image – vicki archer
I mentioned to you before Christmas that I am helping my daughter renovate her first apartment. I have to tell you that I love a renovation… especially when it is a total make-over… The sound of the saws, the drills and the hammers is music to my ears; the smell of wet plaster and paint is like a sweet fragrance to me. I understand that for some, building is a chore and a drama that they would sooner live without – for me, it is pure pleasure.
Last time we spoke about this I was helping Emily find a chandelier for the living room. The layout of her new apartment is a contemporary one… a living area that has kitchen, dining and sitting room together. The light fitting will hang above an oval dining table near the kitchen. Do you think we can find the right chandelier? I would have thought this was the easy job? In the time that we have been searching for lighting we have managed to plan and choose a kitchen, select marble slabs and tiles for the bathroom and find fabulous wallpapers for her bedroom and entrance hall. We have decided on floor coverings and designed closets and book cases. These decisions came easily… but the lighting… I have struggled with the lighting every step of the way.
As I write this I realise that lighting has always been my least favourite element of renovation and remodelling… it was the same story with our farmhouse in St Rémy… sourcing the most simple of wall and hanging lights was the slowest part of the project. It is about finding that delicate balance between contemporary and ‘antique’ that proves such a dilemma. We want to personalise the space, give it some warmth and substance… make it hers… and for this reason our hearts were set on an old chandelier. The French make this transition between the old and the new so seamlessly… I have such respect for their design skills… it is not as easy as it looks… And of course budget… she makes for a mean partner… A first flat does not warrant illumination the likes of Versailles… but it is her first home and it must be right… In my dreams I see her moving in with nothing but a high wattage bulb for company… Do you find ‘lighting’ a chore like me? Or are there other design aversions that have you running for cover?
The hunt goes on… xv
