Last week we kicked off our series:
Lighting Interior Design Ideas: Lift Your Spirits with Light

This Week: Lighting Action #1:
Switch Your Switches
Our activities are changing at a fast moving rate these days! And lighting controls will create just the right atmosphere for any activity - enhancing everything we do and adding more enjoyment to our everyday lives!

• Entertaining a lot of people? Cocktails? Dinner?
• Having an intimate group of friends in?
• Watching a movie? TV? With kids? With your significant other?
• Working on homework or craft projects with the kids?
• Working on the computer? Business? Enjoyment?
• Curling up to read a good book? Relaxing? Exercising?
• Cooking up a storm? Caterer is cooking?
• Time for breakfast? Candlelight dinner?
• Shaving? Applying make-up? Relaxing in a bath?

 

• Change all switches to dimmer switches: create maximum flexibility for every function and mood! Simple and easy to do – you can hire an electrician or it can be a DIY project. Lutron (the industry standard for lighting controls) has wonderful colors now – everything from Hot Red to Turquoise to Stainless Steel - so you can definitely find one that is close to your wall color.

• Plug-in dimmers: Don’t forget, there are plug-in dimmers for lamps so you can make any lamp part of your dimming scenario.

• Radio Controlled Remotes: for the ultimate, you can install a lighting control system to create your very own dramatic visual environment.

Need Inspiration?
Here are some interior design ideas - examples of rooms with multiple switches creating all the needed flexibility for the activities in the space.

• Entry:
  Your first chance to make a great impression and set the tone for your home!

This entry, although small in square footage, soars in height and creates a wonderful opportunity for multiple lighting scenarios: a dramatic glass chandelier adds sparkle day and night, candlestick lamps on the French chest add another flavor, accent lights on two large works of art add drama and ambiance, an plant uplight under the floating stairs eliminates a dark corner, and more light flows through the leaded glass door where all visitors will feel welcome!

• Great Room:
  The larger and more multi-functional the space, the more important it is to have maximum flexibility with your lighting.

This large multi-functional room is ready for myriad activities! Accent lights on wall art and sculpture in corner, floor lamp and table lamp for task lighting, library lamp for ambiance, torchiere for overall light plus highlighting the art, wall sconces between doors, mini chandelier to highlight bar top, additional downlights for functional kitchen activity, wall washers over the cabinets, accent lights highlighting crystal in cabinets facing the dining area, plant light in the corner, multiple groupings of candles – everything on separate dimmer switches for maximum flexibility – this room is ready for a large party or an intimate get-together. The “surround” lighting in this room definitely gives it’s occupants a warm hug!

• Kitchen:
  Perfect example of a room where you will want maximum flexibility with your lighting: bright lights for cleaning - or mood lighting for entertaining or romantic gourmet cooking.

Lots of options for functional and mood lighting shown here: ceiling downlights for overall functional lighting, island chandelier for ambiance while adding functional light, bar top pendant lights add additional ambiance and functional light: spot on the hood adds an accent, under cabinet lights light the countertop. With all five of these lighting modes on their own dimmer switch, maximum flexibility is created!

• Bath:
  Another room where you will want to create different moods - depending on whether you are shaving, putting on makeup or relaxing in your spa-like soaking tub – or maybe you just need to wake up gently in the morning!

This beautiful spa-like master bath has multiple options for function and mood settings: mirror sconces over the vanities not only lend an aire of elegance and sparkle, but add to the side illumination so important for lighting your face for makeup or shaving, downlights over the vanity sinks assure plenty of light on the counters, additional downlights over the tub and in the shower specifically highlight those areas, a chandelier, out of view, adds additional ambiance and overall lighting, daylight, controlled by shutters, allows for a lot of flexibility – you may enjoy the view as desired and add sunlight to your bathing experience! Scented candles add the finishing touch.

Last week we kicked off our series:
Lighting Interior Design Ideas: Lift Your Spirits with Light

Next Week: Lighting Action #2:
Light Your  Life with Lamps and Lights

Please comment or send questions for more interior design ideas! Let me know how I can best help you with lighting solutions that will lift your spirits and create a positive impact in your life. Barbara@barbarakrai.com

First in a series of interior design ideas for lighting.
What is the single most important element in your living space? LIGHT!

LIGHT has the power to lift your spirits or drain your energy. More than any other single interior design element, LIGHT will impact you as you enter a space.

