The Whats and Hows of Suspended Lighting

Janet Ramin - You walk into a room, any room, and one of the things you take for granted is that there’s going to be light. When there’s light, everything not only looks brighter - it also looks bigger. Plus, with the right well-positioned light bulbs, a room can be transformed into an inviting place. With this much interior design riding on lighting, you really can’t take it for granted.

One of the easiest ways to throw ambient light around the whole room is to suspend a light fixture in the center of the space. Recessed lighting or track lighting also works, but this requires more ceiling height, expert labor, and time to install; in short, more money. Hence the popularity of hanging light fixtures, which have become a great do-it-yourself project for homeowners (see the video below for how to install a suspended light). Besides its relative value, suspended lighting has the ability to become a focus, a point of interest - definitely another decorating advantage.

For centuries, the only source of artificial light was flames from oil or candles. To this day, we still have light fixtures that look like candles even if electricity is being used to power them. To hold these candles, chandeliers or candelabrums as they were originally called, were created during the medieval period. They were simply made with outstretched wooden arms and at the end of each arm a small dish with a candle was placed. As time went by, chandeliers became more elaborate with multiple arms, added crystals, and carved decorations. An example of this is the traditional Chateau Chandelier (above) from Murray Feiss available on CSN Lighting. 

If an elaborate chandelier is just too much for your space, but you need a light fixture for a traditionally-styled formal interior, the Savannah Chandelier from the Bethany collection is a pared-down version, more minimal but still an elegant piece (below, left). The arms and the intertwining vines have an Etruscan gold finish highlighted with hand-cut crystals. If you have a traditional interior with a rustic mood, you might try the Light Revolution Chandelier, a suspended light fixture from Forecast. The chandelier body is reminiscent of carriage wheels and evokes a country lodge atmosphere (below, right). 

For more contemporary interiors, sleeker chandeliers have been designed using geometric-shaped arms rather than the traditional curved lines. The Margo chandelier from AF Lighting (below, left) has pyramid-shaped arms with cut crystal hanging off its points. The Odyssey chandelier has rectilinear arms and cylinder candle holders wrapped in leather (below, right).

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World Design Capital for 2012: Helsinki

All Modern

Irwin Weiner ASID - The International Design Alliance puts together World Design Capital designations each year, and they've announced Helsinki, the capital of Finland, as the World Design Capital for 2012 (click the link to read all about it). The 600,000 population city is compact and beautifully designed, with a core shopping district famed for its innovative Scandinavian design leadership - see Eero Aarnio's Formula chair (above), architect Seppo Koho's trademark lighting (below), and Ilkka Supponen's Flying Carpet Sofa (bottom). Check out today's featured video

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2011 Contemporary Furniture Favorites from Vancouver

Gandia Blasco

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's impossible to keep track of every single furniture and lighting resource available for high-end interior design. But one good way to get a sense of what experts love is to see what contemporary furniture retailers are carrying in your community. Today's featured video is an interview of Livingspace Vancouver owner Ross Bonetti, and he gave us some resources that are worth looking into further:

• Gandia Blasco (see photo above) for hand-tufted wool rugs, poufs, and furnishings - and many are designed by one of our favorites, Patricia Urquiola

• Moooi, the whimsical Dutch design firm - look to them, in particular, for dramatic lighting

• Minotti, an Italian line that's both classic and spare (see photo above) - I appreciate their strong, minimalistic lines and the fact that most pieces will fit well into any interior; you should accessorize around them so your space doesn't look like you've reproduced a furniture showroom, however

• e15, manufacturer of the wonderfully sculptural ECO3 Eugene lounge chair (in above photo)

• Diesel Foscarini, a blend of Diesel's industrial take on fashion and Foscarini's masterful production of lighting (see photo above)

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Update on April 23, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Getting Your Home Office Just Right

Click on this photo for some home office feng shui tips!

Irwin Weiner ASID - Working from home can either be the best thing you ever did or your worst nightmare – and you have the power to influence the experience by creating the right environment.

Not all of us are privileged enough to have a huge office space in our homes, and many have to make do with a corner of another room or doubling up next to the guest beds. A friend of mine in the UK has an old-fashioned bureau in the living room which houses her work world, and luckily has a roll top allowing him to shut herself off when it's time to relax in the evening. Her husband, who also works from home, has created a man cave in their spare room which involves an incredible amount of

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