Disclaimer: I was sent the ceiling light and dimmer switch by Elesi to review free of charge, but words and pictures are mine. See all house updates here.
One easy detail that can dramatically change the whole look of a room is the lighting you choose.
The light fitting which was in the house when we bought it – which can be seen in the estate agent’s picture below – was a very traditional multi-arm ceiling light in an antique bronze.
It was alright, but it didn’t set us alight (ha)- and it didn’t dim, so we never actually used it. After all, who uses the massive main light in this day and age?
Choosing a new celling light
Although when renovating and redecorating we opted for some traditional aspects (for example keeping the original fireplace and laying herringbone flooring), when it came to the ceiling light, we decided that we fancied a change and something a bit more contemporary.
They way we had planned the room was with dark wood flooring, a black fireplace and radiator, and beautiful deep-sage green walls so we wanted a light fitting that would work with and complement these. After browsing the Elesi website we chose the EGO Lighting Verdant Large Black & Brass Caged Ceiling Light which retails at £133.20.
The ceiling pendant light has a round black frame with a brushed brass-coloured steel mesh inside giving a little bit of an industrial vibe. Initially we used a standard E27 bulb, before deciding to switch it out to a vintage-style dimmable clear bulb which looked so much better and casts a really lovely warm light over the room.
The EGO Verdant Ceiling Light measures 27cm tall and 45cm in diameter – it’s certainly not small! – and is perfect for our 5m x 4m room.
I’m really pleased with how the brushed brass colour goes well with other accents in the room.
I’ve invested in a few new plant pots like the one below from Tesco, that go really well. I’ve also changed the handles on the TV unit from silver which looked awful.
Meanwhile the black trim on the light matches the fireplace, radiator and furniture.
Dimmer switches
As mentioned, we wanted the light it to be dimmable so that it might get a chance of being used occasionally, so we swapped the light switch out for a dimmer switch.
We chose an antique brass dimmer switch, also from Elesi, which retails for £39.98. It was very easy to swap over the switch; I wish I’d got a ‘before’ photo, as the change from a white switch to the antique brass dimmer has made a huge difference. Its appearance is a lot less jarring and fits in so well, matching the door handle next to it.
We have considered swapping the rest of the sockets in the room out, but they’re all hidden behind furniture so it’s an expense we don’t need to face just yet. However if they were on display, I’d swap them out in a heartbeat; the antique brass looks so much better in the room.
Elesi Lighting
Elesi was founded on 30 years of collective experience in sourcing and specifying electrical products for residential and commercial installations. Their objective is to create a shopping experience that allows consumers to purchase responsibly sourced, high quality electrical and lighting products for the home.
You can be confident that all of the products you buy through Elesi are responsibly sourced, tested and certified which is really important when buying electricals online.
They offer free standard delivery on purchases over £30 and free next day delivery if you spend over £100.