The chandelier that changed the way I approach designing my home – seeing a light as sculpture, presence and emotion all at once

Strategist and content creator Francesca Swan is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on the concept of 'Everything' and what makes a home special to you. See the rest of her articles here.

I remember first visiting the V&A Museum in my twenties. Already awe-struck by the beauty of the building, my jaw hit the floor as I walked into the grand glass-domed rotunda foyer.

Within this majestic space, with its huge proportions and towering ceiling, hung the breathtaking 27ft long, 12ft wide V&A chandelier.

Appearing to float, this delicate, yet imposing sculpture of blue, green and yellow blown glass tendrils, had a miraculous sense of energy and movement. As I examined it from every angle, it felt almost alive – a mysterious sea-creature, changing from every angle, as it danced with light and shade.

It was one of the strongest Everything reactions I have ever had. I must have spent at least an hour circling that rotunda, soaking it in, utterly immersed and transported with wonder.

It opened my eyes to the true potential of lights – not just as functional objects, but as sculpture, central to the essence of a space.

And so began my obsession with statement lights.

Statement lighting is form and function

More often than not, lighting is the first thing we notice in a room. If a light is on, your eye is automatically drawn to it.

To overlook that and treat lights as an afterthought is a big miss. Once you realise their importance, it completely changes how you approach a room.

Lighting is functional, but statement lighting is art. It can be the difference between an average scheme and an absolutely incredible one.

From a functional perspective, it ensures a room works for different purposes. From a form perspective, it can be fundamental to transforming an entire scheme.

Lighting should bring shape, colour and texture. It’s an extra layer of personality from above, championing the often overlooked fifth wall.

Lights can make a room 'Everything'

Frequently the starting point for my design is not colour, furniture or art – it morphs from an Everything statement light.

Scrolling recently through the 39k (!) pictures on my camera roll, it struck me just how central lighting has been to all my rooms.

Both of our apartments were blessed with very big rooms and very high ceilings, demanding lights of size and stature; both to ensure the space was properly lit and to work harmoniously with the original features and grand proportions.

Take the huge Arteriors chandelier in our living room, found during a rather deep stumble into an eBay hole. Brand new and heart-stoppingly beautiful, it was being sold super cheap for a quick sale.

I fell in love instantly. Despite the fact I was in Greece at the time and had to arrange for a friend to take delivery of it.

When my Everything lightening strikes, logistics are an afterthought.

At that stage, I didn’t have a clear design vision for the living room. But the light encapsulates the Neo Deco style beloved of my most inspirational designer, Kelly Wearstler – and a personal favourite.

Image 1 of 2

Nodding to 1970s sculptural lighting, the textured surfaces and Brutalist-inspired forms add dynamic contrast against the room’s striking period features.

Hand-worked layered patinated brass plates are slightly curved to create an irregular surface texture and warm metallic contrast, diffusing light into subtle patterned beams, and softening the hard metal lines.

The result is strong form, mixed materials and a flattering, filtered glow bringing warmth and atmosphere, rather than cold glare, even at full brightness.

We often joke about the horrors of turning the 'big light' on – but I can make an exception for this one. It’s jewellery for the room.

It ultimately informed the concept for the entire space - from the statement magazine coffee table and contrasting graphic fabrics to the modular sofas, floor to ceiling gallery walls and iconic floor lights and ornaments.

Just to prove a light doesn’t have to be the last thing you add.

It can be the inspiration for it all.

Big rooms need big lights

If you have high ceilings and big rooms, small lights simply will not work. Scale matters. Always. In large rooms, lights must have the presence to hold the space.

Our old bedroom and living room had the same proportions and both needed two BIG statement fixtures.

The Murano chandeliers in the bedroom brought intricate detail and beautiful shape as nothing else could. Soft, yet striking and sublimely beautiful works of art. Again, they led the design for the room, sitting against a deep, warm clay that spoke to the nuanced shades of the glass.

By contrast, the living room lights were modern Sputnik-style chandeliers, with glass globes on a branching brass frame.

They filled and emphasised the dramatic proportions of the room, whilst bringing a contemporary accent to the panelled ceiling and cornicing.

They were both show-stopping pieces that worked because the rooms had the big bones to let them shine. Literally and figuratively.

Image 1 of 2

Big lights require big nerve

Big statement lights especially chandeliers with glass features also come with a health warning.

Make sure you have someone good installing them. And if, like me, you have a nervous disposition, remove yourself from the room.

Large lights in older buildings are more likely to move and sway. Romantic in theory. Terrifying in reality.

In our old apartment, the two huge living room lights would tremble when big lorries drove past. Anxiety-inducing, to say the least.

If you live in an apartment building, it’s also worth staying in touch with your neighbours about upcoming works.

Major renovations above can affect lights installed below – you may need to protect them, or in some cases, temporarily taking them down.

Coloured lights are game-changers

I’m a sucker for a coloured light.

The pink Murano chandelier in our bedroom magically transformed the palette, bringing depth and tonality, while perfectly crowning and centering the space.

