Light The Way Pt. 2: Dining Room

By woven decor, January 28, 2012

Out of curiosity I counted the main indoor / outdoor fixtures in the ranch house this morning. Not including closet lights, can lights, under cabinet lights, shower lights and the bare bulbs in the crawl space and attic, there are right at 70 fixtures. Like I said in the previous post, Clint would have been happy finding the one fixture and sticking it in every room. My mindset is every room is different so why use the same light? It would be like wearing the same pair of shoes every day (again to which Clint says, “What’s wrong with that?”).

Choosing light fixtures is not as easy a task as you might think if you want to do something more than have the generic contractor’s pack. I’m not against that, I’m just not wired that way (pun – wired – lighting – yeah I didn’t think it was that funny either). There are a few things that definitely need to be taken into consideration when buying lights: *cost, style, color, fluorescent vs incandescent and of course the room itself the light will go into.

*The fixtures are of similar style: glass globes, bronze bases, flush mount, single bulb. The fixture on the left is $9.00. The fixture on the right is $70.00. When spending money on lights, prioritize. A small utility light doesn’t need to cost a fortune, but to get the perfect fixture, it’s going to cost more. Sometimes a lot more.

Before I purchased any fixture I had to mentally map out the plan for the room as far as design. I knew some things would be subject to change, but even having a general idea made all the difference when hunting for the perfect light. For instance: I wanted my dining room to have a bit of formality along with a traditional style. And its open to the kitchen so had to blend. I have always loved the classiness of a crystal chandelier but knew it needed to be a bit more old-fashioned. I’m also not a blingy and over-the-top floofy (yes, that is a word) person. All of my light fixtures throughout the house were going to be black or at least the darkest oil-rubbed bronze that I could find. I also wanted an iron look throughout the house to keep things cohesive yet I didn’t want things matchy matchy. So after much internet searching and finding the perfect chandelier and sconces, this is how my dining room turned out (it’s still a work in progress and there are a few more things I intend to hang on the wall. Another post, another time).