A Beautiful French Chandelier – The Highest Point Of A Room’s Interior Design

When you hang a chandelier in your house you acquire something practical and beautiful and an object that will become a focus for the room. Other decorations will revolve around it. It will become a talking point, the centrepiece. A fireplace draws attention to a lower level in a room; whereas a chandelier is the highest point of a room's decoration.

Never in the long history of the chandelier has there been such choice as there is today. You can buy in person or over the internet. You can scour or the junk shops in England or America or the brocante stalls in France.

Perhaps the longest established and best known chandelier maker in France is the firm of Baccarat, which continues to thrive today.

Chandeliers come in all shapes and sizes - some more unusual than others. Amongst some of the most charming eccentric chandeliers are those designed to represent hot-air balloons. The early nineteenth century saw a wave of enthusiasm for hot-air balloons, prompted by the first balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and Michel travelling through the air for some six miles in 1783. Some Montgolfier chandeliers are French others Italian.

The type of chandelier which is associated with French work is more open with its main structural support supplied not by chains or a stem but rather by a cage or frame with prettily curved members, often gilded and with candles or drops in the centre space. Like English chandeliers, they have chains of drops and pendants.

The difference is that instead of being massed together, they are however spaced further apart so that they can be seen individually. The effect is extremely ornate and delicate without being elaborate.

The ironwork on French chandeliers by the 1900s was superbly attractive and refined. The stem might have leaves and stalks curling off it supporting crystal drops, flowers and beads. For all the bags and festoons of drops, glass arms, full panoply of other elements, the French chandelier is distinctively never heavy or crowded and always alluring.

One of the things you need to be absolutely sure of is that your chandelier is safe; that when it is installed it will stay up, it will not electrocute anyone or it won't shed pieces on your head or burn the house down.

If you bought you chandelier from a market or a brocante you should use common sense about its wiring. Any chandelier is only as safe as good electrically speaking as the circuit of which it is part. Have it tested by a qualified electrician and rewired if in doubt.

5 Tips for Making Your Home Office Cozy

When you live in Texas, whether it's to work from home or you've simply carved out space where you do your writing, crafting, or just settle in to read a good novel by your favorite author, you need a home office that is cozy and pleasant to be in. 

While you can certainly go all out and get a loan from one of the loan companies in Raymondville, TX, to completely renovate your home office, there are also little things that you can do that will make it cozy as well. Below you can find a few tips for making your home office cozy without busting your wallet. 

Adjust Your Lighting 

Just bringing your bedside lamp into your home office or getting a customized desk lamp to shed light while you're working or reading can make all the difference between a stark office and one that you love being in. Put the lamp on your desk or on your reading table beside your comfy chair and you'll have a cozy environment to work or read in. Adjusting your lighting gives you a break from the harsh fluorescent lighting of an overhead bulb. 

Let the Natural Light Shine In 

When you're at your desk all day, it's important to keep in touch with nature. This means opening those vertical blinds, cracking a window, and letting the sun and fresh air come into your office when the weather allows. Natural light makes an area look bigger, so if your home office is a little smaller than you would like, opening the blinds can make it seem larger and airier. 

Lay Down a Rug 

Nothing says cozy quite like a rug placed strategically under your desk or in front of your favorite recliner. It's easy to ground your space with a colorful area rug, which serves as a sound soothing device and a visual complement to the room as well. If you keep the furniture neat and simple, then the rug will stand out even further.  

Go with the Artsy 

Decorate your space with images that speak to you. Fill your walls and office with art and images that inspire you to do your job or just to relax after a hard day. For example, if you're an artist, fill your walls with your work and work of other artists you admire. If you're an author, fill your walls with landscapes and quotes from famous authors that you admire. No matter what type of art you put in your home office, make sure it speaks to you and helps you accomplish what you've set out to do. 

Do What Works for You 

While these are great tips for making your home office cozy, you need to find out what inspires and is cozy for you. 

These are just a few of the ways you can make your home office the place you want to be. From laying down a rug to going artsy with your inspiration, there's nothing like cozy to help you feel right at home and ready to create.