Thursday, January 19, 2012

Lusting after lanterns......

Good morning friends! Here is a post I had fun putting together largely because I am in the market for a number of lanterns and I never tire of looking at them. It was fun to see so many different spaces of how and where they work, and I figured I would take you along for my "investigative research". So happy I did these posts in advance! Hope to do a moving update in a few days......will keep you posted!


Love lanterns. I think I could literally have them in every room and never get tired of looking at them. Big, small, iron, wood, black, rustic, formal.....love them all.   Of course it has to be the right lantern, but there are few spaces and few homes that a lantern doesn't just rock in. I love them as much in foyers, stair halls, bathrooms as I do outside porches, bedrooms and mudrooms. There are no rules for lanterns pure and simple. 
 For my own house, we are going to be using lots of them, in the kitchen, stair hall, outside, outside porch/loggia, a few of the bathrooms and in a few vestibules. So today is a bit of self indulgence in my lust for lanterns and knowing that many of you love them too, thought I would share.....what do you think? Do you have any lanterns? Would you? You know I love to hear!


Love lanterns in outside spaces like this beautiful loggia, William Waldon
Love these beautiful mercury glass lanterns over the antique butchers block, Shades of light
A pair of ornate lanterns adds so much to any space, Segreto
This fabulous hallway/gallery used a succession of gorgeous lanterns, Bonner
Love this gold lantern above this absolutely charming blue and white setting, Sara Gilbane
Alexa Hampton used a pair of over scaled lanterns in this fabulous kitchen in the Hamptons
Cindy Rinfret chose an over sized gorgeous lantern to place above this center hall table
Even a simple lantern in groups, is quite incredible looking..Segreto
Stunning pair of glass and nickel lanterns paired above a large island, Downsview
A lantern is a great choice for cozy nooks like this breakfast room hangout, Southern Living
To me, a lantern is the perfect choice for virtually any stair hall, Janet Simon
Always admired this beautiful dressing room with delicate glass lantern,Barry Dixon
This lovely lantern gives just the right amount of bling to this pretty and understated dining setting, Wisteria
Love seeing a lantern in an unexpected place like a library, Jan Showers
Pairs always work over an island, these are great looking. Taylor Hannah
Gorgeous foyer gets a beautiful iron lantern
Love this trio of lanterns in this beautiful indoor/outdoor room...
Love how this pair of iron lanterns warms up the cavernous space in this kitchen, Palm Designs
One of my favorite pictures of all time, this cozy and elegant seating area is beautifully enhanced by a rustic and oversized lantern, Traditional Home
A formal brass lantern graces this elegant foyer, Robert Stern 
Cindy Rinfret chose a single lantern in this gem of a bathroom
This elegant lantern is the perfect touch to this small and cozy dining room, Palmer Weiss
If using just one lantern, it should be a large scaled one over the island, Clive Christian
Love this setting and the lantern is just perfect here! Gordon Beall photography
Love a pair of lanterns over a kitchen island, which is what I plan on doing.....Segreto
Always loved this mudroom, warm, cozy and elegant enhanced with a beautiful lantern, Veranda
And of course we all know how stunning lanterns are outside! Andrew Skurman


So....if this hasn't convinced you about how gorgeous and versatile lanterns are, can't imagine what would! I personally love them. And if you have ever wondered how to figure out sizing and the right circumference for a lantern or chandelier in a particular room, here is what a few experts that we all know and love have to say.....so interesting! Thanks Bunny and Hinkley lighting and thank you all for stopping by!

When looking for the right sized light fixture, remember this...How big should an overhead light fixture be? Just add the length and width of the room in feet, and whatever number you come up with is, in inches, your guide for the fixture's diameter. So a 15-by-20-foot room would need a 35-inch-wide chandelier.
—Bunny Williams


How to measure for outside lanterns?
In using one lantern, if you use it only on one side of the door, it should measure one third the length of the door. The center of the bulb should rest 66" above the thershold of the door.
If using two lanterns,they should each measure approx. one fourth of the length of the door. The center of the bulb should rest 66" above the threshold of the door. 
- Hinkley Lighting

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56 comments:

  1. Such a great post. When we built our home, 30 years ago, we could not find the right lighting fixture for the small bathroom off the kitchen. What was our solution? A beautiful hand crafted lantern. I sill love the way it looks.

