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Look & Learn: Pendant Lamps & Pops Of Color

Posted by
February 25, 2010

We’re introducing a new feature here at YHL called Look & Learn, and it’s all about taking an inspiration room and trying to figure out how and why it works. Because admiring a beautiful space is always fun, but figuring out what elements and ideas can actually be borrowed or adapted for your very own casa (preferably on the cheap) is the icing on the cake. First we’ll take this gorgeous office/lounge by Sarah Richardson (one of my hands down favorite designers who’s right up there with Candice Olson and Nate Berkus):

The first thing you’ll probably notice is that the background (rug, sofa, desk, etc) is very light and neutral. Except for a few dark furniture legs and a small end table in a nice ebony finish (which add a pretty dash of contrast and interest) the whole room almost feels like a fluffy cream cloud. And no, this room probably wouldn’t survive three dogs and five kids with red Sharpies, but a few adaptations could really make it more pup/child-friendly (like a washable slipcovered sofa and a durable berber carpet that’s a tad darker). But the neutral background is less intriguing to us than the two touches that Sarah added to amp up the entire space:

  1. A large statement-making drum pendant (it’s like a stunning metallic sculpture in the room)
  2. Cheerful pops of punchy yellow (in the curtains, accent pillows and even the spine of one of the hardcover books on the coffee table)

The takeaway: any room with a subdued neutral base can definitely be transformed from blah to brilliant with a large look-at-me pendant light (even one from a thrift store that you spray paint) and some brightly colored curtains & throw pillows in a happy shade like sunshine yellow. Picture that room with white curtains and a white flush mount ceiling fixture. Yawn, right? I mean it wouldn’t be ugly but it wouldn’t be nearly as happy slash inviting slash charming as it is with those printed curtains, a few yellow throw pillows and that gorgeous metal pendant (it’s really like jewelry for the room).

So even if you don’t have much money you can probably find some discount fabric and use this tutorial to make no sew curtains and hunt down some sort of pendant on eBay, Craigslist, or even from a garage sale (and perhaps even go as far as to spray paint it a rich hammered gold tone). That’s a pretty straighforward to-do list for anyone with a basic neutral room that they’re looking to spiff up on a dime, right? We loved the simplicity of the single accent color idea (how easy is that?) and the DIY-worthy appeal (seriously, anyone can implement this plan to upgrade their space with a quick pillow, curtain, and light switcheroo).

Now let’s take a look at this cozy (and seemingly much more kid/dog friendly) space that we spotted a while back on A Life’s Design:

Again we’ll notice that the background is very neutral. White walls, a cream sofa, a sand colored rug, and a light woven ottoman add up to another airy and simple looking “base.” But it’s easy to see what really makes the room- and it’s surprisingly similar to the list that we came up with for our first inspiration image:

  1. A large statement-making drum pendant (this one’s even more oversized and full of natural texture like the ottoman and rug)
  2. Cheerful pops of punchy orange (in the art, accent pillows, throw and even the oranges on the ottoman)

Isn’t that funny? It’s almost as if it’s now an official formula. Any neutral room + some pops of one punchy accent color + a large pendant light = a cheerful and inviting space that feels polished and welcoming. So again, anyone with a relatively low-contrast room can adapt this idea for their very own home (it doesn’t matter if your walls, sofa and rug are varying shades of white, tan, mocha, gray, cream, etc- as long as they’re all generally similar in tone when you squint your eyes and look at the room from afar).

Just pick up some brightly colored pillows and maybe a throw for the sofa (we love TJ Maxx, Target, Home Goods, Marshall’s and Bed Bath & Beyond for chic yet cheap-o throw pillows) and you’re well on your way. Then introducing the big pendant light will add to the entire room’s posh-factor (check out how we upgraded a bare ceiling bulb with a $25 linen-like lamp shade right here) and bringing in a bit more of your accent color in everything from small scale art to fruit in a bowl on the coffee table should finish things off nicely (think of that last step as extra credit).

So that’s our first installment of Look & Learn. What do you guys think? Do you like the idea of taking inspiration rooms apart to see what really makes them tick (and hopefully adapting some ideas for your very own home on the cheap?). And while we’re on the subject of surprising room formulas that really seem to work, do you have any fail-safe decorating equations that you follow when it comes to adding style and interest to your casa? Spill it.

Psst- Looking for more decorating help? Check out our How To page and scroll down to the “Decorating Lessons” category to see tons of tutorials about everything from picking the right rug and sleuthing out the best window treatments to avoiding matchy-matchy syndrome and decorating an apartment or dorm.

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