No two things, in my opinion, have a greater impact on the design of a space than lighting and moulding. Architectural details add depth, dimension and an overall richness to any and every space. This little spot in our home……..what was basically dead, unusable space at the top of our staircase……… has truly been transformed with the addition of these two simple elements.
Built-in Bookcases & a Lantern
(taken on move-in day with my phone)
(desk lamp, rug, desk- vintage eBay find from 10 years)
The floor-to-ceiling bookcases that wrap around the door have made the space feel and look much larger than it actually is. And converting the recessed light to a hanging lantern pendant was like the cherry on top. That small, yet significant detail made this little nook feel much more intentional. It now looks like this space was designed to be a little study area, rather than just some dead space at the top of the stairs.
I like the way the lantern plays off of the wrought iron railings yet stays consistent with the clean, modern look of this office nook.
To Crown or Not to Crown?
I’m ready to dive in to the really fun part now and style the bookcases, add some art to the walls and possibly hang curtain panels on that window (the jury is still out on that detail). But first, there’s one small detail still puzzling me. I had originally planned to have a piece of crown moulding added to just the top of the bookcases to finish them off. But when my contractor was installing I asked him to leave it off to the very end because I was kind of digging the clean, modern look.
Now that they’re finished, I’m still not sure if I want to add crown or leave them as is. What are your thoughts?
The downstairs of our home is outfitted with crown moulding throughout. But adding crown in the upstairs hallway isn’t really on my radar at the moment. Would adding crown to just the bookcases look odd? Or would it be a nice tie in to what is going on downstairs?
Should I leave the bookcases as is? Or should I add crown?
I think you could get away with adding some sort of molding just to the top of the bookcases (instead of the entire area) but I would wait and style them first and see how they feel. love the light!