Shine bright like a diamond
We've made it halfway through the One Room Challenge and are now in Week 4, yay! Thanks to those who have stuck around with me so far. I hope the updates have inspired you to get your jeans dirty with creativity! This week will be a deLIGHT. I've done another update that you may need to flip a switch to see the glowing changes. Pendant lighting has gone in and I'm excited to show you the drastic difference these babies made to the space. BUT, before I do, make sure you head over to the previous weeks posts to catch up on where we are so far. I would love for you to comment about the progress and what you think of the progress. Now, let's dig in!
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Remember these sad, sad light fixtures I showed you in week 1?
This week, I'm doing something about it. I'm tackling the not so small feat of replacing these light fixtures with industrial inspired pieces that will be sure to make a statement. I'm going big! With 10ft tall ceilings and a 5ft wide hallway, I have a bit of room to play with larger scale light fixtures. The key here is to provide enough height to pass under the light fixture without hitting it and enough space around the light fixture to not interfere with walls. Ideally, this magic number is at least 7ft high. So I'm working with 3ft of height when sourcing my new lighting fixtures. Additionally, I've got all this open wall space to fill. Clutter is something I'm not a big fan of. I love keeping it simple by filling the space as minimally as possible. This hallway needs ambiance also. My solution, wall sconces!
I took to some of my favorite vendors to source the perfect lighting for my entry. Here's a small dilemma. In order to properly install wall sconces, I'm likely going to need to hardwire them so they'll be operable by light switches. One work-around is to find a plug-in sconce. However, I don't want visible chords, so plug-in sconces are out. I also don't want to hard-wire wall sconces. Although placing any light fixture on a switch is convenient, these light fixtures won't be used often. My intent is to have them on automated timers so that they are only on at certain times of night, but I simply don't want the added cost of electrical work, so here's what I found.
I want to keep the Scandinavian aesthetic strong here by boasting the design characteristics of the white walls and neutral-heavy color palette. Typically with this design style, one would emphasize natural light. Since I only have a clerestory window here, I want to incorporate artificial light to complement it. Then let the natural textures of the wood and walls speak for itself. To provide the contrasting elements that are a hallmark in Scandinavian design, I want to incorporate more black, but sprinkle in other metals and geometric shapes that are a staple in the Industrial design aesthetic. So I'm mixing the two with this pendant light.
I'm loving this pendant light from Build.com. It's got everything I'm looking for. Sleek edges in an oil rubbed bronze finish that alludes to the color of black and adds an Industrial flair with the geometric shape. What else I love is the aged brass sockets I'll be placing filament bulbs in for that added vintage vibe. The plus is this baby comes with an adjustable chain which allows me to reduce the overall height to the 7ft that I need for this space. And since it will be replacing the two entry light fixtures instead of installing new, no additional wiring is needed. I'll simply switch out the fixtures and they'll be operable by the same light switches.
For my wall sconce option, I'm going a bit out of the box. I'll be going with wall mounted candle holders instead. This gives me the added convenience of being able to operate the light on a timer with LED battery candles. These gorgeous bronze pillar candle holders from PotteryBarn turned out to be the perfect solution. I love the elegant look of the candle holders and it gives the illusion of a wall sconce. Plus the recycled glass gives it a beautiful texture. I simply switch the candles to timer mode and I have the perfect amount of ambient lighting in the wee hours of the night.
Now that I know what lighting I want, it's time to install. I scheduled my guys to help me since I'm no electrician. This type of work should definitely be left up to those skilled professionals for proper installation and to reduce hazards.
After all was said and done, I did a quick walkthrough. I'm loving the progress. This space is already beginning to look like a completely different room!
LOOKING AHEAD
The next step is to fill the space with furniture and decor. The DIY paint canvases have been dropped off to my custom framer and I can't wait to show you how those turn out. Those beauties will be getting installed as soon as I get the green light to pick them up. Plus, I've ordered an entry bench that I'll have to assemble and some decorative accents to give this space a nice cozy atmosphere. Make sure to come back next week to see what I've bought and how I decide to style this space. In the meantime, make sure to catch up with my other fellow One Room Challenge Guest Participants and the Featured Designers. I'll be following some of their progress also! To see the latest updates, click the image below. Until next week!
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