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Tudor Lighting

11/26/2012

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I am working on a lovely home right now.  We just finished the painting and woodwork clean up.  Next week the wood floors are being refinished and new tile is going in the kitchen area.  It's pretty exciting!  My next order of business is to find lighting replacements.  What is currently in place is barely functional, but my options for updating are kind of limited.  In true New England fashion the electrical is a nightmare and the budget doesn't allow for a complete overhaul, so creativity is a must!  

I think Tudors usually go one of two ways.  Tudors can lean towards gothic or craftsmen.  This home leans towards craftsmen.  The home owners choose this particular home, after over a year of looking, because of the original wood work.  Knowing they love this particular feature I am highlighting their favorite parts of the home and accentuating the Tudor/craftsmen details.  The current sconces in the bedrooms and living room are not providing enough light and look too small for the generous space, not too mention half of them are falling apart! The picture below is to help give you an idea of the style of their home.
I like a few things about the picture above.  I like how slim the sconce is, I like the bronze finish, and I like it's distance from the wall - in other words, it's depth.  The space I am working with is not currently well lit and I want to introduce as much light into the space as possible.  I also am not crazy about the current placement of the sconces, they are asymmetrical in the room.  To address this concern I found the following:
Instant symmetry!  I like this piece because it is only 7.5 inches wide and it is the right kind of brass finish.  Unfortunately I am not sure we even have that much width to work with, in that case I have this option:
I like this piece as well.  Lovely detail, period appropriate, curvy.  It's great!  If they want a less formal option I would recommend this:
This piece is definitely the right scale, and the is something very easy about it's appearance; nothing too frilly or fancy.  If this were your home what would you do? 
-Andrea
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In Process

10/18/2012

1 Comment

 
Have you read, Living in a Nutshell?  It's a great book that talks about Janet Lee's experience decorating many tiny New York apartments over the years.  She is a chronic renter who has developed her own system of decorating that focuses on portable decorating ideas, improvements that she has made that don't have to be left behind when it's time to move to the next apartment.  

This principle works well for me too, and I am not planning on moving anytime soon.  Even with that plan in place, my house is in a constant state of flux.  As my kids and my preferences change and evolve it is very helpful to have pieces that I love that can work throughout my home.  It is also a thrifty way to decorate, and not wasting money is always part of my plan!

One of my favorite ideas that she shares happens to deal with the file drawers above.  I just bought these 2nd hand IKEA metal drawers last night off of craigslist.  I am planning on them working as a base to a desk, now I just need to decide on a top.  As functional as all these drawers are, they aren't beautiful.  This is where Janet Lee rescues me.
The file drawer shown above used to look like my two lack lusters IKEA drawers.  Lee decided on her artwork and sent that and her file measurements to a bus wrap ad company.  They sent her back vinyl sheets that she fitted to her cabinet.  She used a hair dryer to shrink wrap her file drawers!  The finishing touch was to use an exact-o-knife to cut out the handles and drawers.  I like this idea for it's graphic punch and limitless possibilities.  

This book was full of really creative ideas, I can't recommend it enough.  I might recommend not reading it right before bed as I was up for a long time afterwards, full of inspiration!

-Andrea
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Kelly's Office

10/14/2011

3 Comments

 
Sorry for the late post today y'all.  I have three sick kids and two house guests and I think that says it all doesn't it?   But  I'm so excited to show you today's space because it is a room a lot of us have.  I think Kelly has wisely chosen to have this room serve double duty, it's an office by day, and a guest room by night, on occasion.  Kelly asked me to incorporate a sleeper sofa, her husband's love of clean modern lines, and Kelly's love of vintage/retro.  I do need to throw out there that my dear friend Kelly is a bibliophile, and I'd love to highlight this gem about her. 
First thing I would swap the two sets of bookshelves on the opposite wall for the desk on the right.   Luckily the doorway doesn't open right into the side of the bookshelves, so you dodged a bullet there! I think this set up will allow for more usable space in the room.   I know some people don't care for their back to the door as they work, if this is the case in your house I would suggest putting a mirror above the desk so the person at the desk can see what is happening behind them.  If this is not the case I would use some of your sister's great photography and blow up the picture below.   I like this piece because I just can't get enough of the blue and red combination as well as the fact that it is a round shape in a very rectangular room. I would consider having the piece framed  so that the blue in the sky is broken up from the blue on the wall by a mat and a frame, the bigger and brighter the mat the more eye-catching the photo.  
For the rest of the room I'm envisioning putting a bench underneath the window on the left.  This bench will offer more seating, but also pulls out into a twin sleeper!    If one sleeper bench is not enough there would actually be room for two, and they're inexpensive, so two would not break the bank.  I like this option a lot because the bench doesn't take up much visual room as it is very low and neutral colored.  This addition also allows for the rocker below to be added next to the bookshelves.  I much prefer furniture to not all be pushed up against the walls.  If you can find a way to pull a piece of furniture off a wall: anchor it with, say, a bold rug;  then the entire room will feel bigger and more inviting.  

1. Carpenter Carbon Lamp - perched off of one of the bookshelves it would give light to the rocker
2. Yellow Lacquer Office Storage - helps to tie in the color of the chair
3. Sleeper Bench/Ottoman - I love this particular option because it fits completely underneath the window and allows for a better reading and walking area
4. Faux Bead Cotton Canvas Window Panel - hung as close to the ceiling as possible and wide enough so that the panels can be pulled clear of the window, will help frame up the window
5. DIY Anthropologie Tea Pot Lamp - add some whimsy to the very masculine metal desk, another source of lighting
6. Vintage typewriter - great color and whismy, might also distract your child for a moment while you check facebook
7. Mid Century Rocker - clean lines for Husband, vintage feel for Kelly 
8. Garden Print Rug - will help designate a reading area, needs to be placed horizontally to help balance a long vertical room, would look best beneath the bench and the rocker.  Would help balance the fantastic blue wall with the neutral carpet

Picture
Little Green Notebook



I have to draw your attention to this fantastic tutorial on how to add an arch detail to the Billy Bookshelves from IKEA.  I think this would be a great application for your room.  I also really like the extension piece that she added to her shelves, the taller the shelves the more books you can buy!  
Thanks for sharing your office with me!  Happy Weekend everybody!                                                                                     -Andrea
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