Swingin’ Chandeliers
We’ve just finished a 6 month renovation costing over $1mm in Bel Air. All the lighting in the home was sourced from Lamps Plus and together we’re taking you on an in-depth tour of this space on our new show, Renovation Inspiration, premiering every Friday on Lamps Plus’ Youtube. Be sure to subscribe to watch each episode as it comes out. This week’s episode is all about chandeliers!
Brightening Up The Space
When we first got a look inside this home is was dark, drab, and dated. Our first order of business was brightening everything: We added natural French oak floors, brightened up the wall color from its original 80s deep plum to a crisp white, added skylights and removed the heavy window treatments to flood the space with California natural light. The rest of the home’s design would need to compliment the updated, sunshiney space and the most important element would be the light fixtures.
Glamorizing The Closet
My client Lisa is a super fabulous fashionista and her giant walk-in closet is one of the most notable features of the home. It’s her happy place, somewhere she spends a lot of time, and is home to her high-fashion finds. I wanted the lighting to reflect that so we went with this incredibly glamorous chandelier.
Lighting As Architectural Objects
The architecture of the home perfectly compliments the outdoor space surrounding the home. It is serene, very open and airy. Thinking of the lighting selections as sculptural, architectural objects, we wanted them to match as well. That’s why we opt’d for open cage pendants and chandeliers like the ones you find in the foyer and the kitchen, to lend a linear, edgy vibe throughout the home.
Mixing and Matching Finishes
Throughout the home, you’ll find finishes in bronze and nickel, gold and chrome. We love the texture that mixing and matching adds to the space and what gives it that chic edge is selecting a lot of lighting from the same Lamps Plus collections.
Watch the first episode of Renovation Inspiration here:
On the first episode we’re doing a quick walk-through of the home: I’ll take you into my client Lisa’s home office which has her signature glamorous style everywhere you turn. The views from up here are gorgeous, but I think my favorite element is the chandelier.
The Best Lighting for the Best Price
Surprised by the price tags? I sure was! In a good way, of course. No matter what price range your renovation falls in, you’re always going to be working with a budget. Even though costliness can be relative, when you want to put a show-stopping chandelier in every room (I do!) you look for the best and most affordable options. I always find what I’m looking for at Lamps Plus. They have something fabulous at literally every price point, which is why they’ve been my one-stop-shop for lighting for the past 20+ years. Whether I’m working on a condo-on-a-dime renovation or a Bel Air estate like this one, I always find exactly what I’m looking for, am beyond satisfied, and save myself and my clients time and money.
Working With What You Have
Another way to save money on your home renovation is to work with what you have. Sometimes it takes a designer’s eye to reuse and recycle the ordinary, existing pieces you already have and elevate them to become something extraordinary. Notice what we did in Lisa’s bathroom here:
We worked with the existing brass hardware because the tub and shower were oversized and trying to find someone who could match the custom shapes was proving to be difficult and costly. Rather than trying to fight it, we just decided to turn up the glam. We brought in a gorgeous white marble with white veining and installed these gorgeous brass sconces from Lamps Plus. They’re some of my favorite pieces of lighting in the home and I think they just MAKE this room!
