Let There Be Lighting
A room-by-room guide, dimmers not optional.
It’s embarrassingly obvious, but if I’ve learned anything during this renovation, it’s that good lighting makes for a great home. Not only does it literally set the tone — both in terms of the design and the mood — the fixtures will be a constant for as long as you live there. So if, like me, you’re fundamentally cheap (and/or used to living in rentals), it’s time to spring for what truly (de)lights you.
The investment part first hit me when I toured a Chelsea sublet in 2021: I immediately fell for the apartment because of the cheerful Jasper Morrison Glo-Balls lining the hallway, followed by another pendant and a floor lamp version in the living area. Not only did they tell you a lot about the owners’ style, they had been there for at least 15 years and still looked great — as they did when I moved out three years later. (Plus, they made me smile every day.) A pendant costs upward of $650, but if you get a couple of decades out of pleasure out of it, that seems like a much better investment than, say, ¼ of this season’s It bag.
Speaking of trends, with each light — and I had to buy several for every single room — I had to ask myself: Will it look dated in 5, 10…20 years? Because this isn’t Pinstagram. It’s my forever home. It’s an important question that I learned to ask with each decision throughout the renovation.
Here’s where I splurged — and saved — and the dimmer switches (and bulbs!) that brought it all together.
In the Kitchen
Charlotte Perriand Applique Cylindrique Longue sconces | Industrial yet pretty, and they haven’t been knocked off to death — yet. The only wink in an angular, white-on-off-white kitchen, they bring a welcome curve and burst of (slightly off) color, as well as a nice wash of light to the countertops.
