Sam Cram Design x Hudson Valley Lighting

Lighting is everything. It can make or break any space.

It’s best to use 4 to 5 sources of light in each space you live in. I like to have a variety of heights in every space - high, medium, and lower. I also like to mix in different kinds of scale in the space for visual appeal.

Each type of light brings something different to the space. That’s something I really tried to bring to a recent project to re-decorate my Mom’s room. I used multiple types of popular lighting techniques to make the space both bright and interesting.

Here’s some of the techniques I used, as well as some tips and tricks for how to brighten up your own space:

Chandelier

Always make sure that the chandelier you use is dropped low enough to where it feels like a statement, but also high enough to where it feels like it is an accessory in the space. A good rule of thumb is to have 6.5 to 7 feet of space below the bottom of the chandelier. This space had about 10.5 foot ceilings, with an overall height of about 36 inches for the Fenwater chandelier, so I needed to make sure I gave myself about 9 feet of chain to drop it off the ceiling.

Table Lamps

I love how the Locust Grove table lamps look on the nightstands here. The scale of them is phenomenal and they are even more pretty in person. They measure about 18’’ x 27’’, so on nightstands that are about 32’’ wide they are perfect!

I love a larger scale table lamp, especially when they are framing a king side bed. I wanted them to be visually light in this space, since the goal was to make this room a lot brighter and more soothing for my mom. One of her favorite parts is that they are on dimmers! That is probably one of my favorite things that makes these lamps especially unique.

Desk Lamp

The texture on this Zen lamp is exactly what this space needed! I love a good natural texture, and this lamp was perfect! I realty wanted a more substantial table lamp on the desk. My mom doesn’t use this desk very often, so leaving space for room to work wasn’t a huge priority.

I love the mix of the concrete table lamp with the marble French writing desk my mom has passed from my grandmother. The scale is awesome, at about 18’’ x 27’’. And, this lamp is HEAVY - that’s when you know its good.

Picture Light

The days of hunting for good picture lights are over. This Woodbury picture light in Antique Brass is everything. I love this picture light for lots of reasons, but mostly because I love how you can chose to plug in or hardwire the piece into the wall. It is the most amazing size and it has a great antiqued coloring to it. It is well-made and heavy. The backplate is solid and makes grounding the artwork easy. It measures 3.5’’ x 24’’- perfect for a large scale piece of art like the one in my Mom’s room.