Ligthen Up!

I'm so sick and tired of losing power I could scream, but there wouldn't be a point because no one would hear me out here in the middle of nowhere. As long as I'm on the topic of lights (or lack thereof), I thought I'd offer this great little tip I used for a client recently who has a gorgeous, 4,000 square foot farmhouse in the Hudson Valley. The converted barn is totally stunning, with 20' ceilings, exposed beams, beautiful wood floors, sliding barn doors, etc. It's truly a masterpiece in architecture and design, however, where it succeeds it fails miserably because it's incredibly dark. So, to lighten things up a bit I used an inexpensive trick I learned from my partner in crime, Joe. Clip lights, purchased at the Home Depot or Lowes (normally used for construction projects) make great lighting. Now, my lovely Joe uses them in the kitchen (when I first met him I thought he was straight..I mean, who uses construction lights while cooking Boeuf Bourguignon a la Julia Child??) I prefer to use them in hidden places on the floor, behind furniture, underneath plants, in front of artwork or beautiful curtains. When I place several in a room, I plug them into my fabulous remote control lighting system, so I can walk in and light up a room in seconds (look back at my blog about this great device available during the holidays at Bed Bath & Beyond). This morning, while searching the net, I found this photo of a ballroom designed by my friend Matthew Robbins (search his name in www.marthastewart.com and you'll see the gorgeous weddings he's designed) where he used a similar concept of up lighting to brighten up a dark space. So, whether you have a ballroom or a room barely large enough for a ball, it's all about the lighting!
TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Ten minutes
COST: Clip lights start at $2.99/each
STRESS LEVEL: Being able to lighten up fairly easily: LOW