Investing in upholstery and case goods but skimping on lighting is like buying a great…
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Designer Debrief: Natalie Owens
Investing in upholstery and case goods but skimping on lighting is like buying a great suit then wearing bad shoes, says Natalie Owens of Stil James residential design studio. Style Editor Julie A. Palm discovers the lighting trends Owens loves and shares her favorite recessed light alternative.
By Julie A. Palm
For Natalie Owens and her team at Stil James residential design studio, lighting is at the forefront of what they do. That means making lighting decisions early in the design process — and making the lighting a budget priority.
“I’ve had clients say to me, ‘We know we can’t choose cheap lighting with you guys.’ It’s not a place to save in our minds and we never try to. We’re very direct with our clients: There are places to save, and lighting isn’t one of them,” says Owens, co-founder and creative director of Stil James, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The firm specializes in residential renovations and new construction, with projects concentrated in Canada’s four Atlantic provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.
Owens acknowledges that her distaste for “cheap” lamps and fixtures is “a subjective opinion,” but she believes strongly that people should invest in lighting. It sets moods, illuminates tasks and adds sculptural interest to rooms. Few other home furnishings categories do so much work – and serve so many varied purposes – in a home.
Investing in high-quality upholstery and case goods but skimping on lighting is like buying a great suit and then wearing bad shoes, she notes.
But no one’s design budget – for lighting or anything else – is unlimited.
“There are ways to save money on lighting, but you’ve got to dig in a little bit and not sacrifice,” Owens says.
One example: “In a powder room, a small space, I’ll just do one great wall sconce,” she says. “But I’ll ensure it throws a lot of good light. So, I’ll buy fewer fixtures so I can get the really good fixture.”
If it comes down to buying lighting versus purchasing artwork, Owens has a ready answer for clients. “We really view lighting as artwork in our minds,” she says. “So, if anything, I’m going to be able to get a little bit of artwork through lighting.”
Owens is always on the hunt for quality lighting sources and is a fan of some smaller producers, such as Huey Lightshop and Luminaire Authentik — both of which design and manufacture their products in Canada.
In terms of finishes, Owens says her firm’s designers tend toward “brass and polished nickel almost exclusively for our plumbing fixtures, our hardware and our lighting fixtures.” An exception: Owens appreciates the color choices from Luminaire Authentik.
“They’re a really contemporary lighting group and have something like 50 different colors that you can choose from,” she says. “And they’re the right colors — really saturated, like cherry red. We’ll use those in certain spaces that lend themselves to kind of that aesthetic.”
Owens isn’t a fan of recessed lights, whether in a kitchen or a basement. “I really challenge my clients on choosing fixtures only throughout a house,” Owens says. “Some people think I’m crazy for that. But I think the pot light throws everything off in a room. I need there to be a possibility of ambient lighting in every single room.”
She’s found an alternative she’s liked using lately: mini flush-mounts from Belgium.
“They are beautiful little ceramic 5-inch diameter flush-mounts, so I’ll run a grid of those instead of pot lights,” Owens says. “It’s not a huge cost for the client, and the light they throw with an opaque sort of ball is completely different from a pot light. It changes the room completely.”
Trends and timeless options
In terms of lighting trends, Owens appreciates ceramic and pottery-inspired light fixtures, including sconces.
“And the custom fabric shades on table and floor lamps are a really fun way to layer fabric into a room,” she says.
Then there’s the tried and true. “I like anything with recycled glass or kind of reeded glass,” she says. “It has just stood the test of the time and throws a nice light. We use a lot of that in our homes.”
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