Light Fixtures In the Bedroom

I was going to title this post, "In the Bedroom: How Big is too big?" but I didn't want to attract a different kind of reader.

My question is just that, actually. But it pertains to light fixtures. How big a light fixture can I use in my guest bedroom?

Here is my little guest bedroom, with its pretty white notes, patterned drapes, and little neoclassical-ish tables (on the opposite wall, which you can't see, I have some little urns, b&w sketches and classical accessories on the shelves):

The overhead flush-mount fixture is not centered in the room (and I cut it off in this photo because it's ugly!). Rather it is located in the far left corner. The new fixture (a chandelier or lantern) will hang more or less over the left bedside table.

Since I have pedestrian 8 foot ceilings, there is not much vertical height for a tall fixture. The room is small too, so I don't want a too-large fixture to dominate the room's proportions.

There is 45" clearance between the table lamp and the ceiling (unless I hang the fixture low-ish over the table and remove the lamp...).

I really like this romantic fixture from J.Covington Home which is 10" diameter and 19" tall:

Because the fixture isn't "airy" I wonder if it will take up too much visual space and over-scale the little side tables? It also leans more to my feminine side than to the historical-slightly-more-masculine look I've been favoring lately. I also wanted bronze to relate to the table's knobs, rather than silver (although I do love silver).

I also like this mini-chandelier from Shades of Light, again a little more feminine:

It is silver too, and a little taller (22") and wider (13"). But it's nice and airy so it doesn't have as much visual weight. I like the elegant look for this room. I am also considering this fixture for my master bedroom which has rectilinear Mission furniture that could use some softening up.

Another option is a lantern, which keeps the lines a little cleaner. This little Rococo-inspired number is nice, although I am not crazy about shiny brass (and it's sold out!):

What think ye?

Any thoughts on scale and style for my bedroom fixture?

Finding the Light: Help Wanted!

Okay, enough diversions - back to decorating!  

I am currently searching for a beautiful light fixture for our downstairs bedroom.  The room is simple and small, with a wall of book shelves and beautiful grey-blue walls (a custom lighter version of F&B's Skylight).  There is lots of white trim, gently patterned curtains, white bedding, neo-classically inclined night tables, and some plain black & white sketches on the walls and shelves.  

Since there are a few antique brass accents in the room, I thought I would stick with a warm antique brass light fixture, perhaps with a historical influence but cleaner lines. 

 I've fallen in love with this charming lantern from Shades of Light (my favorite online lighting store - affordable, beautiful, current designs), but unfortunately it appears too large for the space, measuring 12" w x 24" h.  Do you know where I can find a smaller one?

While I love this fixture, I think it might overpower the small room with its modest 8 ft ceilings and small-scale furniture.  One interesting thing is that the fixture is not centered in the room but rather will be situated over the leftmost night table.  I hung a paper replica and it looked way too large/tall when you allow for a bit of chain length for hanging): 

After much searching and scratching off of options, I came upon this clean-lined antique brass fixture from Hinkley Lighting.  It is classic but perhaps a little too sedate.  It sits closer to the ceiling, so doesn't need to relate quite so much to the tables and lamps already there : 

 Ideally, I'd prefer a lantern (open) style but would like it to be a little different from the typical glass bell jar variety you see everywhere.  I like this gothic style which is also available in a smaller size, but it's a little churchy to me:

I really want an antique brass fixture that is simple, striking and modern, while still making a nod to tradition.  Any ideas?  If you have a good source for reproduction historical, industrial or old-looking fixtures with clean lines, please let me know.  In the coming weeks, I will hit the local lighting stores (Lee, are you reading?).  : )

Which style do you prefer?

The Guest Room: Revealed!

(Excuse any funny-looking stuff - I am experimenting with my template...!)

