Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Western Lights

The Kitchen Lighting Series - 1 -


I'm no interior designer and I don't have advice to give, because they aren't many "rules" I believe in when it comes to decorating. I go with my instinct.

1.
Je ne suis en aucun cas décoratrice et je n'ai de conseils à donner à personne: je ne connais aucune des règles qui sont censées rendre une maison parfaite.

2.
But there's one little thing I'm sure of: a kitchen needs a lot of lights. That's really true when you live in that Western part of France that is Brittany, where the natural light can change in a second. It can be very bright in the evening or very dark during the day...

3.
Mais il y a une toute petite chose dont je suis sûre: une cuisine a besoin d'éclairages nombreux et variés. C'est particulièrement vrai lorsque vous vivez en Bretagne où la lumière naturelle peut changer du tout au tout en un instant.

4.
In my kitchen, I like to have an overhead light in the middle of the room, not because it's very useful, but because it looks so traditional, I can't imagine a country kitchen without one.

5.
J'aime avoir une suspension au milieu du plafond, non pas parce que c'est ce qu'il y a de plus pratique, loin de là, mais parce que cela donne une petite touche traditionnelle à une cuisine de campagne.

6. Love that one, very French!
I like to have well lit countertops to prepare food... That is, in my dream, because in reality I have no countertops neither well lit nor badly lit!
 
7.

J'aime avoir des plans de travail bien éclairés, enfin, ça, c'est de la théorie car pour l'instant,  du plan de travail, je n'en ai pas du tout, ni bien, ni mal éclairé.

8.
But I also adore to have small table lamps so I can have a dim light in the wee hours of the morning or in the evening if I have a headache. I know table lamps are not so traditionnal in a kitchen, but I think they are a great asset.

9.

J'adore aussi avoir de petites lampes, celles que l'on n'attend pas dans une cuisine, mais qui permettent d'avoir un éclairage doux pour les petits-déjeuners d'hiver ou les soirs où j'ai mal à la tête.

10. How sute is that one?
I'm not going to lie, I haven't found a solution for everything in the cottage kitchen for now as far as lighting is concerned, but progress have been made. I don't have only light bulbs anymore... Just a few left!

11.
Je ne vais pas vous mentir, je n'ai pas encore trouvé toutes les solutions pour l'éclairage de ma propre cuisine, mais j'ai bien progressé de ce côté-là. Il me reste quelques ampoules toutes nues, mais il y a aussi de jolies choses que je vous montrerai la prochaine fois.

12.
I'll show you more in the next post!

13.
Any favourite among my inspiration pictures?

Alors, des coups de cœur parmi mes photos d'inspiration?

14.

See you soon,

A bientôt,


PS1: I do have a headache today, but that's from having to unexpectedly empty the whole kitchen this morning as the cabinets have been delivered. It's a total mess right now in every room of that little cottage: there are cabinets in the kitchen, dining-room and living-room while all that was previously in the kitchen is now in the bedroom, the spare room or even the bathroom! But it's good news, somehow.

J'ai bien mal à la tête encore aujourd'hui, mais c'est pour une bonne raison cette fois. Ce matin, j'ai dû vider en urgence la cuisine car les meubles de la nouvelle cuisine allaient être livrés... Du coup, j'ai des bouts de meubles dans la cuisine, le salon et la salle-à-manger tandis que les chambres et même la salle de bain accueillent ce qu'il y avait avant dans la cuisine. C'est le bazar partout, mais en fait, c'est plutôt une bonne nouvelle!

PS2: If you're looking for kitchen lighting ideas, feel free to steal them from my Pinterest board: Kitchen Lighting. Yes, I was very inspired the day I found that board name!

Si vous cherchez des idées d'éclairage pour votre cuisine, vous pouvez piquer les idées que j'ai déjà piqué à d'autres en cliquant ici.

PS3: I'm partying there.

