Making an impression is central to dramatic style, so the intimate setting of a dining room is the perfect place to express your creative flair- and to revel in the riches of color, pattern, and texture.
Dramatic style provides you with a bold canvas, whether your tastes are sleek and contemporary or steeped in the glamour and history of a period look. Ambiance is important in any dining room, and creating a setting where your guests have a sense of well-being underlines its success. However, the mood in a dramatic dining room or dining area goes further, bestowing a sense of occasion and making any meal served in the room a memorable, almost theatrical experience. The success of the style relies on an imaginative approach rather than a large budget - creating a great visual effect is what matters. Capitalize on the attributes of the room, such as its natural light, height, or size. Even a particularly small dining room can be an advantage because you can emphasize its cozy, intimate atmosphere. Highlight any key elements: extravagant drapes in luxurious velvets, silks, or brocades; crystal glass Dining room light and sleek, gleaming tableware; large, ornate mirrors and candlesticks; and the most important element of all, strong, bold color combinations.
Creating the Look
Use color on the walls to establish a particular mood. If the mood is to be airy and romantic, pale shades, with gilding or shiny metal accents, will help to create the right ambiance. For a classical twist, you could opt for graphic black and white.
If the mood is more exotic, or has a sumptuous, period feel, saturate the room with intense, warming color; reds, glowing earthy colors, faux stone, and rich, dark shades, all have the effect of "pulling in" the walls.
Deep purples, midnight blues, and vibrant malachite greens have this enclosing, haven-like effect, too, but these rich colors also convey a subtly different mood with an air of mystery and a hint of magic.
For floor covering, take the lead from your special theme. Stone slabs or faux effects and black and white tiles suggest many looks, from ancient or heraldic to classical and ethnic, and can also look very modern. Pile carpet, polished parquet, or customized floor designs have a sophisticated, luxurious element to them.
Lighting, like color, captures Modern Dining Room Lighting the mood. Dramatic style relishes special effects, so choose lighting designs that work for your theme. Torcheres, sconces, picture lights, table lights, as well as an imposing light positioned centrally over the table, allow you to create subtle changes. A dimmer switch gives you control. Candles are a vital prop, and are a must for an intimate atmosphere.
Style Pointers
WALLS
Rich/sumptuous: vibrant contrasting color paint effects; colorwashes and glazes, stippling, faux effects; stone, marble, verdigris; murals, trompe l'oeil, bold plain color, gilding/metallics; ornate moldings.
Wall coverings: bold, flamboyant/exotic pattern; classical motifs.
WINDOWS
Flamboyant/curtains: lined, full-length, variations of dramatic classic styles; pelmets, swags, and tails; elaborately draped metal/wooden poles; extravagant tiebacks, sumptuous cord ties.
Blinds: sleek and architectural with slatted Venetians; or theatrical/exotic festoon styles.
FABRICS
Gorgeous/exotic: richly colored and textured silks; satins; moires; saris; luxury devore velvet/velvets; brocades; shimmery metallics; fur fabrics; bold graphic prints; floaty voiles; shiny plastic/PVC; leather; dramatic pattern prints, stripes, checks.
FLOORING
Luxurious/bold: wall-to-wall velvet pile carpet; animal prints; exotic/theme pattern; customized patterns/faux stone/ marble/linoleum effects; parquet; graphic black and white tiles.
Rugs: stylized contemporary/exotic patterns; natural/cream plains.
FURNITURE
Impressive/modern/period: theatrical flourish; glass and metal/black lacquer for contemporary looks; rich fruit woods, mahogany, oak, painted/distressed wood, painted motif for period look armoire, shelving, serving table/sideboard; metal grille-front radiator covers/bookcases.
Table and chairs: contemporary pale wood/glass and metal or heavy period styles for refectory, extending leaf, trestle styles; circular pedestal table; wrought metal/sleek wood chairs; flamboyant slipcovers; rich texture/color upholstered period chairs.
LIGHTING
Bold/atmospheric: sets the mood; extravagant looks for traditional or modern chandeliers; contemporary pendant shades/halogen spots; wrought iron candle fittings, character table lamps; dimmer switches; candles/nightlights.