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  2. Absolutely beautiful!

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  3. Tina- so appreciate the tips on lighting and sizing. Very important. This post is so timely because we are putting a pair of lanterns in our kitchen and my husband isn't sure but I bet after I show him this post, he will fully agree as to how beautiful they look. Thanks, love this!

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  4. Stunning! Love the mercury lanterns and the ornate lantern in the kitchen. That dining room with all the stone is making me drool! xo

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  5. I love lanterns and they look good anywhere. It's easy to add charm with them.

    Thank you for sharing the measurements and sizes. So important, Tina!

    Much love to you!

    xo

    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

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  6. Love love love lanterns for inside and outside use. Hope the move is going well! xx

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  7. I agree! I am LOVING lanterns myself!
    I mixed in some fun table lanterns into my buffet during christmas! It was so fun to have candles in them - made my home feels so cozy over the holiday!

    http://theresnoplacelikehomemke.com/?p=766

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  8. ohhhh tin, you've stolen my heart with this one. i have saved several images to my 'dream house' file!!! i agree you can't go wrong. i have one in my powder room but must have MORE.

    love to you.

    michele

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  9. I love, oh love, lanterns. Both of my boys have one hanging in their room. And, I've been looking for our new space...both inside and out.

    You're right...they really rock any type of space!

    The hints on how to select the right size are SO helpful as I'm in the midst of the search. Hope the unpacking and settling in is going really well. Think of you every day!

    xoxo Elizabeth

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  10. I'd love a huge black lantern in my dining room, they are timeless... beautiful pics, as always!

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  11. I love these lanterns, Tina, especially the bell jar style and the oversized one above Cindy Rinfret's center hall table. Very inspiring.
    All the best...Victoria

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  12. Hi Tina, I also love lanterns. Have them inside and outside. Great examples of lanterns you have chosen. What I love about them (besides their classic look) is that they never go out of style. My favorites, in no particular order, Bonner, Segreta, Downsview and Barry Dixon.

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  13. Hi Tina, I also love all the lanterns I have been seeing. I would love to find a place for a few in my home. Thank you for the info on the measurements.

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  14. I love lanterns, in fact I made one myself, from scratch - http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180803_1829815153696_1489866414_32054157_4557227_n.jpg. I will be making more and with more elaborate design, once I have my studio set up. I love wrought iron and murano glass combination. My first design, I had to make my own metal figurines and just used glass marble balls. Lanterns are so much fun.

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  15. Another beautiful and informative post. I have two lanterns above my island that I bought at a local lighting shop and I swear they transformed my kitchen. I love them and the soft lighting they provide, especially looks great at night. I took a bunch of these images to put in my files, as we are contemplating new lighting for our foyer and small tower where our stairs are. Got some good ideas here, as usual!
    Hope the move is going smoothly. I am so excited to see pictures!

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  16. Dear Tina, I just bought a lantern! I LOVE the atmosphere they create! Gorgeous post! Have a lovely day!!

    Kristin ♥

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  17. if it is for over dining.....
    the mercury glass lanterns for sure.
    LOVE THEM

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  18. GREAT post,
    GREAT tips,
    GREAT lanterns!
    Yes, I love them, too.
    I added one of the
    glass lanterns to my
    powder room last
    winter ~ the glass
    is etched with stars
    and it makes me
    smile whenever I
    see it!

    Good luck with the
    move!

    xx Suzanne

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  19. My favorite has always been the Bell Jar lantern. It goes well in my Federal style home. I have two that are cut crystal and bronze, and similar to the one in the Barry Dixon boudoir.