Linky Party          Ivy and Elephants             31 Days to Slash Your Budget Painlessly               

Lavender Garden Cottage             

34 comments:

  1. My aunt always kept a little lamp in the kitchen, and she gave it to me, but it with missing in the move; that means it in some boxes that I rearranged. I think a little lamp like that in your fisherman cottage kitchen will be so sweet. :) This is something I’ve noticed, and I don’t intend to be a “know it all”, but the ceiling lights with the closed or mostly closed metal will only direct light downward, and white glass dims and diffuses the light, and seeded glass is see through, but looks old. What do you envision? The ruffled one looks French to me, and it's my favorite. The others look American farmhouse or industrial. I actually like them all except the jars and the Ikea colander. I think lighting is so difficult to choose, because it has to be functional and aesthetic!!! It might be the hardest thing to choose, unless one had a signature piece that the kitchen was built around. As always I love your posts. xoxo

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  2. The cabinets have been delivered! I am so excited!!!! I like the inspiration lamps, but I look forward to seeing your more.

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  3. 8 12 & 13 are my faves! love all the inspiration - and you're right, go with your instinct - ALWAYS!!!

    xox

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  4. I so love your ideas for lighting and your thoughts on the subject, too! Having built our kitchen, we also had to think of these things and are still working on improvements. I love the kitchen themed lighting the best - the canning jar lamps, the colander lampshades, and the tea kettle table lamps. So charming! You can never have enough lighting and I agree with having table lamps in the kitchen for those early morning and late night kitchen raids. :) I have a headache today, too, but your reason is much more wonderful than mine. Can't wait to see your lovely cabinets! xo Karen

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    1. I also love the idea of using kitchen objects turned into lamps... I may have worked on a little project about that... I think you'll love it! I hope your headache will clear out.

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  5. I have several favorites, and right now I need to go and get the packing boxes out of my own kitchen so I can make dinner so I will not go on and on, but I just have to tell you that #9 made me shriek with delight!!!! I love a table lamp or several in the kitchen, and that one is a sweetie!!!

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  6. I love all of the lighting you shared. I look forward to seeing what you chose! And...how exciting that your cabinets have arrived! Happy Tuesday...Vicky

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  7. So hard to choose! I adore the kitchen stuff with holes in, they are so much fun! And also the BonneMamam confiture jars, a great idea! But as it is a fisherman's cottage, the authentic fisherman's lamps really go well with the spirit of the house... not easy to find what you look for, but maybe at a flee market?? Good Luck, Marcy

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  8. Oh I'm so excited for you that your cabinets are at least in the house !!!
    I can imagine how " ready " you are to see them up :)
    Great light choices - can't pick just one ( how can you ask anyone to pick just one when you give such great choices !!! )
    Ok - I DO love the colander one :)
    xoxo

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  9. Darn headaches Magali. Some pretty fun lights in your collection! I hope it leaves you quickly! I think I am a fan of lucky number 13! This is very exciting news....your cabinets are here!!!! YAY!

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  10. S'il y a bien une pièce qui nécessite un éclairage central, c'est la cuisine, tout à fait d'accord. Même s'il ne suffit pas. Je n'ai pas d'applique dans cette pièce, car je trouve qu'il faut une grande pièce pour ça, j'ai privilégié les spots en dessous de l'étagère pour éclairer l'évier. Mais comme il restait une arrivée électrique (il y en a encore une d'ailleurs, j'en avais prévu en quantité, mais elle est scotchée et cachée), celle-ci a été recouverte d'une vieille passoire (elle n'avait pas vraiment besoin d'éclairer), voir ici: http://irmasvd.canalblog.com/archives/2010/02/26/17043067.html
    Bon a-m.

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  11. J'aime bien les lampes faites avec des ustensiles de cuisine mais avec le temps j'ai peur que ça fasse kitsch, alors oui pour les ustensiles de cuisine mais seulement pour les lampes qu'on peut déplacer, sinon pour les lampes fixes, je suis un peu plus classique. Je dois dire que j'ai un faible quand même pour les lampes faites avec des bocaux.
    Demain vide greniers si le temps se maintient. Bises. Babette

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  12. I'm thinking about lights in my kitchen, too, since we are (lightly) renovating. I just posted about it, too! I'm following your lighting board for inspiration!

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  13. I like #2 and #13. I know they are nothing alike. What can I say. :) I can just see your cute little cottage with the fanciness of #2 adding a special touch to the kitchen. But 13 looks very modern nautical to me, so I think that would be perfect also. I am wanting new light fixtures in my own house. Maybe I'll send you my nasty, early 90's, brass grossness.

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  14. I too have a headache from the strong floor paint... we had to close the doors and open windows. Lets hope that all this hard work and let`s not even mention "the money" will pay off in the end! Its been so long since I last decorated that I forgot how expensive everything is! :) Hope you get to find the right kitchen lights! The ones that you shared with us are too cute!

