subject: Reforging The Hubbardton Forge And More [print this page] Here's a design pop quiz: what grabs the eye when you enter a room? Think before you answer. Now, if your design elements are up to par, the first thing most people will notice is the chandelier. We instinctively find and identify the source of light in a room. During the day that leads our eyes first to the windows and skylights. During the evening, we scan for light fixtures.
Tread lightly now, intrepid designer. Before you redesign, stop. Don't make the mistake of planning your decor before you plan your lighting. Match your light fixtures to the paint on the walls and the number of windows in a room. Choose a fixture for either it's ability to stand out or its ability to blend in. This means understanding how the finish of the fixture will reflect and enhance the light flow. Darker metals will diminish the light, giving you a more cozy, den-like feeling. If that's what you're looking for, then you're set.
Don't believe in brand names? Don't go down that road. We're not dealing with pharmacies, here. In fact, the old saying still goes here: you get what you pay for. Brands like Hubbardton Forge, Kathy Island, Kichler, Uttermost and Tryo are definitely worth the investment. They stand out as fixtures of quality -- meaning the eye doesn't linger on the fixture, but is allowed to flow across the room instead.
Remember, before you place a chandelier, it's all about location, location, location. While you may be inclined to place the chandelier dead-center in a room, don't. This is where your decor comes into play. If you have the dining table positioned in a nook, the chandelier goes there -- dead center above the table. If you're just wanting a center light source for a living room, then you can mount the fixture at dead-center.
Check yourself, as the new saying goes, before you wreck yourself. Don't overdo it -- either with the decor or with the lighting. In the mad dash to find and choose your fixtures, you may find you've overdone it. Too many fixtures in a room are just as bad as too few. In these cases, use the window rule. This rule requires you to count the number of windows in a room then divide by 2. The resulting number is how many fixtures you should have in any given room.
