The Little Things: Floating Candles
Designer Monthly's Little Things column places a spotlight on those home accessories that are often overlooked, and we'll show how they can be improved to make a world of a difference. Our pursuit is to enhance the decor through economical yet aesthetically superior measures.
If you've been working on designing rooms for any length of time, or even if you
simply appreciate good decor, you know how important using candles for lighting can be. And
if you're in any doubt, just try this next time you sit down to dinner: dim the lights, strike
a match, and light a couple of simple white tapers. You will be amazed at the mood change.
In both the Sheffield Complete Course in Interior Design, and in our Complete Course in Wedding and Event Planning, we recommend using candles in a variety of settings, from simple dinners at home to impressive cocktail parties.
For a special occasion, such as for a wedding or other event, we find that floating candles can add an even more romantic, elegant, or playful touch to a party. And at a dining table, they keep a low enough profile so that diners don't have to peer around tall candles in order to see one another.
Floating candles can also be used on sideboards or coffee tables, to add light both light and a soothing mood.
Sheffield Top Tip: You may think of floating candles as just the simple white tea lights set into a bowl of water, but today's floating candles are much more than that, and they offer a great way to really make a decorative statement.
You may want to start by thinking of your table covering, and then match it with the decorative bowls of floating candles. Here, we see floating candles used at a Fourth of July Party, with a background of a flag-motif tablecloth.
You can see how the bowl with candles, anchored with small red and blue marbles, really makes this table pop to life.
For a more romantic look, perfect for a wedding, how about these heart-shaped candles,
set against a white hydrangea bloom? Adding several of these to a shallow bowl of water on
a table could be used instead of white tapers, or could be used with them.
For a springtime party or wedding, we like these playful gerbera daisy floating candles. These add to the floral motif, but the daisy is such a friendly, casual flower that it brightens up a table without appearing stuffy. Used in conjunction with the right flower arrangements on the table, it will set the perfect party note.
You can find floating candles in just about any shape and style. For Halloween, there are even candy-corn floating candles, which would be perfect set in a bowl bobbing with apples.
When planning any kind of event or party, the lighting is a crucial consideration; using floating candles can be a decorative way to solve any lighting problems, while adding a festive note to the event.
Resources
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