Saturday, July 3, 2010

Twisted Dining Room Round Up

I have always liked the twist. Twisting things up. The tension between twisting modern and traditional. Old rooms with modern things excite me. Sometimes all it takes is one or two pieces to take something expected and give it edge. Edge can be pretty too.


This is a round up of some dining rooms that do the twist quite nicely.

1. Modern table, with traditional chairs, mirror, and chandelier


2. Traditional table with modern chairs in a very trad room


3. Modern vintage chandelier, trad table and rug, mod chairs and metal wall piece


4. Modern chandelier, textiles, and chair, traditional table, old room


5. Uber traditional room, modern chandelier and art, antiques and trad chairs


6. Contemporary furnishings, modern linear crystal chandelier


7. Traditional chairs and lamp shades made modern by color and scale

8. This linear crystal chandelier was pretty trendy a couple of years ago


9. Linear crystal chandelier in a modern dining room
with a traditional armoire for the twist


The linear crystal chandelier was affordable, and an easy way to achieve that perfect twist of modern and traditional.


10. New Orleans kitchen in a 150 year old house has a linear crystal chandelier


11. Another New Orleans house uses the linear crystal chandelier
with an antique Swedish dining table and French dining chairs


I love the antique looking traditional crystals on a chandelier. Who can resist the sparkle and the way the light plays?


I love my traditional French chandelier, but when my friend Kellie (picture #11) got a different chandelier, she asked me if I wanted her linear crystal one! Well how could I turn down an offer like that? Of course I had no place to hang it, so I thought perhaps I would just store it for a future project.

But as I started to untangle all the crystals, it started to grow on me. Those crystals were hypnotizing me! But I didn't like the shiny chrome.


Visual Vamp dining room with traditional French chandelier


So I gold leafed it! And I added a few more crystals I had, and now it's installed in the dining room!

Visual Vamp Dining room with a linear crystal chandelier


It provides a modern twist I really like, a tension the room can stand.

I think the gold leaf really works in the room. It's an old finish on a modern design, another twist.

Visual Vamp gold leaf linear crystal chandelier


It looks spectacular at night, when it's lighted and all the crystals are dancing with reflected light.
I can hardly wait to have a dinner party!

Thank you Kellie!

The linear shape actually works very well with the rectangular dining table.

Visual Vamp dining room in New Orleans


The crystals really look pretty in daylight too. The whole room is infused with a little extra energy.

Visual Vamp dining room

Let's twist!
Modern linear chandelier and antique wall sconce, and a modern painting



Visual Vamp dining room combines the old and the modern


So what twisted things do you like?

37 comments:

  1. I love love love what you did to your chandelier. I also love all those dining rooms. And I love a twist cone from the drive-in.

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  2. it looks fantastic. i like it much better with the gold leaf finish.

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  3. I HEART this chandy with the gold leaf. You truly pimped out an already amazing piece!!

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  4. I like twisted liquorice sticks, but I love your linear chandelier.

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  5. Love what you did to the chandelier - looks great in your dining room.

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  6. Val you took a great chandelier and make it remarkable. I'm a huge fan of brass so this speaks the words of love to me x

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  7. You're take on the chandelier is so much more interesting. The additional crystals give it a more eclectic look and it doesn't look so mass produced. I'm in love with it!!! Fun "twist" on a post!

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  8. How PRETTY!!!
    I usually add crystals, beads and bling to my chandelier for the holidays - but maybe it's a "tension" as you say for any time of the year! Thanx for the inspirational post Val!!

    :D Lynda

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  9. hoorah. another win. enjoyed the show. love the new chandelier - tre' clever you. \ thank you VV.

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  10. love the chandelier, it looks great in your dining room! twisted is definitely my style. thanks for sharing!

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  11. I used this years ago in an office loft - the chrome worked there then - but it looks so current in the gold leaf, I think I need to show them your spectacular dining room and convince the owners to gold leaf it! Great job!

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  12. someplace chubby checker and the entire peppermint lounge are laughing the night away! m

    michael/bagelbrookefarm

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  13. Hi,
    Would you explain the process of gold leafing and what products you used on the chandy!

    Happy 4th

    Kare

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  14. I love it. A fresh twist always gives youth and vitality - just like a squeeze of lemon.
    Show us your dinner party all lit up and twisted!
    Twisted sister.....
    pve

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  15. Love it love it love it. Wow, I've never seen anything like this before i.e. a sort-of modern light fixture with the old fashioned crystals. It looks beautiful in your new dining room.

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  16. This was a great post. I loved your choice of dining room pictures and your chandy looks great! Have fun at your next dinner party!

