a favorite detail: ceilings with a sheen

Twenty two years ago I went to purchase paint for our very first house.  It was a little gem of a house in the beautiful old neighborhood of Eastmoreland in Portland, Oregon.  I did my research and found that Benjamin Moore was the best paint available at the time.  I then purchased the wrong paint sheen for the ceiling... at least that is what my painter told me!  I had purchased Benjamin Moore's "Pearl" finish for the paint to be used on the ceiling.  My painter made a big issue about me buying the "wrong" paint sheen-  painters like flat on the ceiling as they think it hides a multitude of imperfections and makes their paint job look better.  

Despite his protests, I had the painter paint the ceiling in one bedroom so I could look at it and decide.   I could stand in the hall between this bedroom and the master bedroom and have the perfect vantage point that let me look in both bedrooms by simply turning my head;  one with a sheen on the ceiling and one with the original flat paint.  As my painter went on and on admonishing me for my error and how now you see all the small cracks and imperfections in the circa1939 ceiling, blah, blah, blah.... all I could think was:   the ceiling with the sheen looks 2 inches taller!  The small, rather dark room was transformed and looked beautiful as the natural light from the windows subtly danced off the ceiling.  It was a mistake gone good!   From that moment I have never used anything but  Benjamin Moore's Pearl (which is a sheen between an eggshell and a semi-gloss) on my ceilings in all my houses (most paint lines only have flat, eggshell, semi-gloss, and gloss.)

Light, both natural and from lamps and chandeliers, bounces off the ceiling and creates this lovely subtle effect of life and movement in the room.  I say subtle because no one walks into your home and says "Oh look, you have shiny ceilings."  It's more of a feel than a sheen.

In our 1950's neighborhood in Dallas where all the original houses were one-story ranches I had a neighbor over and he was noting how similar in layout our houses were, except that my ceilings were taller!!  They, of course, were not taller- it was the paint sheen that made them feel that way!  To this day I don't think he ever really believed me that it was just the paint!

Be forewarned-  painters will argue to their death about why you shouldn't use it and how you're going to see small cracks and imperfections.  Stand your ground!  While there might be a small amount of truth to what they say, the effect on the room by having a sheen on the ceiling FAR outweighs seeing some small cracks.  You'll notice the feel of the room, not the imperfections- I promise!!

If you have 12 foot ceilings this sheen probably won't be of interest to you, but if you have 8 or 9 foot ceilings this little detail can be a lovely element in a room. 

I think it is important to always keep an open mind in regards to design!  Some of my favorite design elements have risen out of either a mistake, or a structural issue needing to be addressed, or money (i.e. lack of funding;) ;  but, if your eyes aren't open to the possibilities- even in the problems and the negative, then you might miss them.

( to read my other favorite design details click here. )

a favorite detail: multiple outlets on one switch

 I love lamps.  Nothing makes a house feel cozier.  At last count I was at 39 in the house, not including chandeliers, sconces and picture lights!  For me, a dark house is a sad house...  hence my love of lamps.

When we renovated both the farmhouse and the barn I had the electrician wire multiple outlets to one wall switch -  one receptacle of each double electrical outlet around the room, from locations where I knew I wanted to place a lamp, was wired to one wall switch.  So now in the living room, bedrooms and barn room I can walk in and with one flip of a switch all the lamps in the room come on!    (don't forget that all lamps should be on dimmers- here!)  I have loved having this favorite detail in the house, and wanted to share it with you as I know many of you are renovating/building.

I also wanted to share a favorite lampshade with you, as when you love lamps you also love lampshades!  This large antique Chinese blue and white vase was made into a lamp for the barn room.  It is French wired- meaning the wiring runs down the back instead of through the lamp via a hole drilled in the bottom.  If you drill through the bottom of a porcelain piece you then have to use a base of some sort to sit the porcelain on so that you can angle the wire out through a side exit point to make the lamp sit flat instead of on the wire (in this case a wooden Chinese stand would be the traditional choice.)  I didn't want that traditional look on this lamp preferring a more casual feel, so the lamp was French wired and the vase sits directly on the soapstone topped antique worktable.

