Modern Furniture Blog

Modern Furniture Blog

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Modern living rooms

About Alexander Calzadilla

Alexander Calzadilla is a Cuban male originally from Philadelphia, who has happily called Miami his home since moving here at the age of 15. He attended Southwest Sr. High School and Florida International University, ultimately receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. While in college, he began working as a paralegal for the Law Offices of Jeffrey E. Reichenbacher, a position he kept for seven years after graduation. He subsequently worked at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Associates before landing at Costa Nursery. After distinguishing himself with many accomplishments, he was promoted to the position of Director of Specialty Products, which included the orchid, bonsai and lucky bamboo departments. When Alex was first put in charge of the three departments, they ranked near the bottom. By the time he left Costa after seven years, Alex had transformed the floundering departments into unqualified successes, posting record earnings, sales and profitability. In 2008 Alex was named the Costa Employee of the Year. Alex now puts his formidable prowess as a businessman into his newest venture, Avant-Garde Home Furnishings, LLC, serving as Managing Partner.

About Avant-Garde

We offer home furnishings and decor for every area of your home,both inside and out, always striving to bring you the most current design elements being used by today's top designers, at a fraction of their retail cost. Whether you are completely redecorating an area of your home, looking for the perfect accent piece to finish off an existing room, shopping for a unique gift, or simply "window shopping" to get design ideas, Avant-Garde is the place to go for everything modern & contemporary for your home.

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Lighting, Lighting, & more Lighting...

Lighting, Lighting, & more Lighting...




Today I am sharing with all of you secrets in lighting and how to open up your home to the brightness and openness that comes with properly set lighting. I will also talk about several new and unique products in lighting.. 

Enjoy the pics and post...



Lighting Openess... 


Regardless if you are working with synthetic or natural light, it has the ability to energize not just your home but the people in it as well. Brilliant touches of radiance can invigorate your home instead of letting dark spaces create a dismal mood. These easy tips will bring light to your space to add cheer to your day.
  • Welcome the Sun – Sheer window treatments, like sheer Levolor Blinds, provide brighter color by allowing natural light to fill the room. Thoughtfully placing mirrors where the light will be reflected will add a bright, positive energy to your space.
  • Avoid Clutter – Ottomans and storage benches are ideal for hiding blankets, magazines, etc., when not in use. Also, avoid adding too much furniture or art to a room. Too many objects in a room can cause it to appear smaller and darker.
  • Make Use of White – While white may not be the color you immediately think of when you picture contemporary design, small hints of it can certainly go a long way in brightening up your space. Fluorescent bulbs used in white accent lamps will offer you a more natural feel with your lighting while white moldings, shelves and picture frames can add just a hint of contrast in a darker room.
Light plays a key role in your mood and overall appearance of a room and should be treated as a primary decorating element, not an afterthought!

The Puff Light... 


At first glance, the Puff Light pictured above probably looks a little like something you would have hanging in the shower, right? Well, this is not a loofah! Created by Josh Urso Design, this sculptural pendant lamp is made from resin-impregnated fabric that is strategically arranged into a spherical burst.

The Puff Light is available in 24 different colors and patterns, all offering a nice rich texture. So, whether you are looking for a yellow light to go with your country cottage theme, a moss green color to compliment your spa decor or a black and white print to become a focal point in a contemporary room, there is a fabric available for you in a Puff Light!

These fresh and fun lights are environmentally-friendly, come with CFL bulbs and all the hardware that you need for hanging. Don’t let the flirtation of this piece fool you into thinking that it won’t dent your pocket book though, the Puff Light is anything from cheap! They range from $770 for a 10-inch light up to $5,280 for one that is 4-feet. Can you imagine one of these whimsical lights hanging from your ceiling that is that big? Your neighbors would have a hard time topping this one! View all of the available colors of the Puff Light and Plush Pod.

A Unique Lighting Pendant...