Here is a quick photo post of the new guest room.  The light in the photos isn't great, as it is hard to shoot facing a window. The room is gently lit most of the day, so I had to turn the lamps on and I overexposed the interior by a couple of stops to make it lighter inside: 

I love this pretty new room (where we sleep most of the summer as it is very cool).  If you have not followed the progress of this room, the tables are by Pottery Barn, the tall mirror is from Ikea and so are the lamps.  I am still considering painting the night tables and I vow to hang the mirror one day, but it weighs a ton and I hate putting anchors in the wall!  I left the original old knobs on the closet doors - they are very Anthropologie.

I have yet to paint the ugly trim work but will do it soon - I love to paint but hate the sanding and taping part!  The window is the only remaining old-sytle window in the house, but we really like it - it's a neat awning style and nice and drafty, so it stays cool in here all year (not so good for the heating bill). I love a cool room.  I still have to replace one knob on the night table (the knob was stripped).

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The pretty curtains are from Ikea.  Aren't they a find?  I adore them!  They are very Domino to me, perhaps due to the gray blue colour which was so popular in that magazine.  I love the old fashioned pattern and I like to pair them with a little pink, à la Domino.  I hung them on a white wooden rod I had on hand:

As you know, I struggled with this window due to the wide ledge, but finally decided I didn't want a Roman blind - I wanted curtains to soften the room.  So I dove in and ignored the ledge which just disappears.  Ideally if the rod comes out further from the wall, it is better to minimize a ledge.  

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I put down thin taupe runners over the old berber carpet.  The bedding is by St-Geneve.  I am not into bed styling, in case you hadn't noticed.

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I bought this beautiful sketch (below) of Jane Morris (William Morris's wife, sketched by Dante Gabriel Rossetti) and framed it myself.  I took a framing class and cut an antique cream mat for it.  I think I might change it to white when I get my own mat cutter, but liked how the cream mat matched the night tables.  The paper goods (journal and box) on the table are by the lovely Noel at Fanciful Designs.  She makes simply exquisite things and I am addicted to her work!

Biscuit enjoys this window immensely as he can see the birdies in the garden.

A close-up of Jane (below) who was beautifully sketched.  I just noticed I have a growing collection of black and white art that I will post about some day:

The other side of the room has a giant built-in bookcase I love (below).  This is the view from the bed - the room is larger than it appears and there is room to walk around.

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  I don't have enough stuff for the shelves yet, but I am hoping to slowly collect some white china pieces that are bedroom-appropriate and add a few more pretty pictures and books.  I will gradually style this, but I am in no great rush - I like the lack of clutter actually: 

Hope you like the room!  Any suggestions?

Birthday & Bedside Table Updates

I had a wonderful birthday weekend, including a little family get-together on Friday night.  My friend M. was in town for one day, so we squeezed in a little fête to celebrate me.  Here is a collection of all my pretty cards (and fading tulips!): 

I got some wonderful presents, including money (a perennial favorite), gift cards (Pottery Barn and Starbucks), earrings, a big decor book I wanted, flowers (roses, tulips), and books for reading too!  Thanks everyone!

One of my favorite gifts was this little water-colour postcard, painted by M.  It is a scene of magnolia blossoms, blooming right now in her city-by-the-sea, Victoria.  Here things are still cold and brown, so this gift of art and love gave me a much-needed dose of spring!:  

The sweet "daughter" card from my lovely Mom sits in the background.  I missed her terribly this birthday weekend (she lives on the other side of the country!).

Now, onto the guest room.  Here are some more lovely tulips - I have been buying them every week!

On the decorating front, the sad news is that I had to replace the gorgeous neo-classical knobs on my bedside tables. I blogged about them in this post.  I adored them (and so did all of you), but the little round pulls were very annoying.  It was nearly impossible to reach out of bed and open the drawers from an angle with those little pulls.  Plus, the little pulls jingled when I walked around the room!  So annoying!

So I traded them in for my second choice, a brass knob that is actually easy to pull.  I don't love them the way I loved the others, but sometimes you have to sacrifice style for function.

