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Spring 2007, Parade of Homes – Easy Street
Dressed-up lighting
Marcia Jedd
Lighting is taking on a larger decorative value today than ever before.
Instead of simply blending into the background with matching finishes
and styles throughout the home space, variety is the spice of life.
“The selection in lighting over the last several years has widened
tremendously, while pricing has decreased,” says Tara Wirz, lighting
designer with Lights on Broadway in Minneapolis. One case in point is
the prevalence of various types of art glass – think sleek Murano,
sophisticated speckled and even tortoise-shell looks.
“Overall, there’s a trend away from more neutral lighting to more
colorful lighting. There’s much more use of colored glass which tends to
have dramatic impact and, depending on the kind of glass you use, can
warm up an atmosphere,” says Rick Lappin, owner of Lappin Lighting in
downtown Minneapolis. During the last few years, he’s noticed lighting
fixtures have become larger to accommodate the scale of today’s bigger
homes.
The infusion of a grand variety of glass styles, colors and finishes
means fixtures are more whimsical, dramatic or just plain fun. Wirz says
glass colors are following the trends of paint colors, with deep browns
and chocolates as one of the hottest categories. “Almost every
manufacturer is doing art glass of some kind. You can easily find a
large art-glass bowl pendant for over your dining room table at under
$100,” she says, noting fixture makers are offering multiple price
points in many popular types of fixtures.
Kari Cartier, marketing director at Cartier Lighting in Plymouth, says
colored crystals are a strong trend in lighting fixtures. “They tend to
have a high bling factor and are found in contemporary fixture styles
such as cubes, pyramids and spirals or the more traditional heirloom,
draped look.” As well, semi-precious stones like amethyst and rock
crystal and even capiz shells are used.
These and other “feminine fantasy” looks are popular, says, says Deb
Earl, buyer with Creative Lighting in St. Paul. She notes lighting maker
Kichler offers lighting with decorative magnets such as crystals and
grape motifs that attach to a metal chandelier. These types of jeweled
and decorative fixtures are even showing up in powder rooms.
Lighting Basics
When planning lighting, designers say to think in terms of function or
layering. “People are embracing the layer theory,” says Frankie Cameron,
account manager with Bellacor in Mendota Heights. These layers are:
- ambient or general lighting;
- task lighting like under-cabinet lighting and downlights;
- focal lighting such as track lighting, and
- decorative lighting such as chandeliers and sconces.
Depending on the type of room, multiple sources of light are key to
achieve a balance of light. Cartier notes today’s large spaces and high
ceilings allow for generous lighting to splash walls, such as sconces.
“Wall sconces add a soft glow to family rooms, home offices or any room
setting. They add comfort to a space because they bring attention to the
perimeter of a room and can add personality to interiors.”
Finishes have it
Lighting designers report bronze and nickel finishes in lighting
fixtures are hot. To complement warm tones as seen in many popular
bronze finishes, browns and ambers are popular in glass components.
“Bronze and nickel finishes are the most popular and we’re starting to
see bronze with little touches of gold to give even more warmth,” Earl
says.
Finishes are flush with choices. Earl says many manufacturers offer
their lines in bronze finishes with amber glass as well as nickel
finishes with white glass, the latter combination giving a contemporary
look. Wirz adds many townhome and condominium owners tend to opt for the
contemporary feel of satin nickel that looks like stainless steel.
Warm tones and dark hues evoke the traditional or lean toward rustic
looks found in a Tuscan villa. The Caspian series by Minka-Lavery, which
includes chandeliers and pendants, uses warm-colored glass and a
crackled tortoise finish, perfect for a Mediterranean or old-world
décor.
While mixing and matching of lighting styles is prevalent, Cameron notes
some homeowners want to match the tone of their lighting to other
hardware like towel-holders and cabinets pulls. “There are companies
that make light fixtures to coordinate with bath hardware. Brushed
looks, nickel, chrome and iron are popular.”
Strike a mood
Innovation is found in the variety of chandeliers, pendant and other
suspended lighting available today. Cartier says mini-pendant lighting
is a great way to add instant color. “Colorful hand-blown hanging lights
are found above a kitchen sink, center island or wet bar and peak
interest.”
From sleek chrome finishes to deep red or art-glass finishes, pendants
are in vogue. Wirz notes mini pendants are commonly placed in multiples
over dining tables, islands and in powder rooms. Cameron adds, “Pendants
are hot over peninsulas or bar areas.” Likewise, mini chandeliers are
popping up all over in hallways, powder rooms and game rooms.