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  17. I love your fun and pretty new chandi. Nice job. It was fun to look at all the other photos/twist examples.
    We just had more blown in insulation in our house to augment what was done 25 years ago. Because it was done from the inside, it involved taking down some paneling I'd painted and wanted to get rid of anyway. So I stripped ancient wall paper with mixed success. But the walls look kind of cool. Actually a lot like picture #2, only primarily gray! I've been threatening dh to keep it the way it is and tell people its a new wallpaper called "Palimpsest". You've added fuel to my fire espcially since the furniture fits the twist idea.
    Kathy

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  18. fabulous! I like twisted rooms, too. I love how you transformed the chandelier.

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  19. Greetings my lovely twisted sisters and brothers!

    You are all invited to dine under the twisted chandelier!

    About doing gold leaf - easy peasy!

    First I spray painted the whole thing gold as an under base.

    You buy gold leaf at the art supply store (or even on line at eBay). It comes in a pack of 20 or so, very thin sheets with tissue paper in between each sheet.

    You also buy a little jar of adhesive. I use Mona Lisa brand.

    Brush it all over whatever you are gold (or silver) leafing and let it dry at least 30 minutes (jar directions say one hour).

    Apply gold leaf one sheet or piece at a time, over lapping it, and don't care if is it random and "messy". You can pick up a piece of leaf with a dry paint brush, or use the tissue part to place it. The adhesive will grab it right away.

    Take a soft dry brush and brush over the gold leaf you just applied, kind of gently burnish and smooth it.

    Don't worry about crumbly little pieces that fly away from the project. You will sweep up the most glam pile of golden "trash" from the floor later :-)

    Continue until you cover your object.

    I probably used at least one pack of gold leaf. I have a huge box that I have had for years, and it's in random bunches, so I don't know exactly how much I used.

    I did my chandelier one side at a time. Applied the adhesive, did the leafing, and than flipped it to the other side and did the same thing.

    After it's done, I have a jar of gold leaf paint, again Mona Lisa brand, and brush it on randomly, and just here and there, to kind of give the piece an aged less-than-perfect patina.

    You can seal your project - Mona Lisa has a little jar of this too, but I don't, because I don't want it more shiny, and I do want it to tarnish over time.

    Hope this helps. Send me a picture of your project!!!

    xo xo

    PS Mitchell from Optimism and White Paint is the real expert - e-mail him...

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  20. Your chandelier is so wonderful thanks for this post.

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  21. Oh...I love it in the room. It was just the something unexpected the room needed. I love it that you gold leafed it too. Now it's different than anyone elses.

    I love the mix of antique and modern too. Recently, I've been thinking I need a saarinen tulip coffee table in my living room to mix things up. My living room defintely needs something modern in it...just haven't come across anything yet.

    I also have been thinking about that big chandelier that IKEA has that looks like a giant dandelion. That it would give the dining room some edge.

    Love the way your dining room is looking. Great post!

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  22. Like so many others that have posted previously, I,too, love your gold leafed chandelier - so much more interesting. And thank you for the instructions on the technique to achieve this look. This chandelier is certainly the epitome of antique and modern.

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  23. I really liked this post. Are those blue chairs called Lincoln
    chairs? That Mirror is awesome.. yvonne

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  24. greetingsfromgreenwoodJuly 2, 2010 at 9:14 PM

    Really, really beautiful! I love your dining room.
    It has certainly evolved and has such a welcoming/layered feel.

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  25. This reminds me of Pollyanna's prisms!
    Wonderful!

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  26. Just yesterday I was looking at the box that contains this exact same linear chandelier which i bought maybe 6 years ago and never used. I was thinking that maybe it should remain in the box for another 6 years when maybe it will like it again and find a place for it.
    Now you made me think again.
    Great transformation

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  27. Valorie, I am agree with you!! We all have sometimes dare to twist!
    xx
    Greet

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  28. Hope you're having a FAB 4th Val!!!

    Cheers!!
    :D Lynda

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  29. Amazing - I love that you gold leafed the chandelier and really took this popular trendy piece and made it unique and really made it flow with the style of your room!

    I also adore the mix of traditional and modern - it has a little something for everyone!

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  30. it really looks great. you were so right about the gold leaf. beautiful.
    xxoo
    j

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  31. You answered the call, "Let's Twist Again"--your dining room looks great. Good job.
    BarbaraG

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  32. The linear chandelier was the perfect addition to your new dining room. I love it!

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  33. Looks really great! I have been pondering doing some silver leafing, thanks for the inspiration.

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  34. love love love this! it's perfect for the room !!!

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  35. There are many choices of wall sconces that exist on your blog. This is very useful for people who are looking for wall sconces are perfect for those starting a home-style traditional style to contemporary style. But I wanted one wall sconces such as Traditional chairs and lamp shades made modern by color and scale. This is in accordance with the style of my house.

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