THE LIGHTING SWITCH-UP

Last week I took a photo from Elle Decor and showed you how switching up one furniture piece would change the whole mood of the room. When I look at a photo of a room I can imaging the particular person or family it was designed for, by switching a focal piece it's like you are switching out the inhabitant of the photograph. The person becomes a little more refined and traditional or they have a wilder sense of humor or a taste for modern art. Each piece of furniture in a photo tells a part of a story, by shaking things up slightly you may alter the ending.
Today's beautiful dining room photograph is from Pintrest.com. Lighting is such a important part of design and the options are endless! Below are a few chandeliers that would impact this dining room greatly if switched.

pinterest.com

I really like the staircase in the background of this photo and I thought by adding some warm bronze to the for-ground it would make the carpet on the staircase pop. The fixture I picked is a crystal globe from Restoration Hardware. I was hunting for something in this color palette and this one was a clear winner because the globe shape plays off of the arched doorway, the drapery pattern and the chair back pulls. Because of the form and finish, it would add formality, antiquity and tradition to the room.

restoration hardware

This funky fixture is called Knotty Bubbles and it could take on a lot of different rolls depending on it's environment. This dining room is transitional and the current fixture reminds me of British Colonial Palms (a popular style in the South). If we switched it with the Knotty Bubbles it would steer away from "Southern Plantation" and straight towards "New England Shoreline".  This nautical inspired fixture would look beautiful against the grey and sea-foam color scheme and would add a slight touch of rustic charm. 

roll & hill

The Josephine Queen Chandelier by Metalarte has become a pretty iconic fixture (that few can afford). It's a really sexy and modern take on a traditional form. The shades also come in acrylic but I like that the linen option brings it back down to Earth a little. The curved lines and traditional form suite the room well, while the material and color transform the room into something young and daring.

metalarte

This fixture is my personal favorite of the bunch! I love mixing traditional and contemporary pieces and this chandelier from Y Lighting is a big jolt of excitement in a very mellow setting. The dark bronze finish would accentuate the dark details in the room, like the rot iron railing and the dark chair legs. Because it is a skinny fixture, it wont add too much weight to the setting.

agnes chandelier

THE SWITCH-UP

I want to show you guys how easy it is to change the mood of a room by switching one or two key items. The photo below is from Elle Decor's Favorite Rooms of 2011. The room is very clean, simple, modern and understated. The furniture gives the space a masculine feel, but by adding the Love artwork it becomes more feminine. The chairs are iconic Mid-centruy and the concrete table and accessories gives the room some natural elements. Watch what happens when we switch up the pedestal table with some other styles.

Elle Decor

This iconic table by Eero Saarinen is a safe switch-up because it's from the same era as the chairs. By replace the existing table with this one, we would be giving the room a very definitive Mid-century style. The color palette in the photograph is monochromatic white with black as an accent, the Saarinen Table would push it into a black and white high contrast scheme. 

saarinen table

I picked this table based on the artwork in the image, it feels like a Pop piece and it also makes me think of Palm Springs. The Bianca table by Bradley Hughes would add more of that glitz and glamour into the room.

bradley hughes

This table comes from B & B Italia, a leader in high end modern furniture design. I picked it because it's a very traditional form and it would add a level of polish and tradition to the room. Because the table is lacking decorative details, it remains fairly modern.

b & b italia

The Drain Table by Marcel Wanders is a humorous table that would add a spark of youth and cheer into the room. The bright color adds some warms and a burst of life and the glossy red plays off of the Love artwork. It's made out of aluminum sheet and there's a glass panels covering the hole in the center. When you see this table in person it has the illusion of a deep sinking hole in the center.

cappellini

A very different approach to adding warmth into the photo is with this table made out of natural drift wood. The warm wood brings some of the nature in the background, into the for-ground. The glass top keeps the space airy and light.

pieces atlanta

Consider this game if you have a room in your house that's feeling a little stale. It's fun mixing different styles and eras together to create unique moods. Don't be afraid to try something new!