Whenever I see a well designed space, my eyes are immediately drawn to the lighting choices. No room is complete without good lighting, and a great fixture is always an element I include whenever I’m working on a makeover too. Sometimes I score a chandelier from a discount store or a home improvement store, but I’ve also splurged on good lighting when I find “the one” – my kitchen island pendants and bathroom sconces are the perfect example.

Great lighting is like the jewelry that makes a fabulous outfit. Your lamps, chandeliers, and sconces are an opportunity to set the style of a space, to add a layer of texture (think industrial or woven shades), or to play the role of the unexpected element. Think of crystal chandeliers in a contemporary space, a minimalist modern fixture in a more traditional room, or an industrial cage pendant in a cottage dining room.

Sconces and chandeliers will live in the space for years and add value to a home. Today, I wanted to give a quick shout out to one of my sponsors Shades of Light. I’ve purchased several pieces from them over the past year and they deserve some thanks for their support of the blog. Shades of Light recently has been featured in the spring color issue of Better Homes & Gardens and they have a variety of fixtures available from the new Young House Love collection under $100 to splurge worthy pieces that will make a statement in any space.  Here are six of my favorites:

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How big should your chandelier be?  Here are the formulas:

Width of overhead chandeliers (living rooms, family rooms, bedrooms, home offices): A singular chandelier in a living space needs to be proportionate to the room size. Add the width and length of the room together in feet and convert that figure to inches to come up with the correct width of the chandelier. For example, in a room that measures 10 feet by 13 feet, add 10 + 13 together to get 23 inches in diameter.

Width of dining room chandeliers: The rule of thumb is to choose a chandelier with a diameter equal to one half the width of the table, for example, a 48 inch wide dining table should have a chandelier with a 24 inch diameter. However, many designers choose oversized pendants up to two thirds the width to make a strong style statement in a dining space (I love that look!) and modern rectangular fixtures are very dramatic over a dining room table as well.  Height: When hanging a fixture over a dining table, the bottom of the chandelier should be 30 to 34 inches above the table, low enough to create a focal point in the space, but high enough not to interfere with conversation.

Have you added any new fixtures to your home lately?

What style did you choose?

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Well it’s Black Friday and today the talk is discounts so I’m passing along some from several of my sponsors and other favorite vendors.   Shop from the comforts of home with these great deals!    

Shades of Light is having a huge sale on lamps, pillows, and antique rugs, so if you’re searching for chic lighting or accessories, shop online for great discounts – 15% on lamps, 20% off accent pillows, and 35% off on antique rugs.   Sale through November 26th, hop over to shop right here!

Tonic Living is a favorite source of beautiful fabric and TODAY ONLY they are offering 15% off everything, so if you’ve been eyeing a great fabric or pillow over there, use the code BLACK15 to purchase your favorite! 

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Hi everyone, happy weekend to you!  Have you been relaxing or getting busy with some projects around the house?  We started soccer season again so we’re now back in the swing of taking kids to their games – Matt is coaching too so Saturdays are crazy busy but fun!   I did manage to finish up a little storage project I’ve been putting off, I’ll share that tomorrow.  Meanwhile, there are some new articles over at BH&G, click on the buttons to read the posts just in case you’ve missed them!

Also, I’d like to share with you a great source for stylish home decor and one of my sponsors: Shop Ten 25.  The online boutique is filled with many fabulous accessories for your home, hop on over and take a look around, you’re sure to find a unique find that may be just perfect for you!

Enjoy the rest of your day!

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The smells of turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie will we wafting through homes in America next week, I’m so excited!  This morning I found myself actually pinning a picture of pumpkin pie.  Mmmmm.  As soon as that holiday passes, Christmas is upon us and soon we’ll be surrounded by the scents of pine, fir and cedar.  I. Can’t. Wait !!

The “Christmas smell” is one of my all-time favorites, bringing back memories of the holiday season from years past. Like you, I look forward to it every December. Earlier this year I was desperate for fresh garland and wreaths for the two magazine shoots, and I had to find an online source for fresh greenery in the off season. Kinda stressful.  

My research led me to Lynch Creek Farms in Washington state. I called them up out of the blue in a semi-panic and they totally saved the day. It was such a pleasant experience, the people at Lynch Creek couldn’t have been kinder or more professional.  In both March and August, they shipped the most gorgeous 26 inch wreaths and yards and yards of cedar garland right to my door. 

Thanks to Lynch Creek Farms, I was able to recreate the holidays with fresh cedar and fir and they were a genuine pleasure to work with.  Here are a couple of shots I took in August that I’ve never shared but I’ll share them today to get you in the mood for the upcoming scents of the Christmas season! 

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