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  15. Can't wait to see the cabinets and the lights! Love the styles you are leaning towards in the pictures.

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  16. I agree, for your home and kitchen Magali, you need one good central chandy/lighting. I love the schoolhouse pendants - an ode to the classics and to your profession. I didn't do any consulting with my kitchen lighting too, just a lot of instincts as well and I think it worked out just fine!

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  17. I love most of them, but especially the upcycled type that used to be something else, like the colanders and jam jars.
    I have a table lamp in my kitchen and keep it on all the time, the ambience is much nicer in the evening and I only put the overhead light on when I'm cooking !
    Yay, kitchen cabinets, it'll be worth the headache when it's all done !

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  18. #13 was my fave! We put in a bunch of recessed lighting, plus the 2 big industrial lights over the island. It's still way too dark! We're going to be installing lighting under the cabinets and that should help. YES! Kitchens need light!!!

    -andi

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  19. You got your cabinets! How exciting!!

    (I love 9, 10 and 13h

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  20. Number 10 is an absolute darling. I have been thinking of doing "the cookie stand with cups and so on" for about five years, now I think I have seen it too much, but I love towers and home made lamps. I find lamps extremely difficult. They take up so much attention with their shapes (and light) that I almost find them offensive. I am not a big fan of regular ceiling pendants, I do not like it when the lightbulb stares at me. Nor do i like recessed lighting. For me, it will always being a compromise between what I like and not stumblin into things due to the darkness. I have quite the same dilemma with curtains. =) Tom dixon is my fav but that is more like sculptures. These I like instead of recessed, but they require the best looking light bulbs... http://www.byggfabriken.com/sortiment/belysning/vatrum-porslinssockel/info/produkter/731-121-vit-fotlamphaallare/

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    1. I have a thing for lamp... I have more than I need and every now and then I change them! I have overhead lighting only because I find them beautiful, but I rarely turn them on, I use table lamps more!

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    2. I know, it is such a silly thing to disklike. I am ok with tables and chairs and they are larger... maybe I am a romantic and want it to be sunshine all day =)

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  21. I love love love 8 and 14. 14 seems like nice lighting even if on a dimmer. I worry about the colander as I think after awhile the pattern that is playing out on the ceiling would become annoying....sort of like a headache? :)

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  22. Je suis d'accord avec toi , une cuisine doit être bien éclairée, quelques spot hallogène bien placé c'est pratique et comme suspension J'ai opté pour un moule à charlotte adapté avec une ampoule .
    Belle fin de journée . Tinou

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    1. Géniale, l'idée du moule à charlotte. Je crois qu'il me faudrait plusieurs cuisines pour pouvoir utiliser toutes les idées de lampes que j'ai.
      Bon weekend prolongé.

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  23. Numbers 12 and 13 are my favorites. Picking lighting is difficult. I prefer to have the wiring done but pick the actual fixture when the room is complete. I don't envy you the task. You always make great decisions however and I'm sure your choices will be perfect. I hope you are having a great week and that you are happy with whatever progress has been made. Remodeling is chaotic. When we installed our new kitchen, my husband did it all. I washed dishes in the bathtub for months! Hugs, Dana

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  24. Number 1 is my fave. I don't have proper lighting in my kitchen. There is no light directly over the sink...and because we have a skylight over the table, no direct light there, either. I love the look of a lamp in the kitchen.

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  25. How interesting to see #6! I have one very similar hanging over my kitchen table!

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    1. Well, I love those old opaline lamps! Yours must be lovely!

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  26. I like so many of these lighting styles. I also need lights for over my cabinets. Someday...sigh! Thank you for sharing at What We Accomplished Wednesdays. Have a lovely week! ~Deborah

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  27. #2, 6, 8 and 10 are my favorites, but they're all wonderfully charming. I enjoy shopping for lighting. There are so many options available in various price ranges. I can almost always find something in my budget that results in big impact in the room I'm decorating. Great post, Magali. Thanks.

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    1. I hope I'll be able to find lighting that have big impact...

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  28. There were some super lighting ideas in your post, think you gave me some inspiration for a new shade! I do love the lamp base made up of cups and saucers. I saw one in a shop last summer but of course I didn't buy it because I thought I'll make my own!! Hasn't happened, yet! Hope your headache didn't last, can't wait to see the cabinets.

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