*Lyrics from the Ron Burgundy and the Channel 4 News Team’s rendition of Afternoon Delight. Feel free to oversaturate your love for Anchorman by watching this clip from them singing it in the movie, too.
The living room, open to the dining room (and foyer), has handsome drum fixtures on the ceiling, but needs some fresher lights in the face space.
With our new thrift/antique side tables in the living room settling in nicely, and with new curtains beginning to give the space a more homey, lived-in feel (only took us 5 years to nail down a curtain choice), I thought it might be an appropriate time to examine the lighting scheme. As Brick said so eloquently in Anchorman, “I love lamp.” But, as Ron Burgundy questioned him, “Do you really love the lamp, or are you just saying that?” I, too, had a similar conversation with myself, and then with Jeff… did he really love our lamps? Because I certainly did not. Specifically in the living room where IKEA lamps reign supreme, where each lamp is merely a shade balanced on a spindly little tube of chrome (which can be beautiful, don’t get me wrong), and where the only lamp we have that has any mass is too tall (and therefore a tiny bit blinding while sitting) for the space. It’s not really working, and so I’m on the hunt for better choices.
Our sole sofa-side lamp sits just a bit too high causing a bit of a blinding spot on that side of the room.
I thought it might do to give a glimpse into the variety and therefore volume of lamps one must inevitably peruse to get to a place where one is ready to purchase. In other words, you have to sift through mounds of options before you’re ready to pull a Brick. And, when you’re negotiating said purchase with another person, that volume can double in no time. I have my likes and dislikes, and so to does Jeff. We always come to a reasonable middle point, often closer to his middle than mine, but that’s ok. I like to think it’s because I appreciate more types, styles, and varieties than he does, but maybe it’s because I’m swayed by his frugality, and his look at our long-term future (are you really going to like this in 5 years?). Perhaps it’s because he knows his own sense of style better than I know mine. Either way, all decisions must be agreed upon, even if middle isn’t an option.
Our light sources, both from above and at seated head-height just don't have enough presence for me.
Our new curtains, ceiling lights and furnishings speak to the simple, clean aesthetic of the modernity of the 1920s and today.
In our living room, that is open and adjacent our dining room, we have two overhead fixtures that we added after Brad rewired the entire house. We also have several table and floor lamps that help bring the height of the ceiling down by focusing the light at seated-head height, thus encouraging more intimate conversations, cozy movie watching, or just reading and relaxing. Two things about the current state of affairs that aren’t working well for me: (1) the lamps we have aren’t adding any color, style or personality to our space (which is pretty neutral, and handsome in nature – i.e., it could use some curves); and, (2) the lighting isn’t really bright enough (i.e., we could use some additional lamps). Since our dining room walls are blue (with a lovely custom striped effect that Jeff and I and helpers did before the big renovation), and our living room is primarily in a charcoal, cream and black scheme we thought it was high time to bring in some color in our accessories.
Enter our choices:
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Choices above as follows: (1) Robert Abbey Isis Smokey; (2) Possini Iridescent Flower; (3) Haeger Ocean Blue Bristol; (4) Room & Board Aurora; (5) Haeger Grey Bottle; (6) Robert Abbey Wavy Mercury Glass; (7) Regina Andrew Ivory Gourd; (8) Haeger Blue Egg; (9) Robert Abbey Triple Gourd Marine; and, (10) Bologna. We had other choices, too, but these were our top contenders.
We had a tough time narrowing our hunt to two that we felt (a) we both liked, and (b) we’d like no matter where we live. We ended up choosing the Regina Andrew ivory one (no. 7 above, for curves and some substance) and the Room & Board Aurora mercury glass one (no. 4 above, for some modernity and some color, albeit grey). Of course they’re both back-ordered and won’t ship for weeks. Of course. And though we didn’t end up choosing anything with blue (like our dining room walls) we did end up with an asymmetrical selection which should help provide a little bit of energy and interest as our eyes sweep across the space. We don’t expect to live in our gorgeous home forever (I shall quietly sob in the corner) and figured that we might outgrow a blue-green choice in the not too distant future.
What do you think? Do you prefer lamps to match? Do you like color in your accessories? Do you think long-term when making these kinds of choices? Talk to me, inter webs.
xoxo
Oh, and p.s., by sheer coincidence Kirsten at Restored Style happened to post about her love of a lamp here. If only I’d finished my post last week I could have beat her to it. Just imagine me shaking my fist in the air and screaming, Arrgghhhahharggh! Kidding, of course. Kind of.