With the holiday season coming up are you looking for a way to add a bit of drama to your home?
A simple way to do this is to add a chandelier to a room or two.
They’re not just for the foyer or dining room anymore.
These light fixtures come in all shapes, sizes and designs and can be the perfect finishing touch for many rooms.
What is a chandelier?
Merriam Webster says:
chan·de·lier
ˌSHandəˈlir/
noun:
a decorative hanging light with branches for several light bulbs or candles.
The original chandelier pre-dated electricity and held candles instead. As chandelle is a French word for candle, the word chandelier essentially meant candle-holder. As technology progressed, the candles of course got replaced by electrical bulbs.
A true chandelier hangs from the ceiling and has three or more branches or arms, on which are mounted at least one source of light (candles or bulbs). More ornate versions will have multiple light sources on each arm.
Finding one to suite your space
These days you can find a chandelier to suit any décor style and fit into a wide range of spaces from a closet to a great-room .
They can vary from rustic log cabin style that are made to look like antlers, European old world style in wrought iron, Italian ornate made from hand-blown glass or crystal to modern and contemporary with clean lines of chrome or wood.
The dangling crystals used on traditional ornate chandeliers create a dazzling appearance, but they’re also functional. They reflect and refract light from the candles or bulbs and expand the illumination to a larger area. This was especially important when candles provided the lights on the chandeliers of old in European ballrooms.
Which rooms could use a chandelier?
There are many rooms in your home that could benefit from one. If you needed more light in a room for instance, adding a multiple bulb chandelier will make it brighter instantly. Well chosen chandeliers will also add a sense of elegance or drama to a space. We all know about placing them in dining rooms and vaulted entrance ways, but why not try them in these following less traditional rooms.
- Master bedroom. Let your inner diva out in this very personal space and install a chandelier that you may not dare put anywhere else in your home.
- Child’s bedroom. Help a little girl feel like a princess with a pretty little chandelier, or a young boy feel like he’s sailing the seven seas with a wooden mariner fixture.
- Guest bedroom. Help elevate your guest room with a unique chandelier.
- Walk-in closet. Add some pizzazz to this potentially boring space.
- Guest powder room. This is a great place to have fun with your décor.
- Ensuite bathroom. How fantastic would it be to lay in the bath and gaze up at a beautiful light fixture while you soaked your troubles away?
- Kitchen. Add a swanky chandelier or keep the look simple with a clean-lined modern one.
Action Plan
Decide which room in your home would benefit from the addition of a chandelier.
Go on a little shopping trip to your local lighting store and see what chandeliers they have in stock, and on sale!
In the blink of an eye you could be home with a new and beautiful fixture ready to light up your holidays.
Read further on how to ensure your switches and receptacles are accessible.