Can those of us with shorty ceilings still hang chandeliers?

Despite loving high ceilings, some of us are forced by circumstance or budget or whatever to reside in dwellings with low ceilings, and when those low ceilings are especially low, that can limit lighting design options. Now as I enjoy my summer vacay and finally spend some real time working on my own home, which has felt terribly neglected these past months, I’m finding that my lighting choices feel quite limited by my own low ceilings. Recessed lighting? I can’t say I dig it. Our current lighting is comprised mainly of those flush with the ceiling lights shaped like boobies, complete with nipple, and they’re not my favorites. Which is why I’ve been wondering, and thought I’d ask you, how low do you think you can go with hanging lighting in a space with low ceilings? Are chandeliers paired with low ceilings just ridiculous? What about when they’re over a table or piece of furniture that guarantees no one will bang their heads? Leave your thoughts below so I can use your help to decide what I really think about big dramatic lighting in wee unassuming spaces!

If you’re travelling in the UK anytime soon, you should consider doing what many of the English do when vacationing in their own country and rent a holiday cottage. Nothing better captures the essence of rural Englishness than spending a relaxing week a small hideaway in the Lake District, or a traditional thatched cottage in the Cotswolds. A week spent rambling through the countryside, sipping ale in a cozy village pub, and generally living the country life, such are the things of which memories are made.

Of course, if you’re one of our English readers, and you’ve managed to acquire a holiday cottage, which can only be used for a few weeks a year, then you might consider letting your holiday cottage via a listing agency such such as RentMyCottage.com which will help you match you with paying visitors.

Naturally, you’ll need to do some work to make sure that your holiday home is suitable for visitors. Not only must everything be in fine working order, but need to make sure that the furniture accords with your visitors’ notion of what is appropriate to the setting. Starkly minimalist or Danish modern furniture won’t help your guests capture that true English spirit that so many desire.

At the same time, modern travellers are a demanding lot, so even though your furniture may be suitably rustic, you’ll probably need the most up-to-date appliances in a kitchen well stocked for the self-catering culinary tourists who are so common today.