    Can't wait to see which lanterns will grace your kitchen island. I'm excited for you!

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  20. Amazing choices of lanterns. I have been considering them for the kitchen. Now I am even more pressed to get a pair. Also, love the advice/teaching-tool of how to measure for the use of lanterns. Very valuable!!!! xo

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  21. Greetings, Tina!
    The first photo of the loggia grabbed my attention from the start! I'd love to have a covered outdoor area like this at mi casa!

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  22. Beautiful collection of lanterns, Tina! I have three in my own home, and I love the subdued elegance they provide.

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  23. Great mind think alike! Being the interior design freak that I am, yesterday I was daydreaming about oversized lanterns. Great post!

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  24. Wow I loved that mercury glass lantern~I bet they will sell out now!!! My client just emailed me that her lantern came in for her dining room~I hope to share it next week!!

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  25. What a beautiful and informative post! If I had to make a decision with that wonderful selection I would be hard pressed for sure! I have been following your blog most recently and continuously and it is wonderful! Thanks for the measureing info via Bunny. I am a designer and never really knew that rule (don't tell)

    Thanks for bringing more beauty to blogging. I too look forward to seeing your new home. Good luck on your move.
    Mary Anne ox

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  26. I love lanterns. Always have..always will. You have some beautiful examples here. Hope you are moving along with your MOVE IN process. xo Diana

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  27. Aaaahhhh! Pretty lanterns! I especially loved the Bunny Williams and Hinckley Lighting guidelines at the bottom ~ very good information to know and remember! Hope the move is going well!

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  28. Is there really such a thing as TOO MUCH - if you really love it? LOL I, too, have become addicted to lanterns and am using them everywhere! I love the look of an oversize lantern (if it works in relationship to the space.)
    Thanks for sharing these lovely images!

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    1. I am in love with the look of lanterns to. They have a charming look about them. Great images!

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  29. Absolutely stunning rooms, Tina! Bookmarking this.
    Hope that everything is going well.
    Teresa
    xoxo

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  30. I used a large copper lantern over my kitchen table from Bevelo in New Orleans. They can turn any of their gas lamps into electric witch is what I did. The streets of New Orleans are so beautiful with all the gas lamps.
    Kathleen

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  31. I love lanterns - we are shopping for one now for our foyer, which seems to be asking for one every time I walk in the front door. And I've been wishing that we would have used them above our kitchen island instead of the pendants I chose. Love the ones in the Alexa Hampton image. It may be time for a lighting update in our kitchen...
    Good luck with your own lantern hunt!
    Jeanne

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  32. Hi Tina,
    Hope all is going well for you! I just specified some gorgeous Vaughan smoke bell lanterns for the historical home I;m working on in Charleston. LOVE lanterns.
    Amy

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  33. Tina,

    Hello! HOpe all is going well with the move! I am sure that there are all sorts of little details, like the lanterns that you are anxious to get finished.

    I love these images! I am currently looking for a few antique lanterns while in Milwaukee. There are so many fabulous old houses here and fortunately for me people get rid of these great pieces. Thankfully I drove here because my pile of finds is piling up.

    I love love love the images of the two lanterns ovewr the island!

    So looking forward to seeing your choices, are you going with antique or new?

    Take care, Elizabeth

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    1. I loved the lanterns over the Island too!! So much that I am going to work them into my new kitchen redo! I have a "hanging " issue. The antique copper lanterns I found (fabulous!) are 27"H and 15" W. My new Island is 9' x 4'. Two should be perfect BUT my ceiling is only 8'3". If my Island is 3 ft.high and I use little to no chain will they hang too low? It would make them right at 6 feet which is tight I know - is it too tight? Thanks! Caroline

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  34. You know I'm a huge fan Tina! I have yet to see a space where they don't add to the character of the room - as well as outdoor settings like on either side of a garage, entry or gate...I just don't see any way to go wrong with them. Lucky you to get to pick them out for your new home! :)

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  35. I just love that gallery/hallway of lanterns! SO stunning!