So I’ve created a series of lighting tips that I know you will enjoy! You’ll have fun in the coming months trying new interior design ideas with LIGHT that will give your interior new life and lift your spirits!

The ultimate goal is to have the LIGHT well balanced in the space – so keep in mind as you explore this series: Lighting Interior Design Ideas: Lift Your Spirits with Light, that your interior will be beautifully balanced with LIGHT when you take these action steps. So get ready to enjoy and explore all the ways to get your lighting in balance – and – make you feel totally comfortable in every room.

To get started, follow these steps:

STOP, FEEL, OBSERVE, ACT!

 STOP and FEEL

Walk into any room – STOP - then ask yourself how you FEEL in the space. Do you FEEL your energy soar or drain? Do you FEEL relaxed or fidgety? Do you FEEL open or closed in? Do you FEEL like you want to stay a while or leave as quickly as possible?

OBSERVE YOUR LIGHT SOURCES

Next OBSERVE the light SOURCES in the room. Is the light only coming from an overhead fixture? (Definitely the poorest placement of light.) Is the light coming from more than one source? (Always a good thing.) Are all the walls lit in some fashion? (Most important to feel comfortable in the space.) Are there various types of lights? (Everything from candles to accent lights?) Is there daylight? (Wonderful, but needs to be controlled to moderate the heat and light of the sun.)

OBSERVE YOUR LIGHT TYPES

Next OBSERVE the light TYPES in the room. Is the lighting warm or cool? (Many fluorescents and LEDs, although great energy savers, emit a cool/blue light.) Is the lighting too dim or too bright? (Most spaces are over lit.) Is there a way to create different moods? (Are there multiple switches and dimmers?)

I’m guessing that you have OBSERVED most rooms have plenty of light, but still don’t FEEL totally comfortable and don’t lift your spirits.  Most likely, you’ll find unbalanced lighting is the culprit – so let’s fix it.

TAKE ACTION!

So now, armed with what you have OBSERVED – it is time to ACT and get your lighting in balance! In this series you will find tips to create contrasts and an overall feeling of well-being that will lift your spirits by using multiple sources of light, multiple variations of light strength and making sure all walls have some form of light.

Next Week: Lighting Action #1: Switch Your Switches

Please write with your comments or questions for more interior design ideas. Just let me know how I can best help you with lighting solutions that will lift your spirits and create a positive impact in your life. Barbara@barbarakrai.com

Interior design ideas for bookcase "art":

A bookcase is so much more than a place to store books! It doesn’t matter if you have a lot of books or a few books – or maybe even no books. It doesn’t matter if your bookcase is low and wide or narrow and tall. The approach is the same.

Look at the outside frame of the bookcase as the frame for the “work of art” then fill the center with your “picture”. Start with placing your books, provided you have some, (no paperbacks - please!). Be sure to place some standing upright and some lying on their sides. You can also lean a book with a beautiful cover against the back of the unit.

Strike a Balance
 

Finish it Off

Finally, small plants are a great way to add more interest if you feel your “work of art” needs it. Sometimes plants are essential and sometimes they are not needed at all. Just continue to create balance if you decide to add greenery to your mix. And, be sure to choose only high quality plants – remember this is your personality you are creating!

So, go for it! Make Your Bookcase into a Work of Art

Need some guidance? I welcome your comments and questions along with any photos you can send and I will be happy to give you additional interior design ideas and tips.

Barbara Krai Interior Design serving Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Oldsmar, Dunedin, Odessa, Safety Harbor, Lutz, Avila, Cheval, New Port Richey, Bradenton, Lakeland and all
surrounding Tampa Bay Beaches and regional areas along the West Coast of Florida.

Early in my career – as both an interior designer and owner of an accessories store/design studio – I recognized the importance of traveling to the premier design centers as well as the furniture and gift shows held around the country.  As you might expect, I spend lots of time on trade websites and going through myriad  design magazines every month, but there’s no substitute for actually traveling to great cities, meeting and talking with leading artists and product designers, and looking at exciting new products close-up.  My travels around the country are always an inspiration for my current projects and allow me to bring unique and exclusive selections to each and every client.  Here are some highlights of my travels over the past couple of months – to Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles.

