Paid partnership with Hudson valley Lighting Group, all words and pictures are my own
There's nothing like the autumn and winter darkness to make you realise you don't have enough lighting at home (yelp!). Put simply, you need at least 5 different types of lights in a standard size room (a mix of ambience, overhead and task lighting). Outdoor lighting is also important to extend the alfresco season, brighten up an entrance and create a welcoming vibe! Last week, Per and I headed to the cabin to install two lights in the fading autumn light.
The first one we installed was the District pendant by Troy Lighting which is made from hand blown glass with soft black detail. The cabin has a 4-metre ceiling height, so we borrowed a ladder. Here's me checking the length (for someone who has a slight fear of heights, this was a brave moment!). The light comes with a black ceiling canopy which looks super smart once in place.
As with all handmade pieces, the handblown glass has subtle imperfections which give it a lovely vintage feel. It comes in two different sizes (this is the smaller one measuring 40 cm high x 20.32 cm wide), and three different glass finishes: clear, topaz and smoke. Since it's a fairly small room, I chose the clear glass for a 'barely there' feel.
I love the closed concave bottom - it's not unlike a fine bottle of wine! But more than that, it catches and reflects the light in a lovely way.
Outdoor lighting
Meanwhile, outside it can be pitch black (save for the moon and stars) at this time of year at the cabin.
I've learned good garden lighting is key for three reasons: it means you can still be outside and enjoy mild evenings after the sun goes down, it creates a welcoming feel when you arrive home and finally, there's something unsettling about looking out into a black hole of darkness through the window, and good garden lighting can do wonders to lighten up the outside world - highlighting your deck, a tree or other parts of the garden, helping you to feel less 'closed-in'.
Note: try to steer clear of lights that emit light directly upwards as this can disorientate migrating birds.
For us, the first step was to install a light in the decked area so we can sit outside on autumn evenings (when the weather allows for it of course!). The Atwater Wall Sconce by Troy Lighting caught our eye as we liked the vintage brass finish and the warm glow.
Specifically designed for outdoor use, it's available in three different sizes. This one is 45.72 cm high x 16.51 cm wide.
I particularly like the finish - it's a tone I've used throughout the cabin. I also really appreciate the golden glow, it creates a really welcoming, cosy vibe!
It's so much cosier to sit out here in Autumn now. Maybe we'll invest in a fire pit next, what do you think?
Lighting up my friend's bathroom
And finally, it would be mean spirited of me to keep all these wonderful lights to myself. My friend Ullis (who I've known since I was five and lives a few doors down) has recently completed her bathroom renovation and it's amazing! There was just one piece missing - mood lighting!
Ullis already has spotlights in the ceiling, so the overhead lighting was covered, what was needed was a warm mood light. Which is where this beauty came into the picture!
Made from solid cast brass, the Diggs wall sconce by Hudson Valley Lighting Group is small but fairly weighty (you do need a good, solid wall for this one). It looks great all over the home, but I also love that it can be installed in the bathroom.
It has a hooded design with a handcrafted look and feel which looks equally pretty switched off or on.
It gives off such a lovely warm glow, don't you think? I love it when a plan comes together!
I'm considering installing this in our stairwell too (a dark area of our home that's in need of more light!).
I hope you like these lamps as much as we do. Do you have a favourite?
You can see all the lights have selected from Hudson Valley Lighting Group in the past here, here and here.
This weekend is perfect timing to do a light edit in your home and ensure you have enough each room. Is there somewhere in your home you need to work on?
Have a great weekend friends, vi ses på måndag!
Niki
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(I've learned it's so important to celebrate little things in life, otherwise it's easy to just keep going without stopping to enjoy the moment, don't you think?). Since I'm still dusting down the cobwebs this morning (mostly from my own head!!) - I thought it would be apt to share this beautiful Swedish home. The designer has kept to a combination of white, cream and black throughout for an incredibly clean, calm home - and the perfect place to relax and drink in the natural daylight. Oh how I'd love to be padding about here today, how about you? There's even a cup of tea waiting for u