While it can be a challenge at times to keep up with design trends, one thing that will never go out of style is brilliant lighting. In many homes, a flip of the switch and an occasional lamp is the extent of the thought process when it comes to adding lighting to decor however, light should be used to highlight accents, not be an afterthought. Of course, natural light is always welcome and preferred but when the sun isn’t finding its way through your windows, you need to brighten your home with style.
  • Pendants – Hanging multiple pendants together over an island or kitchen table certainly adds a lot of original and interest to your room.
  • Strands – Think string lighting with big round bulbs! These can be hung in an endless number of configurations. You can create a waterfall with several strands or even use them to divide off a room.
  • Chandelier – While you may not associate chandeliers with modern design, you will be surprised at the styles that are available today. Chandeliers simply have a way of demanding attention and becoming a focal point in any room.
  • Waterfall – Table top lamps that feature strands of reflected glass or metallic beads will add sparkle to your space. Set them near a mirror for a real treat!
The stunning Mercury Ceiling Suspension by Artemide that is featured in the picture can be found at Lumens.

Phillips LED Living Colors Light...




Live in color. The Philips LivingColors LED lamp and mini-lamp are indispensable lighting pieces for any modern home. If you’re looking for a flexible, ultra-sleek, versatile and modern lamp, there really is no other. With over 16 million color choices suited to your mood, activity, time of day and so many other factors, you can use this lamp for everything from entertaining guests to reading before bed. And the best part – its compact, rounded shape allows it to go wherever you need it, and the cute modular remote means you can adjust the color on the fly, from anywhere in the room.
We here at Padstyle got to try a full sized LivingColors lamp out, and it is now a permanent fixture in our office. We use the color wheel on the remote control to adjust the lamp to our needs: a deep yellow tone when we want to get down to business, a rich magenta for lunch, and a soothing blue when it’s time to pack up and go home. You can customize this lamp to flood the walls with bright, neon green, or bring down the tone to a more mellow tea green with just a hint of yellow. The possibilities are as endless as the color spectrum.

You can set this lamp up on the floor in the corner of your room to fill it with subtle color, or you can set it on a mantle or table facing the wall for a more direct beam. A date night might require a dazzling crimson to evoke passion and excitement, while a lazy Sunday spent catching up on your reading could be spend awash in a pale goldenrod. However you live, you can create your own ambiance.
The regular size LivingColors lamp allows for the full 16 million color choices, and its body is made of transparent clear plastic. The mini-lamp comes in your choice of glossy white or black, and can emit 256 colors. Both are great for setting the mood, and you can even set up several regular sized lamps to run on the same remote if you really want to flood your home with color.

If you only buy one lamp this year, this is the lamp to get.



Artful lighting. Two shapes come together to make this sconce a subtle piece of art that will light up your living room, hallway, kitchen or bathroom. The rounded rectangular sconce itself if balanced by the two circles that rest comfortably underneath. This sconce is available in polished nickel or rubbed bronze. By using contrasting straight and rounded lines, this sconce gives off a bold statement that is tempered by a smooth, sophisticated style. Any modern home will enjoy the subtle style that this light exudes through its unique adornments and its use of contrasting forms. 

You will find the Dianelli ADA Sconce at ModernFurnitureClassics.com for $495.00.





IS IT ART OR IS IT A LIGHT? Â  What is it?   It is actually both.   Lighted wall art is all the rage in modern design both in terms of function and beauty.   This piece of art literally lights up home interiors, while creating a sophisticated focal point.   Garnish walls in living rooms, family rooms, and home offices with a piece that certainly will be a conversation piece.

  Designed by Jedeisgns, the Leguna Lightbox 2 features digitally created paintings.   These lightboxes are available in custom size and a part of a limited edition.  

You can purchase the Leguna Lightbox 2 from 2Modern.com for $1,500.00.


Lighting ideas and new products. By

AG Home Goods


1 comment:

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