Chandeliers and large ceiling pendants offer similar variety.
“Chandeliers can give you a lot of light without being too in your
face,” Earl says, noting drum-shade chandeliers in fabrics are used in a
variety of settings. “You can go all out with interesting fabric, or
select neutral tones like ivory or beige.” Fabric looks in larger
pendants are a hit.
In a twist from traditional dining spaces, too, rectangular chandeliers
and elongated fixtures (think pool table lighting) are perfect over
dining-room tables or kitchen tables, Wirz says. “People will do three
mini pendants over the dining room table on a track for some really
dramatic looks and even change out the glass with sets provided by the
manufacturer.”
Monorail or rail systems, a newer form of track lighting, offer great
flexibility because lights can be bent or moved to light specific areas.
“Monorails can go anywhere,” Wirz says. “If you move into a condo and
the lighting isn’t where you want it to be, you can use a monorail to
essentially move your electrical without having to hire an electrician.”
In addition to dining areas, hallways and L-shaped areas are perfect for
these flexible systems. This means lights can be frequently adjusted and
used, for instance, to spread light around a corner or an otherwise dark
area.
Wirz describes a nursery in a downtown Minneapolis loft condo she
outfitted with a circular monorail system featuring mini chandeliers in
motifs that included bumblebees, butterflies, a hot air balloon and a
biplane. On the high end, systems by Tech Lighting use bendable rail
systems. On the lower end, maker George Kovacs offers systems for less
than $200, Wirz says, available in two different color schemes of glass
combinations. A typical system comes with six lights, but includes 12
glass sets so mixing and matching without going over budget is easy.
Energy efficient
Decorative lighting is also trending toward energy efficient. Lappin
says LED (light-emitting diode) lighting has recently transferred from
commercial use to the residential setting. “LED is working its way into
pendants,” he says, adding that technological advances have reduced
costs down while creating warmer light.
LED lights consume less than a quarter of the electricity of fluorescent
but last about ten times as long. Both Lappin and Cameron note
regulations in California that require certain percentages of
fluorescent lighting in homes has helped increased the popularity of
energy-efficient lighting everywhere. Cameron says: “That’s created the
need for more decorative fluorescent lighting in sconces, chandeliers,
ceiling mounts and pendants.”
Controlling light with dimmers saves energy costs while creating
ambience. “When you dim your light by 10 percent, you double the life of
the bulb,” Wirz says. “Many people buy dimmers that you can preset so
you never have to turn on the full light.” These types of dimmer switch
plates, resembling regular light switches, are found at many lighting
supply and hardware stores.
Whatever the mood or décor, chances are there’s a light fixture for it
today.
Marcia Jedd is a Twin Cities-based freelance writer.
Light-tastic
Use these tips to trip the light fantastic and create some drama:
- Use variation in lighting – lots of light or the absence of light - to
create drama. (Wirz)
- “Wallwashing”: flood a wall with light by placing flood lights on
floors between furniture and walls, or use recessed lighting. (Wirz)
- Recessed lighting throughout the home casts shadows to create a
museum-like effect. (Cartier)
- Showcase art or highlight architectural features of the space with
focal lighting such as adjustable fixtures (Cameron)
- M.J.
Lighting style
EasyStreet polled the experts featured in this article to find out
current trends and what’s dated in lighting design:
What’s In
- Energy-saving lighting, including LED and compact fluorescent, as
well as Xenon under-cabinet lighting
- Flexible rail lighting systems
- Fixtures with warm finish tones, especially bronze
- Asymmetry such as two different lamps on either side of the couch as
well as mixing and matching traditional with contemporary looks
- Chandeliers: think mini chandeliers, colored crystal and jewelry looks
- Pendants, especially in colored and specialty art glass
- Fixtures with non-traditional glass such as frosted, colored or art
glass.
What’s Out
- Formal styles
- Polished brass is out but antique brass is emerging
- Old-style track lighting
- Fixtures with finishes in silver or cool tones aren’t out, just not as
popular as warmer looks
- Matching fixtures throughout the space or home
- Bath lighting with glass shades covering the bulb
- Bath lighting featuring Hollywood-style strip lighting with round
exposed bulbs
Marcia Jedd is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer. Her
web site is
www.marciajedd.com.
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