A few new things around the house
Wed, 15 Apr 2015My life has been super crazy for the past couple of months and while I am trying to find time to get my kitchen redo completed (may take a while if I end up redoing the floor) a few new things have happened in other spaces. Nothing major but getting anything done around here is a miracle and I need to celebrate it. For starters, I bought a light fixture 2 months ago and it was finally hung up in my living room (that is a dig at the husband who has no excuses). I say hung instead of installed but it literally is just hung on the ceiling. Judging by the mark in the centre of the ceiling when we bought this house, it seems that in another life, there may have been a light fixture. The ceilings and walls in here are plaster, not drywall so I refuse to go tearing holes anywhere for no good reason. I don't really need a working light in the ceiling as I already have 8 lights in the room but the large expanse of ceiling looked a little bare despite me having put up a ceiling medallion when I painted the room. It was a good start but it was missing something. It was missing THIS GORGEOUS LIGHT.
I found it at my favourite vintage lighting shop - Architectural Antiques. I am so freaking happy with this light fixture. It brings some sparkle into the room, and who doesn't like sparkle?!
It is killing me that I don't have art hanging above the sofa yet. UGH!
At the same lighting store I also found this simple amber glass shade fixture for the foyer.
(I tone down the yellow and orange in my photos before posting them, that is how much I detest these floors)
My husband has gotten into woodworking so when I realized he had accumulated a decent stash of really nice wood, I asked him to replace the boring teak (?) wood top to my bench I use as a plant stand in the living room. He used a gorgeous piece of butternut.
Reader Comments (26)
I have that light! I have never seen another till now. I bought it at least 30 years ago, but mine is a candle lamp- one of the cones opens to light it. I bring it out at the holidays as a centerpiece for the table. (I understand it to be Mexican?) It's not Christmas around here till I put it out, lol.
I love that you hang yours- there is a hook on mine, but no lightless ceilings
I love that idea. I have a ceiling light in my living room as well that I never use and was just thinking about taking it down and just putting replacing the tiny ceiling medallion for something more ornate...but I love the idea of the star as well!
Too much junk. 2015 not the 60-70's
Excellent choice for the foyer. I don't know Matt, large rooms can have lots of small things. You have a lot going on the floor plane but it can carry it, and the ceiling has not been neglected either with the crowning star statement. So many rooms neglect the ceiling, its just ignored. Small rooms can have a few large things to give impact.
Love the way the picture above the fireplace mirrors the colors of the void in the fireplace.
nice job kim... and still just love the dark paint.
I'm sorry, but I feel I have to agree with Matt here.
There is way too much going on in that one room.
The room just doesn't read well.
It feels more like a collection of things, rather than a finished idea.
Everything is virtually the same size and weight, working against a perpetually rainy day of grey walls.
So much is going on, that it doesn't give your eye anyplace to rest.
You have great taste in finding pieces.
But knowing what to take out is just as important as what you put in.
Another problems I have is...
Why so many flower pots?
It looks like a grade school science project in botany.
Nothing is distinguishable about any of them, so I guess you were going with function over form.
Though I do love the pendant lamp you have hung up, I have to disagree with you about not needing it to actually work.
Your current hodgepodge of lighting sources makes little sense other than it being on display for visitors to gawk at.
I can only imagine the series of shadows the lighting must caste in that room, thus throwing off all conformity.
A well lit room would do wonders to add some sort of life into it.
And yes, we can both agree a painting behind the sofa would do wonders to stabilize the room.
I just fear that, from looking at how you chose to put in useless sconces along with a antelope bust that's too small in scale for that wall, not to mention a hackneyed flea market find of a portrait, picking out art might just add to the confusion.
Thanks for the comments :)
In response to a couple of them..
I LOVE vintage
I LOVE plants
I LOVE stuff
(And I have been dealing with 3 feral cats and 2 jobs so all I had time to do before snapping these was whip the blankets off the sofa).
Wow- I really don't understand the harshness of some. To each his own individual style, but this is a real home, and it looks very comfortable and filled with loved items. I happen to like the feel. Maybe some people spend too much time looking at uninhabited interiors that have been styled and photographed perfectly with no thought to expense- not to mention no kids or pets, or owners that have real jobs.
Get real, people! (I'm eyeing my own jungle in the window now...)
If it's any consolation we purchased a long coveted (for me at least) Serge Mouille light 2 years ago and we still haven't had it installed as we can't agree on where to put it!. I'm thinking I might just have to sneak an electrician in when my partner is away :). I absolutely love the amber light - it looks fabulous. I also love the refurbished table - beautiful. You have great taste - and why not surround yourself with all the things you love. It's a visual feast!.
