned in this episode:
http://www.historicalarts.com/newyork
https://ochre.us/Products/arctic-pear/
https://www.duttonbrown.com/collections/sconces/plug-in-wall-lights