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  36. Hi Tina- look forward to your move updates and hope you have plenty of coffee on hand, I remember so well how exhausted I was but at the same time so happy.

    Love this post. I am such a big fan of lanterns, I could have them in all my rooms too. I just ordered a bell jar lamp for my bathroom and cannot wait to get it. I also am considering a small pair for my island so these pictures were such good visuals. Thanks for the helpful and much needed tips on choosing the right size as well.

    Take care of yourself, Tina

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  37. Gorgeous inspiration as always, Tina. I'm glad you didn't make this a "Which Would You Choose" because there's no way I could have picked just one!!! Hope you're getting settled into your new home nicely. Take care.

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  38. Who knew there were so many different kinds of lanterns? I certainly didn't, and we have been blessed to visit some fairly nice lighting showrooms over the years! Great pictures Tina, especially the ones that show them in a different setting, something a bit unexpected, I liked that (the dressing room was very pretty) a lot. And thank you for posting the Bunny Williams/Hinkley Lighting tidbits.

    Sending you a smile for your Friday!
    tp

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  39. Here is a post about a vintage lantern I added to our entryway last year. I love lanterns too! We also added the ceiling medallion and it makes the entry So much more inviting: http://www.urbanorchardinteriors.com/2011/10/

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  40. Love these lanterns. I just put up lanterns in our hallway, which I love. Also, great tips for sizing!

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  41. I love lanterns! I also think they are great in any space! These are all such wonderful images and great examples to the variety of lantern styles out there! I love the lantern with the gold finish in the blue and white kitchen/eating area! Looking forward to your moving updates! :) I bet you are so ready/excited for it!

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  42. I found blog through a picture on pinterest and can't stay away....its addicting! Your blog is just incredible. Thanks so much for consistently great posts full of such great information and beautiful pictures. Your taste is just incredible, write a book:-)

    Love these lantern pictures and pinned a bunch, my favorite room of all is that beautiful dressing room with the glass jar lantern. It gave me a great idea for my much smaller but pretty dressing area, so off I go to find a glass jar lantern!

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  43. There wasn't one single image I didn't love. Lanterns are classic and romantic. I have two of them in my house and love them!

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  44. I absolutely love lanterns. Unfortunately, the ceiling height in my house won't allow for them. Makes me so sad!

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  45. So many gorgeous rooms, and not a single lantern that I didn't love!

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  46. Thanks for the tips on picking the right lantern! I love lanterns and always have and I'm sure that the ones you pick out are going to be perfect! Can't wait to see them! XO

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  47. Totally share your love for the lanterns! I've been eyeing that Wisteria one for many months, but just haven't bitten the bullet yet. I keep hoping I'll run into an amazing lantern in an antique shop, but they're hard to find! Hope the move is going smoothly :)

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  48. Love them, can never have enough. They look great in any room, in any material or style. Good luck in your search!

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  49. Oh my. They are all beautiful and that tufted ottoman by Barry Dixon! Love.It. I am so scale challenged that I didn't know there was a formula for sizing a lantern. Makes sense though. I love the photo of your house with the lawn in front. It looks like you're almost there! I cannot wait for the virtual open house. I'll make the martinis and cookies!:)

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  50. I am so late, but your lanterns lit the way for me to you!!!!! MUCH LOVE Anita

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  51. Lanterns bring a feeling of warmth and home to a room. These are perfect examples. Beautiful!!!

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  52. those are some boss lanterns.

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  53. Hi , Love the lanterns but can't seem to find scaled down ones for my 8 foot ceiling height .
    Need 2 for over my island. (like the Hampton's )
    Any suggestions where to buy that don't cost 3,000 each?

    Thanks, Gretchen

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  54. Love this post! This is a really good blog wish more people would read this, you offer some really good suggestions on Copper Outdoor Lighting. Thanks for sharing!

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