Modern Lighting Gives Traditional Homes a Twist

Updating a traditional interior doesn't have to involve a major construction project. You don't have to rip up the floors or tear down a bunch of walls. Sometimes a little paint can change the whole feel of a space. Sometimes adding some eclectic furniture from different eras will do the trick.

But if you want to really shake things up, just change out that old colonial or Victorian-era chandelier for something modern or handmade. A new bubble chandelier, oversized drum shade or modern pendant can help you see your home in a whole new light.

This playful bubble glass chandelier adds a very contemporary detail to an otherwise very traditional space — from the old marble fireplace mantel to the heavy and detailed window and door trim, to the pressed-tin ceiling and cove details. And yet it really works. Combined with the bamboo, Asian-style mirror and the midcentury bench and chair, the lighting contributes to a very eclectic and current interior design.


The very modern bubble chandelier used here is a standout design element because it's modern yet rustic with its raw, roughly shaped glass, brass and bronze details. The natural and warm colors of the metal arms contrast nicely with the white walls and trim, and work well with the warm herringbone floor.


Choosing a super-modern fixture like this Droog multi-bulb extravaganza is a bold choice. You may love it or hate it, but I think the shape and size are well-matched to the foyer and the colors of the black cords and the warm bulbs are a good match for the dark woodwork.

This home has incredible period details in the staircase and door and even in the ceiling cartouche to which the chandelier is attached. Going with a traditional fixture here would inexorably anchor this home in the past, while choosing a modern fixture jars the senses a bit as soon as you walk in — visitors instantly see this is a home for people living in the present.


Maybe one of my favorite spaces on Houzz, this loft-like kitchen enjoys gorgeous old brick and natural light-colored wood floors for a warm feeling. The rustic space has rich wood contemporary cabinets and oversized drum shade pendants lined up over the long island.

The drum shade pendant is a fixture that can be found in most any size, diameter or color, but these black fixtures make their presence known and their modern era apparent. The choice of black was spot on — introducing a brighter color would have overpowered the space and made them the focus of attention.


Once again, rustic brick and warm, wide-plank wood floors are treated to a contemporary companion, this time with this very stylish Modo chandelier by Roll & Hill. This chandelier is contemporary and clean-lined, but at the same time speaks to the globe shades of an earlier era, helping it transcend time and bridge stylistic eras.


A modern pendant like this can quickly change the character of a small space like a breakfast nook or child's bedroom.


This Brooklyn townhouse makes great use of a set of pendants (and there are many very affordable and awesome pendants like these) to both light and highlight the bookcases above the stairs, using varying heights and staggered ceiling mounting to create interest without drawing too much attention to the set (as would happen if they were all set at the same height and in a row).


The all-white and spare nature of this lovely dining room is very nicely complemented by this pick-up-sticks chandelier. The fixture does a great job of defining the space above the dining table without being so heavy-looking that the space feels cramped. It's open enough that the details of the box-beam ceiling and the trim still contribute to and have a presence in the space, but substantial enough to bring its personality to the table and deliver a contemporary element to an otherwise traditional space.


The Bocci series of pendant balls are a lovely way to add a subtle modern touch to a space. Here, in a home redone by Feldman Architecture in San Francisco, a modern dining space lighting scheme with square-trimmed recessed lights and the multi-light Bocci fixture transitions into a kitchen with country-style cabinets and a dark hewn wooden floor.

The Bocci lights seem to float like planets in space, creating a future-forward sense of what era the room belongs to, yet the traditional window trim and country cabinets bring you back into the traditional era when the home was built.


Made by a vendor on Etsy, this funky silverware pendant brings a contemporary design ethic (albeit with the traditional elements of salvaged silverware) to a traditional breakfast nook.

More transitional design ideas: Use Trim to Modernize a Traditional Home — or Vice Versa

URL: Modern Lighting Gives Traditional Homes a Twist http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-21105.html