Lighting: Cheap, Quick and Chic !

Well Hello again my Dears, this is Greta von Schmedlapp starting off this second little talk with you…Those fine folks that produce the Westmount Independent want me to tell you about my cheapie lighting solution that Aurelien promised last time… since I’m the one that found the solution in the local Westmount Home –Depot- down , down Landsdowne through the stone arch of the Glenn,( the dressiest hardware store outside of Hogg’s elegant shop in the Westmount Village,) at St. Antoine, then I”ll tell you my secret trick for vastly improving the lighting in your home… Some of the best addresses in uppity Westmount suffer from being UNDER-lighting, and you would not believe how many fancy crystal chandeliers have mixtures of bulbs –some clear, some frosted, different wattages… Lighting can make or break a room – and I’ve said it millions of times, Play ball on the home court… you might as well as look good at home at least! Remember, your home is a backdrop for you! So, my dears, hie thee down to the lighting department of Home depot, and find on the end aisle, a small spot-light attached to a small clip –I think that the black finish is less visible than the brushed silver finish or the white, but it’s $6.99 !!Now, when you’re back home in your home, cast a cold-blooded eye over the living and dining rooms… in the evening, please, (with a delicious Martini to help you think,) and notice the lighting balance. Often one side of the room is better lit than the other. Place a clip light behind that potted rubber tree, or Ficus, and clip it on the edge of the cachepot, or at the base of the stem, and swivel it up-ward toward the ceiling – Voila! Beautiful filtered light through the leaves, and a lovely pattern on the ceiling, and more balanced illumination – you room looks bigger, and up-lights toward the top lift the height of the room – too often those industrial pot-lights shine on the floor, and leave the ceiling in darkness. Hey Greta, let me tell our readers about my client’s Chinese-influenced dining room! Aurelien here, When I visited her on one of my quickie “prêt-a-porter” visite, I saw an elegant room, with a large-enough centre fixture, but the rest of the room was hiding in gloom! She had a pair of large porcelain pots with superb preserved Bonsai trees about 5 feet tall flanking her Chinoiserie buffet. With the new clip-on up-lights casting pools of light upward, the room instantly had unusual shadows from the tree branches, and it looked much larger! All this for less than $20! Greta reminded me about another neighbor nearby, where we hid another pair of “clippies” behind the cornice molding of their TV cabinet. That simple solution helped reduce the TV glare, as well as showing off the height of the cabinet. Thanks to Greta’s sleuthing, two families have a better atmosphere at home with very little cash outlay! Next time, my dears, Greta and I will tell you how to take the curse off of that long, narrow up-stairs hall. Bye for now. Do let me hear from you, I will reply to your problem Room questions – and with no invoice attached! Write us at: aurelien@colorsbyaurelien