The clear and green Murano chandelier in my old office (do you see a pattern emerging here?) was a slightly tipsy, impulse eBay purchase. My Everything instinct loved it and needed it, despite the risk of not considering the existing design.

Bright green loops of glass created a very punchy focal point against an already show-stopping terracotta ceiling.

It shouldn’t have worked on paper.

Yet together they were so dramatic and unusual, I can’t imagine that room any other way. Sometimes, you’ve got to let your Everything take you somewhere unexpected and figure it out later.

Image 1 of 3

Statement lights for smaller spaces

Statement lighting doesn’t only live on ceilings. Wall lights can be just as powerful.

Rooms with low ceilings won’t allow for fittings with depth without grazing your head or visually lowering the ceiling further.

In bathrooms, dramatic ceiling lights are also rarely an option because of water and IP ratings. This is where wall lights are your secret weapon. In both bathrooms, I built quite the arsenal.

The green Smartie lights in the new bathroom are whimsical, yet weighty, bringing instant joy, personality and colour to lift an otherwise white space.

Conversely, our previous bathroom had wall to wall gloss forest tiles, complemented by elegant Art Deco inspired sconce with clear glass rods within a brass frame. They glimmered subtly yet significantly and added much needed interest and texture.

Both were different, both created essential character.

Never underestimate the power of a really good wall light.

Image 1 of 2

Sourcing everything lights

Unique lights make rooms feel personal.

As a general rule, I steer clear from trends. My Everything feeling guides what I love, so pieces stand the test of time rather than date quickly.

To source my unique lights, I look to tastemakers and progressive designers to discover the new, interesting and unusual. Albeit mostly through gritted teeth, knowing the majority of what I love is wildly out of budget.

This inspiration becomes my wish-list. I then stalk them ruthlessly and obsessively on eBay and other marketplaces to find originals or look-a-likes.

Most of my statement lights have come from eBay, my first point of call for sourcing unique pieces at bargain prices.

Many sellers are clearing items from second or third homes, staged properties or houses about to be sold. They simply need pieces gone quickly. That’s where the bargains are.

You must just keep searching, be patient and quick to move.

Case in point, the aforementioned Arteriors light - £250 vs a RRP of £3,000. I’m still unbearably smug about that one – sorry.

I also source vintage lights through specialist dealers. The Murano lights in our old bedroom were shipped from Italy – though it’s always worth remembering to factor in shipping, import costs, compatibility and the refund policy.

Sometimes beautiful discoveries happen closer to home too – the chrome Murano light in my new office came from a local concept store.

The key to good lighting is education

One of the biggest lessons from the short KLC interior design course I took, was just how much there is to learn about lighting.

Understanding the different levels of light in a room and how they interact at different times of day.

How to create layers and sets for moods and light levels, so rooms can be used for different purposes – dinner parties, reading, relaxing.

And that’s before you even start thinking about architectural lighting. It’s a complex subject – there are professionals specialising solely in this field.

I’m not a lighting expert. But I do know it is worth educating yourself about the basics and working with experts on more complex projects.

Don’t overlook lighting when planning a project

If designing a room from scratch, considering layout and purpose is key to controlling the lighting atmosphere at different times of day.

Without proper planning, you might end up adding lots of lamps afterwards to fix the problem.

Which is fine – there are plenty of gorgeous battery powered options now – but far better to think about it upfront.

One random, but likely relatable example; when I plan a room, I always think about where the Christmas tree will go.

Come December, when the tree goes up and the lights come out, there are no leads trailing across the room.

A small detail perhaps, but a perfect example of how lighting needs to work in real life. Plan practically and thoroughly. Taking early advice to get it right will always pay dividends in the end.

Sometimes, 'Everything' lights belong where they are

We sold our old apartment with all the lights. Not because I didn’t love them. But because they belonged to those spaces.

This decision came from my Everything instinct. Taking them would have meant designing a new home around lights chosen for an entirely different environment. Like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.

Sometimes a piece belongs to a room.

Sometimes it belongs to you.

If you feel intuitively that an Everything light will bring joy wherever it lives, then get that beauty packed. Carefully. Ideally by a professional.

Sometimes you get it wrong. I still deeply regret leaving the Murano chandeliers from the old bedroom. I’ve tried – unsuccessfully – to source them again. Mega fail.

I just hope the new owner loves them as dearly as I do.

Statement lighting is 'Everything'

Statement lighting is one of the most powerful design tools we have to shape a room. They control the mood and can define how a space looks.

Lighting can and should be one of the starting points for design. Because a statement light isn’t just functional – it’s art. Coloured glass, texture, mixed materials, unusual shapes – these are all unique and unexpected shortcuts to create interest and drama.

I still think back to the V&A chandelier – when I first realised a light could be sculpture, presence and emotion all at once.

Some lights simply illuminate a room.

The right one makes you stop, stare, and feel Everything, bringing a room to glorious, shining life.