titus manufacturing
This black Euphoria chandelier from Titus Manufacturing, www.titusmfg.com, is a sleek update on a traditional look.
Lucky you if you’re currently in the market for new lighting because your timing couldn’t be better.
We’re excited about all the great new lighting looks — new materials, new combinations of materials and new shapes.
Take a long look up when you visit your local lighting store because there is an abundance of playful, beautiful and high-quality lighting fixtures. Don’t limit yourself to what you know; consider other possibilities.
These days, lighting has become so arresting, it looks more like lovely accessories that happen to light up. So don’t underestimate the importance of lighting fixtures in décor. If they’re well chosen, it can have the same punch as your best piece of furniture.
You can see this in the types of lighting that are showing up in stores. For example, a return to “showpiece” lighting is evident, especially for dining rooms and foyers. The chandelier is one type of light that has enjoyed a renewed popularity.
A nod to the delightful old-fashioned essence of the formal chandelier has been maintained, but the style has been streamlined and injected with a fresh sense of fun. Any fussiness has been removed in favour of clean lines and a pared back look.
A chandelier in black, red or smoked glass is a fine example of an old-fashioned aesthetic that has been updated to delightful effect. In the same way, table lamps with tongue-in-cheek plastic cutouts of formal-looking table lamp bases have appeared.
Sparkling crystal chandeliers are another hot item. And these lights are not confined to the dining room or foyer. In various configurations, they add a delightful touch of luxury to bathrooms as well, particularly powder rooms or master bedrooms. Crystal, in clear or sparkling light blues or soft violets, can be found in the form of vanity lights, in small pendants, and in sconces as well.
Another great look you’ll see is the black crystal chandeliers — simply stunning!
Crystal light fixtures can project a feminine, traditional look, but crystal can also appear in refreshingly different contemporary configurations as well. While traditional hand-cut crystals may mimic the old-fashioned esthetic, contemporary chandeliers can boast crystal drops, columns, or other shapes.
The shape of chandeliers can be very different from the traditional multi-branched design. It can look like a rectangular base of hanging crystal columns to a more free-form “wave” of hanging crystal drops. A series of pendants running down the length of the table is another pleasing configuration.
Also appearing on the scene are rectangular fabric “lampshade” chandeliers with a line of hanging crystal drops trailing underneath the shade. These can be a stunning centrepiece to a dining room, or used in smaller configurations in other areas.
Clear glass fixtures have also appeared in chandeliers and in other lighting fixtures as well. For example, cascading glass bubbles that trail in a spiral pattern from a chromed base is one fanciful possibility. Clear pendants alone or a series hanging from a base form another interesting look.
In terms of metals on lighting fixtures, you will see a move toward warmer metals and more hand-hewn looks such as brass and copper or antiqued metals, especially with traditionally-inspired lighting styles.
Jeffrey Fischer & Tammy Schnurr
Tammy Schnurr and Jeffrey Fisher are hosts of Arresting Design on W Network. Tammy is an interior decorator. Jeffrey designs home furnishings and bedding through his company Jeffrey Fisher Home.