Mid-June found me in Chicago at the NeoCon furniture show in the amazing Merchandise Mart looming over the Chicago River.  With 4,000,000 square feet of floor space, the Merchandise Mart was the largest building in the world when it opened in 1930.  At the show, I selected several interesting seminars to attend including a fascinating one on using the psychology of design to create a healing environment for a chronically ill patient. I also found some great new product resources - one of my favorites being a line of fabulous textured glass tiles in vibrant, show-stopping colors.  Chicago is a wonderful city for art and architecture, and I made the time to stroll through Renzo Piano’s stunning new modern wing of the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue and took in Frank Gehry’s fabulous concert shell in Millennium Part. But the most fun in the park was the incredible “Bean” sculpture and Face Fountains – so creative!

Early July found me in that high-design mecca, Miami, where I spent a couple of days visiting shops in the Miami Design District. Every trip I make to the Miami District, with over 100 stores in a ten square block area, I invariably find just the right piece for a client and come across exciting new lines that I can draw on in my work.  My prize acquisition on this trip was the perfect desk chair for a client’s study - created by a German eco-friendly design firm, this beautifully designed chrome and leather chair features a solid curved natural walnut back toning in perfectly with the natural wood flooring in the study. My husband, Doug, accompanied me on this trip, taking advantage of the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a blind chief executive he’s co-authoring a new book with, “The Extraordinary Odyssey of a Blind Visionary.”  Doug and I also spent a delightful two hours on a cruise of Biscayne Bay, looking at the spectacular homes on the water. 

And I spent a rewarding day in mid-July at the California Gift Show in Los Angeles.  Not only did I soak up ideas and inspiration from the hundreds of vendors who were represented, I also found a fantastic collection of semi-precious gemstones for a client’s master bedroom etagere.  These dramatic pieces of agate, gypsum, amethyst, and other stones including rose quartz (the love stone) are the perfect accent pieces for a bedroom done in a soothing, naturalistic style.  My LA trip was also special because I was able to spend a couple of additional days with my son Steve and his kids Lane and Savannah. Living a block from the Pacific, we spent some fun hours on the beach.  The perfect trip for me - combining my three passions – family, design and water.

          For years, since opening my design boutique, Milieu, in Chagrin Falls, Ohio in 1994, I’ve been traveling to the preeminent home furnishings and gift shows around the US and abroad - from New York City to Dallas, Los Angeles, Milan, Italy  and points between – keeping myself on the cutting edge of design trends and searching out just the right piece of furniture or the perfect accessory for my clients.  I recently spent a very productive and stimulating four days at the largest of all shows in this country:  the International Home Furnishings Fair in High Point, North Carolina, popularly known as the High Point Market.  A sprawling complex with hundreds of furniture and accessories vendors located in many different buildings, High Point Market might be exhausting for some, but I loved every energizing minute of every 10-hour day I spent there.  It’s great that the showrooms are so hospitable – serving dinner buffets - so I could keep shopping into the evening. And still, the tremendous charge to my creative batteries got me going early the next day.

        In addition to finding items for my clients in the Southeastern US – for example, a unique and elegant entertainment unit for a Tampa Bay client’s family room – I was on the lookout for products we could add to my new Big Cat Luxe Gifts and Home Accessories line.   An exciting collaboration with Big Cat Rescue, a large, internationally renowned shelter for lions, tigers, and other members of the big cat family, the Big Cat Luxe Gifts line features unique, elegant big-cat-themed gifts and accessories that can be purchased on the web at www.BigCatLuxeGifts.com .   My collaboration with Big Cat Rescue on the Luxe Gifts line is a labor of love since it contributes to Big Cat Rescue’s wonderful work internationally.  Among many other fascinating items I found for the Luxe Gifts line, I’m particularly fond of some delightful original oil paintings of big cats that will be added to the line.

        The High Point Market wasn’t only about my searching out specific items of furniture and accessories for my clients and luxury products for the Big Cat Luxe Gifts line, it was also a great way to stimulate my thinking about design possibilities.  Walking the showrooms, discovering new furniture and accessories while chatting with manufacturers and product designers, got my creative juices flowing. I also took advantage of some really powerful educational programs.  One of the programs I attended featured Michael Payne, from HGTV fame, who entertained us with his presentation about how today’s technology explosion has led to unique new furniture and accessories for today’s design clients

        Yes, my four days at High Point Market were intense.  But I’ve come back to my design studio here in Tampa Bay with lots of new design ideas and re-charged creative batteries – ready to tackle my next design challenge!

Serving Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Oldsmar, Dunedin, Odessa,
Safety Harbor, Lutz, Avila, Cheval, New Port Richey, Bradenton, Lakeland and all
surrounding Tampa Bay Beaches and regional areas along the West Coast of Florida.