inspiration for decor

OCHRE is a British based furniture, lighting, and accessory design company and they have the light I NEED.

via OCHRE

The dining area in our new home is just begging for this lovely “Arctic Pear” chandelier.

via Pinterest and Elle Decor

via Elle Decor

I want to channel the look of Keri Russell’s laid-back but chic home but dang, the OCHRE  Arctic Pear is expensive! In the Toronto area, I sourced the OCHRE light at South Hill Home (for many, many more pennies than I have to spend), or I could get this Robert Abbey crystal drop fixture from Universal Lighting:

An excellent alternative I think.  Should I go for it?

I hope I’ve dazzled you all week with beautiful images of beautiful, bright, white spaces -so gorgeous and inspiring.

“White expands the space, it creates the sense of having no boundaries. White makes a strong foundation.” (Vincente Wolfe)

White provides a gallery-like backdrop for you to display your art, it highlights architectural details, it reflects light to make a small room feel larger, it can unify an eclectic mix of furniture, and it provides an uncluttered look to calm a space.

But it is time for a reality check – Is white achievable for everyone?

Sadly, the answer is….no.

You may have noticed one common theme this week – most of the spaces had huge, un-adorned windows that provide tons of natural light.  If your space is lacking ample natural light, white walls may look downright dingy.

Do you have kids? Dogs? You may want to think twice about going all-white, as things are bound to get messy pretty quick. Still, if you are willing to give this look a try, think about using white materials that are easily cleaned – white tiles in the kitchen and bathroom, semi-gloss white on the walls,  white slipcovers over furniture, and good quality white bedding that can be bleached again and again.

If you want more advice on choosing the perfect white, check out this great post over at 10 Rooms: Getting White Right.

And in case you missed any of this week’s previous White & Bright posts, here are the links: white & bright [room of the week], white & bright: bedroom, white & bright: nurseries & kids rooms, white & bright: living room.  And a few other old favs: elements for the perfect white kitchen, more white kitchen inspiration.

(images: 1-dwellings, 2-one hour, 3-rue mag, 4-pinterest)

I am supposed to be sourcing furniture, accessories, fabric, and lighting for a school project.  However, I’ve been procrastinating for more than an hour by looking at way more lighting than I need to.  But I can’t help it!  I’ve come across too many amazing light fixtures that I can’t stop admiring. And now I’ve decided to take a full break  to do a quick post on my favourite finds.  I’ve chosen one for each member of my family…

For my son: Spectrum Pendant Shade from Urban Outfitters, $69

For me: Etch Pendant by Tom Dixon from Design Within Reach, $375

For my man: Chandelier by Lindsey Adelman, *$

I’m not sure he would necessarily want this pendant if he saw it in a retail store (even though I know it is amazing) BUT Lindsey Adelman provides down-loadable instructions on how to make this yourself so he did say he would be interested in making it for me!  (check out a finished version over at The Brick House).  *The cost is only the parts.

And finally, for our dog Lucy: Begging Buddy Lamp by Offi, available today at Zulily for $41.99