These little knobs were still in Lee Valley's Louis XVI lineup, but are much more practical for a bedside table.  David likes them too:

I will miss the pulls, but at least I can get my Chapstick when I need it!

The New Bedside Table: Knob Dilemma

This is the new Pottery Barn bedside table.  I'm not showing you a larger view as the room is still in progress (and the bed isn't even made)!

What I did want to share are the new knobs (from Lee Valley) I'm trying out:  

The tables arrived with ugly wooden knobs, but I decided to swap them out for something more era-appropriate.  Since the table has a vaguely Gustavian feel, I sought something neoclassical and found these round brass pulls that I love!:

But there are two problems with these pulls:  since they are tiny, they're really annoying to pull open compared to a regular knob.  Also, the screws they came with them are too long, so I need to get really short ones so they can be screwed snug (something else to do!).

I also bought little glass knobs to try (below). They don't work as well as the brass ones with the antiqued finish.  I'm still undecided about painting the tables, perhaps white or gray.  They came with this antiqued finish in a cream colour.  I hated it initially, but it's growing on me!  If I painted them white, the glass knobs would be quite pretty:

I may go shopping for a few more options, but I do love the brass pulls.  I probably should hold off until I decide on painting, shouldn't I?  I am terribly impatient! 

What do you think?

The Blue Guest Room: A Small Look

I could not resist these tulips today.  I spied them as I bought groceries for dinner.  I thought they would look very pretty in the new blue room, and they do!  We bought the pretty green vase at an art school ceramics sale a while ago. The blue guest room is slowly coming together.  Here is a very small peek at the room - notice the new fabric in the shot.  You will see these curtains very soon, once they are properly hung!The Pottery Barn white bedside tables have arrived.  I like them, but just found out that the tables I really wanted are suddenly available for shipping to Canada (Pottery Barn called the day these arrived!).  So I will not show you the tables until I figure out what I'm doing in the furniture department.The bedding arrived today and is not yet on the bed, and I purchased a frame to use in framing some art I've selected for the room.  Once it's all organized, I will share with you!  So far, the room is soft and pretty and restful - just what I'd wished for...

And congrats to Clara Hughes on her Bronze medal today.  Clara and I go to the same chiropractor, who is with her in Vancouver at the Olympics.  I admire Clara so much (and miss my chiropractor terribly).  Way to go Clara!!

xo Terri

Inspiration: Teal Blue & Pink

It's funny how inspiration develops.

As you know, I recently painted our guest room a very pretty soft blue.  Over the past two weeks, I've been slowly bringing pink things into this room, since I think pink and blue go smashingly well together.  I love pink, but don't own very much, yet small things are slowly migrating to the room: 

Along the way, I began searching for other blue and pink objects online.  In my search, things that are the forgotten-colour teal blue crossed my mind.  I've been fond of teal blue since Grade 7 when I had a teal jacket that looked great on me. 

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So I started looking for teal-coloured pieces and found a few pretty things on Etsy.  Then at Pottery Barn, I came across this teal blue bedside table (maybe not true teal blue, but with the same tone and vibe):

I decided that these little tables would be perfect for my guest room!

So I tried to order them.  But Pottery Barn is weird about what it ships to Canada - the tables were not available in blue.  So I tried to order them from Seattle but shipping costs were too high in the end.  But special thanks to Kenlie and Amanda at the Seattle (University Village) store for all their help figuring out international shipping with me!

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Since I couldn't get the blue, but liked the style (and price), I decided to order the white ones.  They should be here within the week, and I may continue with the fantasy and paint them teal blue when they arrive: 

I keep looking for teal blue and pink for this room and have found some pretty vintage things on Etsy:

Once I get the room organized, I will have a big pink and blue reveal.  Stay tuned!

The Blue Room: Rearranged!

Thanks for your wonderful response on my last post about my small blue guest room.  The room was painted a tranquil blue and now I am starting to decorate.  

