Design Direction

August 24, 2011 · Posted in Design Direction

“Hey Vastu! So here’s my problem. I just purchased a new home and in the dining area is a standard, and ugly, brass chandelier, similar to the picture. It’s too traditional for my taste and the brass finish just doesn’t fit my style at all. I’d like to replace it with a more modern chandelier but am not sure which direction to take or where to look. Can you guys give me any ideas?”

Here’s what designer, and Vastu co-owner, Jason Claire had to say:

Thanks for submitting your design dilemma and congratulations on the new place!

As for your lighting problem, I’m assuming when you want a “chandelier” you’re really searching for a more formal-looking hanging or pendant light for the space. One way to go about this is to look for lights with chandelier shapes but made out of modern materials. That way, you can mix the traditional feel of a formal chandelier (usually seen in the lamping, or the interior) with the modern look of materials like steel, mirrors, and resin.

As for the light bulbs themselves, a modern approach is to use LEDs or halogen bulbs. The problem with these is that they’re harsh and not suitable for a dining room, and many LEDs are still not dimmable. A solution is to use incandescent bulbs. The traditional look of these bulbs can bring a warm twist to the modern materials found in many pendant fixtures.

Check out some of our favorite lights below!

The Meri Drum Chandelier is made of pierced resin so that the light can shine through.

The Grayson Chandelier is made of reclaimed glass that is given an antiqued gold finish on the interior and a mirrored finish on the exterior. The lamping consists of four 60W bulbs.

The Sola Chandelier has five incandescent bulbs that can come with five different hand-blown glass shapes (in various colors) oriented either above or below a metal ring.

I hope these give you some ideas or inspiration in your quest for a modern chandelier! Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with for your new home!