Chandelier Trends
Colorful chandeliers create drama in the kitchen. Teeny ones provide elegance to powder rooms. Even walk-in closets go upscale when lit with a small chandelier.
“Beyond laundry rooms and garages, any room is an open target for hanging a chandelier,” adds Rey-Barreau. “More commonly, kitchens and bathrooms have become the popular locations for chandeliers.”
Chandeliers add twinkle to a boudier. “People are treating their bedroom suites as more luxurious personal spaces with elaborate bathroom areas, so it is not unreasonable to consider chandeliers there, either,” says Dan Blitzer, Director of Education for the ALA.
The master bedroom of today is often a luxurious suite that includes an elaborate bathroom. Chandeliers can easily match the grandeur of these areas and are being used more often to create a glamorous space.
Chandeliers have also sized up to accommodate the soaring foyers and sweeping two-story spaces of larger homes.
Mini Chandeliers
“Chandelettes,” or mini chandeliers, add a new sense of intimacy to small rooms and to corner spaces and alcoves of larger ones. “Minis are even being used as wall sconces in some instances — and they look fantastic,” says lighting and furniture designer Sergio Orozco. These compact chandeliers are nine-12 inches in diameter to slip easily into tight spaces. For added impact, consider grouping them.
A trend toward smaller chandeliers and mini-chandeliers make it possible to incorporate these items into smaller rooms or areas in the home.
A sense of intimacy can be added to niche areas of a room, such as corner spaces or alcoves, with mini-chandeliers, and some minis are even being used in place of wall sconces. Powder rooms are another place where chandeliers are frequently popping up. Grouping minis is also a popular design technique, such as hanging several minis above an island or bar area for great impact.
Chandeliers for All Places, All Spaces!
Chandeliers aren’t just for dining rooms and foyers anymore. In fact, they’re staking their claim in other areas of the home by adding charm in less formal rooms, and interest to many unexpected areas. In the past, it was unusual to see chandeliers anywhere except in the “power” positions of a home, such as at the entrance and over the dining room table. Also, it used to be more common for chandeliers to adorn only upscale homes, not starter or first move-up houses. But times have changed. Today, chandeliers are comfortable in homes in a variety of price ranges, and in most, if not all, rooms.
According to the American Lighting Association (ALA), kitchens and bathrooms have become popular locations for hanging chandeliers.
Give WALLS & CEILINGS Their Due
Gone are the days of installing only one central overhead lighting fixture. Using lighting in a way that bounces light off of walls or ceilings generates a mood of expansiveness.
The arrangement of one overhead lighting source either casts light down or diffuses it in all directions, which affects spatial quality by creating dramatic shadows and dim rooms. The opposite affect is achieved by bouncing light off of walls and ceilings, which turns these surfaces into giant reflectors of sorts.
Think of your chandelier as the “central” fixture in a room, and then add other types of complimentary lighting such as sconces, pendants and flush mounts to create a spacious feeling. Hinkley’s chandelier collections include a multitude of options to allow you to creatively coordinate your lighting design.
