Flush-mount lights can really dress up a room

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/04/2014 (4295 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

QUESTION: I’m having problems finding flush-mount lights for my hallway, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. Everything seems pedestrian or plain awful. There are so many pretty chandeliers in stores, but my ceilings are too low for anything that dangles. Your help would be appreciated.

ANSWER: Good-looking pendant lamps come a dime a dozen. A handsome flush-mount light, on the other hand, can be tricky to find, especially if you’re on a budget. A sweet flush-mount, however, is worth the investment because bad lighting can ruin a room. Yes, ruin.

Regarding “plain-awful” flush mounts — if the decorating police existed, I would be a boob-light informant. What’s a boob light? A fixture that resembles a mammary, complete with rounded shape and nipple.

You see, it’s rare that flush-mount lights are the focus of interior photos in magazines or on Pinterest; consequently, most of us are not familiar with how a flush mount can make or break a room.

Every time I’m in a store that carries multiple, bad, flush-mount lighting options, I think of all the unsuspecting people who buy a boob light or a contemporary fixture that looks like Sputnik simply because the good-looking flush-mount choices are so limited.

There have been countless times when I’ve stopped myself from taking photos and sending this tweet: “Dear manufacturers of boob lights, please stop.”

A good flush-mount light will blend seamlessly into your ceiling or make a statement in your room the way a diamond necklace can dress up a little black dress.

The powder room designed by Anne Hepfer in the photo here is a good example of a flush-mount light that works like a piece of jewelry for the room. This one’s from Circa Lighting (circalighting.com).

I’ve shown you a powder room because I find it’s the place where lighting can really go sour. Notice how Hepfer has installed the light in the centre of the ceiling. As well, she’s added two sconces on either side of the mirror.

Strong overhead lighting above a bathroom mirror or at a dining room table makes me start fumbling in my makeup bag for wrinkle cream. Flattering light, on the other hand, can be had with sconces at eye level, flanking a mirror, as in Hepfer’s powder room, as well as with lamps at varying heights and sconces in living and dining spaces.

I’ve done some flush-mount shopping for you with both fade-into-the-scenery and glam options.

Happy lighting.

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