 This mica filigree drum lampshade is from Pottery Barn. 

I panicked when I went to PB to link this to the post to find that it said "no longer available", but after calling the store I was told that they have these mica shades in-store only.  They are the same shade, but without the leaf filigree detail.  I highly recommend them as the natural mica casts a beautiful light.  My shade is in "champagne", but it also comes in a darker "amber" color.



a favorite detail: real wax candle sleeves (and a coupon!)

God is in the details.... or, is it the devil?! 
Either way, I agree!  It's the details...  the little details that can take a room from ordinary to special.
I have decided to do some posts on some of my favorite design "details."  Most often these are small details that not many would ever walk into a room and notice straightaway, but details that give a space a certain je ne sais quoi. 

My first "favorite detail" for a room is real wax candle sleeve covers for lamps, sconces and chandeliers.






There is just something lovely about using "real" beeswax sleeves.   For a small amount of money you can upgrade paper, or horrors... plastic;) to real wax sleeves.  That one simple detail will change the whole piece.
 I sold many lamps and chandeliers using wax sleeve covers in my antiques business.  When we lived in Dallas I could find them at local lamp shops, but they were of average quality and were expensive.  After moving to New Hampshire and not having a lamp shop nearby I searched the Internet and found a company whose product I love...
 
Lumiere Candles 

Since moving into the farmhouse I have repeatedly purchased from owners Paul and Lisa, who are lovely and wonderful to work with.  All of their beeswax candle sleeves are hand-dipped at their company here in the USA, and drips are then added by hand;   they are not made from molds, so each piece is uniquely different!
I find they have great prices, and their sleeves are the best qualtiy I have ever purchased!

I was thrilled when Paul and Lisa recently wrote to offer me, and YOU a
10% discount off of your order.
This is a permanent coupon, with no minimum purchase!
 When checking out, simply enter the coupon code : FLOH  in the "Coupon" box and be sure to then click "apply coupon" which will re-total your amount.


(I realize I sound like an infomercial;) but I am not being paid for this endorsement, I just happen to love their products, and am excited to share it (as I do all my sources) with you!)

The website is very educational and will walk you through their products on the "product overview" page.  But, here are a couple of things to consider when ordering... first is size.  You need to figure out if you have the small candelabra sockets or regular sockets. 

Next is height.  If ordering custom sized sleeves, be sure to measure twice!   You do not want any part of the socket showing (like in the photo below;)  If the candle sleeve fits down inside the holder I often use a strip of paper, mark it, then measure the paper instead of using a measuring tape, so I can get an accurate measurement.

The beeswax sleeve covers can accommodate up to 25 watt bulbs.

Regarding choosing a color... I have found that

 their "white" is best suited to my Benjamin Moore White Dove, and "ivory" would work well with Benjamin Moore Linen White. 

Lumiere's website is great, so I encourage you to look around!  They also sell beeswax honeycomb covers, large diameter covers (which are impossible to find), lightbulbs and also a resin line if you are going to be using higher watt bulbs.
Thank you to Paul and Lisa for extending this coupon to all my readers!


post script:
The majority of these lighting photos are from the barn room!  We've had a ongoing (two-month- ughhhh) issue with the tung oil floor finish throughout the barn.  It's  boring, maddening, irritating, annoying ... did I mention maddening, and I can't talk about right now.  I bring this up since several;) of you have inquired about the room and hope to see a reveal.  You and me both!
Unfortunately the room sits empty as we work to resolve the floor.   We're close, really close.  The resolution involved our household motto "If you want something done right, then do it yourself,"  - which means that Dan has taken over finishing the floor. 
I "hope" to show you the finished (empty) barn room, mud room and loft soon, but reveals of those spaces are a ways away I'm afraid. 
Please cross you floor-finishing fingers for us!
xo joan