Sunday, February 13, 2011

guest starring...

I have a sickness...every time I watch a show or go somewhere I check out the furnishings and the lighting and then mentally identify them- do they have an interior design chapter of Mensa? I can't remember people's names or to return a phone call but I can rattle off home accessories vendors and sometimes where in the catalog it is found. Often in television you never see an over head fixture because of the set design with stage lights and cameras overhead...but you do see wall sconces!
on All My Children the Double Twist Sconce in Hand Rubbed Brass has hung with shades in Kendall's living room for a couple of years now- it even made the move when they moved production from New York to LA! The single version made an appearance on Gossip Girl a few seasons ago in Blair's dorm room. This is one of my favorite wall sconces from Visual Comfort- it has been in their line for ages and it is available in a variety of finishes and it is stunning in all of them!
Sh*! My Dad Says has featured this Elk Modern Organic Sconce in White Sawgrass in a couple of different places during their premier season. Elk is a funny line and has a way too wide variety for me but the Modern Organic collection is one I love, it uses real organic items suspended in molded acrylic- I love the subtly of the White Sawgrass but the Green Sawgrass is really stunning too! The bamboo option is also really cool, and I think they discontinued the coffee beans- probably a good idea, in theory it was cool but to me it looked like goat poop.

Young and The Restless has brought in James Moder's Broadway collection (sorry they are hard to find online so it is shown here as the pendant with black accents). This collection is a modern way to bring in a traditional element like crystal into a setting...but buyer beware of knockoffs- there are tons of cheap imitations of the original and none of them look as stunning as the real thing. The James Moder version has a perfectly balanced random selection of crystals and they are real crystals that sparkle and shine!


I fell in love with the Remy collection a year or so ago when Murray Feiss released it and clearly I am not alone...this sconce has gotten more air time from $h*! My Dad Says and Castle to Hell's Kitchen this sconce has made the rounds in it's relatively short life!

But most people seem very ambivalent to wall sconces- and you shouldn't, they give great light- flattering light! Obviously new construction or a major remodel is a great time to add them but I have found in most cases it is pretty easy for a skilled electrician to fish a wire and install them. But where do they go? Well there is truly not a rule of thumb for residential installation. In commercial settings the American Disability's Act has to be kept in mind and that is why you will see wall sconces either mounted above 6 feet or they will not extend off the wall more than 4 inches. But in a home you really need to factor in your ceiling height, your height, as well as the style of the sconce. The most important placing factor is to make sure the bulb is placed at a pleasing level to your eyes- you really don't want to see the bulb- either looking up into it of looking down on it. that't why most fall somewhere between 5 and 6 feet. If you are particularly tall or short have a more average sized friend help you out. Also before you knock holes, hold a flashlight up where you want to mount it and just make sure you aren't lighting up a vent or something crazy on the ceiling!

Or if you don't want to got to the expense and commitment of installing hardwired sconces- consider candles! While it is not always the easiest thing to find- you can always unwire a sconce that has "candles"- this is a great option because if you move you can always take them with you and have them easily re-wired when you are ready to commit! Plus candle light is super romantic- it is a great touch for dining rooms, master bedrooms and living rooms- just don't leave burning candles unattended!





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