Page 64 - Lighting Magazine October 2019

sMall spaces arE big
“People would rather have quiet, intimate spaces within their large open floorplans than a maze of walls.” —Lisa Davenport
hand-painted floor.
“People would rather have quiet, intimate spac-
es within their large open floorplans than a maze of walls,” Davenport explains, adding, “I want to make these little spaces feel fabulous. As with every other area in the home, lighting sets the mood.”
Lighting rep Melissa Leib, President of Leib & Associates, is seeing a similar trend in her region of Northern California and Northern Nevada.
“Older homes were designed with lots of walls and rooms,” she remarks. “Now that we’ve gotten so comfortable with a more open environment, I don’t think we’ll see homes with mazes of separate rooms trending again. Instead, people are looking for ways to carve out small niches within their ex- isting homes that reflect their taste and provide a retreat for them to enjoy their interests and hob- bies. Everyone needs a little space of their own.”
Among the types of spaces that growing in popularity are:
Dressing rooms
Reading nooks/libraries
Yoga studios
Weight training/exercise areas
Sitting areas
Bars
Meditation rooms or gardens
Butlers’ pantries
As Davenport notes, this trend is especially appealing because these spaces don’t typically require expensive renovations. “You can create one of these spaces in a little portion of a large room by using unique methods,” she comments. “I like separating these small spaces by using pass- through partitions or pseudo walls like floating tables with art and greenery and screens and par- titions that aren’t traditional. Recently I was in a home where there were huge 60" x 80" canvases that were suspended from the ceiling [as room dividers].”
Even though these spaces are small, selecting the right lighting requires attention to detail. “I be- lieve in layering lighting and never using just one source,” Davenport states. “By doing that, rooms can tell multiple stories and set multiple moods. I almost always use dimmers because they totally change the environment and use of the space. Depending on the situation, I use lighting that highlights artwork or a point of interest, as well as task-oriented lighting. Sometimes I think these spaces demand a really spectacular piece, but not
62 enLIGHTenment Magazine | october 2019
www.enlightenmentmag.com
With gardening becoming one of the most popular leisure activities, Lisa Davenport created this charming greenhouse space for a family.