Thanks Axie :)
@Annie - Thank you….but WHAAAAAAAA???? You own a freaking Serge Mouille light and it ISN'T INSTALLED?!?! I think I just had a minor stroke. I would take a day off work and make an event of its installation for crissakes.
Wow, the hate is strong in some of these comments. I really like the fireplace treatment. Really cool. Also, that couch looks amazingly comfy. Do you mind me asking what leather that is or where you got it?
Thanks!
Thanks Ryan! The couch is super comfy, and I have sadly no idea what brand or what leather it is. I purchased it at a store here in Ottawa that has since closed down.
Whatevs. Haters gonna hate (and go on and on about it).
Ugh to mean commenters!
I'm enjoying seeing the progress of your home. Keep sharing, please! Perfectly finished and styled rooms are lovely, of course, but sometimes it's nice to see real-life problems and solutions, and real-life stuff! I had a laugh about this issue once - I was looking at photographs of an architect's beautiful, bare kitchen, and wondering why I can never achieve that in my own house. The article had a link - the house was available for summer rentals! I clicked on the link, looked at the photos on the rental site, and saw the same kitchen, but filled with all those objects of daily use - cookware, canisters, coffee maker, utensils - that clutter my kitchen... HA! : )
Dear Kim,
Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us. I always look forward to updates on your home. I'm an architect and would live in your home in a heartbeat!! Kitties and all 😉
i am wanting a small line of white along your ceiling where it meets the molding. the gray ambiance is intriguing. however, it is feeling a tad heavy.
my only other critique is there seems too many dried flowers on the mantel. you've a nice collection of white urns and vases and they don't need something in each and every one of them.
ok, so i lied. one more thing, you need a bit more "air" between your tables and the sofa. at least in the pix, everything seems "pushed too close together".
now, i'll shut up.
Hi Kim,
stunning, really love that bold use of dark colour. very brave and it certainly paid off.
Can you please share where that hanging black lamp from image 4 is from?
I need something similar with a long cord....
Thank you
Vera
Dear Kim,
thank you so much for sharing your interior and life with us. I realize it is a lot of work and love!
I have to agry with Matt and Mack though, in terms of aesthetics, not in the way to tell it to you.
To me, the living room feels cluttered, too much is happening at the same time. Yet again, I am not trying to be jugemental, just sharing my opinion with you.
I like void very much because it is the only way for me to breathe and relax... and to move around with comfort!
Rather than adding up, I would invite you to select your most cherished items and allow them more space, focusing on scale in such a large room.
If my memory is correct, you are fond of Axel Vervoordt. You might want to ask yourself again why you enjoy his interiors.
I must say what I like very much in your posts is your rock n roll liberty of speech and your strong views on beauty. I respect them even if I don't agree!
Last but not least, looking at a picture is very different from living in a space. Maybe if I were actually in your living room, it would feel cozy.
Thank you again for sharing.
@Vera - it's the Aim light by FLOS, designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec
I agree with a lot of the comments. I just really haven't had time to fuss with this room like I'd like to. And these photos were taken with my wide angle lens so it distorts from reality a bit.
Does anyone even remember the lost art of graciousness?
It's entirely possible to offer your own opinion, as well as a critique, without being rude. Pretty tasteless, particularly coming from people who claim to have better taste than the person they are criticizing. Etiquette is always in style!
I think it is also important, when offering a critique, to keep in mind the aims of the homeowner. It is senseless to evaluate based on minimalist ideals if the homeowner chooses instead to prioritize her well-loved objects and their contribution to a beautiful, cozy HOME.
Whilst reading some of the negative and patronising comments, some paraded as constructive critique, I've noticed that words say so much more about ‘us’ and ‘our interiors' that any images ever could….
Kim, thanks for the information and keep up the good work!
I love your room! I love that you are not a minimalist! I love the fact that you didn't go out and buy all this beautiful stuff at once! That's what some people do, people like you and me :-); we find something we like/love and then we find a nice spot in our home for it. If you are surrounded by things you love, your place might not be appealing to everyone, but it is something more important for sure: it is full of character.
If you like my paintings, I can sell you a print for your wall! (:
So nowhere in this post does Kim ask for anyone's opinion. Or am I wrong? People seem to think its ok to express themselves because it's a free country blah blah freedom of speech and all that but I certainly wouldn't walk into someone's home and say 'gawd you have so much junk.' And I know this a design blog but it is still one or two people's viewpoint. If you don't have anything nice to say, shut your piehole. of course, this is just my opinion .. Freedom of speech and all that.
I love those walls! Amazing all the vases still being there with 5 cats. Mission impossible in our home.
And I love that Flos lamp!
What a nice light! It looks really great hanging on top of your living room. Good job! I got a similar one, really nice too, but I hung it in my dining room.