ACCESSORIES
Impressive/eclectic: luxurious, streamlined contemporary or heavy traditional cutlery; metallic/bold color underplates; streamlined modern, ornate/metallic rim traditional dinner service; goblets; metallic/luxurious tablecloth/mats/napkins; elaborate floral/fruit display; striking mirror/picture frames; decorative screens.
Ever feel like there just is not enough light in a living room to sit down and comfortably read a good book or look over some business documents? Could you relax in an overly illuminated living room? Such thoughts come up when there is an imbalance between task lighting and ambient lighting. Understanding the difference between these two lighting types and using them effectively can help you bring harmony to the lighting in your home.
Basics of Task Lighting
You might be surprised to find out just how much of a role each room plays in the lives of its inhabitants. Rooms are often used for both work and relaxation. You may find yourself answering emails on the living room couch or playing a classical guitar piece in your bedroom. These activities contribute to and define the overall function of a room and typically require more than ambient lighting from overhead fixtures. That is when task lighting comes into play. Task lighting is fundamentally any lighting that helps to facilitate a particular visual task. In a residential setting, that job may be reading, writing, cooking, sewing, or even eating.
Task lighting can take on many forms, including desk lamps, track lighting, or fluorescent fixtures under cabinets. Efficiently distributing task lighting throughout a home requires carefully identifying the function of each room and choosing the right type of lighting.
Instead of going further into the theory of task lighting, why don't we take a look at the rooms of a standard home and suggest some task lighting solutions for each one.
Bedroom
The bedroom is where you start and end your day. It functions as both a place for daily preparation and a quiet place of relaxation before turning in for the night. If you are like most people and enjoy reading or occasionally working in bed, you will most definitely need some task lighting. Though there are quite a few options available, one of the most practical solutions is to have a lamp on each side of the bed. Doing so allows one partner to read while the other sleeps. You may choose to place a table lamp on each nightstand or install wall lamps that will keep you from having to reach too far to turn the light on or off.
Bathroom
The most important aspect of a bathroom is the vanity, as it plays a large role in morning preparation. Most people make the mistake of placing a recessed ceiling fixture over the mirror or buying a vanity with built-in overhead lighting. But lighting from one side casts shadows on the face. The best way to balance vanity lighting and get rid of shadows is to place vertical fixtures on both sides of the mirror. The center of each fixture should be at eye level. You want the vanity to be very well lit. Use fixtures with dimmer controls if you are afraid of overdoing. In doing so you will ensure that any person who uses the vanity will be able to get the illumination he or she needs. This setup may not work for some vanities due to the layout of the bathroom. In that case, overhead lighting may be the best option available. Just remember that the goal is to evenly illuminate the face without shadows.
The shower is another key spot in the bathroom. A single recessed ceiling fixture will usually provide the lighting you need, but you may not need a dedicated fixture if the shower is open or has a glass door.
Living Room
Every living room should have a seat with a floor or desk lamp to accommodate reading and writing. You can make one lamp work for multiple seats by placing it on an end table connecting the sofa and another seat. The lamp should not be too bright, as the living room should still retain its relaxing atmosphere even when the lamp is turned on. The goal of lighting the living room is to create enough light to do the things you need without breaking the atmosphere that invites you to come kick back and relax.
Kitchen
The work that takes place in a kitchen is often intricate and requires carefully planned task lighting to achieve both maximum efficiency and pleasure. Lighting a kitchen effectively usually involves a combination of both ceiling fixtures and lighting under cabinets. Recessed spot lights are a great way to focus light on the key work surfaces of the kitchen. The one drawback is that recessed lighting tends to be more difficult to install than its alternatives. A more flexible option is track lighting with halogen bulbs. Track lighting is easier to install and is more versatile since the direction of each head can be individually adjusted. Extra lamps can also be added to a track lighting system at any time in case the initial lamps do not provide enough light.
The more detailed kitchen work may call for more concentrated light. The best way to achieve this is by placing fluorescent light fixtures under the upper kitchen cabinets. Fluorescent lamps produce a