As a start, I took Joni's suggestion and moved the bed under the window:  

This room is as tiny as a Paris hotel room, so I had previously placed the bed against the wall (where the mirror is), but it looks good centered on the window, and leaves space for a small bedside table on each side.  But there is now less room to walk around:

I have temporary bedside tables but plan to get new ones.  I'd prefer antiques, but I have searched every antique store in Calgary and area and cannot find one I like (let alone a pair).  I am growing impatient (never my strong suit).  I like this affordable option from Pottery Barn:

 I generally prefer wood-coloured (brown) furniture as it's more classic.  David prefers the brown too, but for this room, I think the white would be prettiest.  What do you think?  With new knobs, I think this piece would be quite pretty.  I like the drawer (to hide away things) and the shelf (for holding magazines)! 

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I still have to figure out what to do about that window and ledge!  The centered arrangement would allow me to put drapes around the window, making a sort of canopy around the bed (although the ledge is problematic).  But that option feels a little overdone to me.  I am not a canopy/wall-o-drapery type of person.  So I am considering options and hoping for a lightening bolt to strike!  Fabric is a must, whether I do a simple Roman shade or a valance.

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In the meantime, our new St.Geneve Canadian duvet (a Christmas gift from Mom) arrived!  This duvet is the real deal, made of 100% Canadian goose down (no feathers), 100% hypoallergenic, and guaranteed for 20 years!  I purchased the Lajord Light option, which is 800 loft and it so lightweight:

The duvet cover, also from St-Geneve, has not yet arrived but I may try the duvet tonight to see how warm it is!

Trim work will be painted white as soon as I'm up to it.  I've had terrible headaches and back pain lately and haven't been good for much, but I am planning!

Here is the view from inside the room:

After the trim is painted, I will choose a new light fixture and hardware for the closets!  I am torn between a pretty chandelier and a simple lantern: 

I like this very affordable chandelier from Shades of Light

Oh, and art!  I can't wait to put up some pretty new prints, which I hope to frame myself.  

P.S.  If you missed my previous post, I started a picture framing class at a local art school.  Last night we learned how to hand-cut mats and next week we learn how to cut mats using a mat cutting apparatus and also to cut glass!  I will post soon about my framing adventures!

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Now for your feedback, do you think I should use white or brown wood side tables?  

More Guest Room Ideas

An inspiring concept for my guest room!

It's been a very busy week, and my decorating mind is rather unfocussed.

I'm still considering a look for my guest bedroom but can't seem to make progress.  I'm soul-tired after work these days and also joined a book club (silly me), so with gardening and other home projects, I don't have much left at the end of the day.  

 I also think I'm slow to start this room because it needs so much work.  Not only does the room need painted, it sorely needs new lighting, window coverings, a headboard, and a new nighttable.  Even if I find budget versions of all of these, it's still a lot of time and effort and I honestly don't feel like opening my pocketbook either.  Maybe I will have to hit some garage sales (wink)!

I did find two pretty light fixtures, from Thomasville Lighting.  The room has regular 8 foot ceilings and the light fixture sits off-center (near one corner, over the bed), so a chandelier won't work and is too fussy for me anyway.

But these two options are simple and pretty:  

The room has a weird window/ledge, so I think I will be forced to replace the existing blinds and use a valance for decoration, as much as I love the look of curtains.  Custom valances cost a mint, so I may have to haul out the sewing machine and my grade 8 Home Economics notes.  I love the pretty valance below and the crisp white blinds:

And maybe I can disguise my old side table with fabric.  Oh dear, more sewing.  I think I might need a glue gun.  Isn't this pretty?:

Surpringly, I also found a super-affordable cotton-slipcovered headboard at Home Depot which might suffice until I find a bed I truly adore.  A bed looks so much more finished with a headboard at least...

I shall keep you posted on my snail's pace progress and will post "before" photos when I'm ready to start painting!

Room Photos:  1. Houzz, 2. House Beautiful, 3. House Beautiful