The Rural Voice, 2006-04, Page 48Patti
Robertson
operates
Classic
Interiors in
Wingham.
By Patti Robertson
When young, I had a wildly, vivid
imagination. Piranha fish lurked in
every swimming hole and puddle.
Black Widows clung to every
cobweb awaiting my passing and
snakes crawled out of toilets. Ghosts,
goblins and ghouls resided on the
stairway, in the closet and under the
bed. I drove the entire family crazy
with my nightmares and wild tales.
Finally Gramma suggested leaving
the hall light on for me and, lo and
behold, I settled down once I
understood there was nothing but my
imagination lurking in the shadows.
Thus began 'the life-long love affair
with light.
Lighting is the cosmetic for our
home. It can dramatize or minimize,
literally changing the apparent shape
and form within a room. There are
three types of lighting used within
our homes. First is "general" or
overall lighting as in ceiling fixtures,
creating easy, safe movement within
our spaces. Next comes "task"
lighting which puts the focal point
directly over the job to be done, as in
reading, sewing, shaving or applying
makeup, etc. Finally there is
Home Decorating
Light up your life
"decorative or accent" lighting, and
this is the lighting that provides
glamour and highlights to our rooms.
Accent lighting comes in forms
from nightlights to fixtures not much
higher than 12 inches, with
everything from Tiffany stained-glass
shades to beaded and fringed to
feathered silk or paper. "Picture
Lights" and spotlights for artwork
also fall into the accent category.
Now, put on your visionary
glasses and' come with me to a pretty
little 1950s bungalow bwned by a
single girlfriend of mine. All the
rooms are painted in "sun -drenched"
tones ranging from sun-dried tomato
to Navaho coral to honeyed -gold. The
floors range from Indian rugs to Terra
Cotta tiles. The woodwork is all a
warm medium cherry tone. The
furniture co-ordinates beautifully and
is of deep and comfy proportions.
The walls support a wondrous array
of artwork all repeating the hues used
within the home. The overall effect is
of warmth and charm.
My friend moved into her new
home last May and was thrilled — that
is until the fall. The more winter
approached, the more she began to
complain about her wonderful little
home. By this time I was really
getting concerned as to what the issue
was really about.
I started listening closer and
asking questions. It turns out that she
as always leaves for work at 7:00
a.m. and returns often as late as 8:00
or 9:00 p.m.
"You know" she said "I leave in
the dark and return in the dark ...
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357-2872
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44 THE RURAL VOICE
work all day inside out of the natural
light. How would you like to come
home to a cold dark home with no
one waiting on you?"
All of a sudden a partial solution
was so evident to me.
"You need to start leaving on your
accent lights — one in each room if
necessary," 1 told her. Accent lights
with their small -based bulbs, in
wattages from 5 - 25 really are
incredibly cost effective and very
energy efficient. Left on they create
warming pools of welcoming light to
come home to, you don't have to
fumble finding switches, worrying
about stubbing your toes or bumbling
into things. They truly are cosmetic
for our spaces in the most appropriate
way.
I also advised her to put her
exterior lighting on timers so they too
would be shining brightly in
anticipation of her return. A little
preparation in positioning the
decorative lighting and automatically
my galfriend is back to being
enchanted with her gracious little
home.
You know the old adage "better to
light a candle than curse the
darkness". That is exactly what so
many of our spaces can benefit from
a little enchanting warming glow of a
decorative accent lamp. Try it in your
own space; I know you will be
pleased with the results.
Patti's Tip: Use the "baby pink"
nightlight bulbs for extra warmth and
charm in lighting hue. These are
available at all hardware stoles and
most grocery stores.°
Deadline
for the
May issue of
The Rural Voice
is
April 19, 2006