Every year, communities across America come together to design and build beautiful homes for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway fundraiser. All the talent, materials and supplies for these homes are donated. Progress Lighting is proud to have recently partnered with one of our builder customers, EDC Homes, to provide lighting for the Dream Home in Hampton Roads, VA.
The Dream Home is a Coastal-inspired design based on one of EDC's model floorplans. "The original plan was customized to utilize and showcase the donated materials from our subcontractors, trade partners, and suppliers," Lindsay W. Christman, designer for EDC Homes explains. Lindsay's lighting choices, her strong emphasis on a neutral palette plus plenty of textural elements provide a theme that unites the design throughout the open-concept home. "As a builder, we recognize that open concepts are what people want, but this type of floor plan presents a challenge for design coordination," said Lindsay. She solved this in part with her lighting selections. "It was fun to choose the lighting. I had free rein to look though the Progress catalog and select fixtures that complemented the design."
One of the design strategies she used was to hang multiples of the same fixtures for added impact. A trio of
Globe pendants lights the way down the hallway to the main living area, where a bright, airy feeling prevails from the soft color palette and sunlit rooms. A polished wood floor and touches of natural wood used in the accessories and furniture grounds the design, giving it an organic, natural feel.
Lindsay employed two additional design strategies when lighting the home: fixtures either provide a focal point or become a neutral accent. In the living area, for example, the
Spatial pendant is a definite statement-maker, giving the room visual impact with its oversized geometric style.
But in the kitchen and dining room, the lighting allows other elements to make the statement. The minimalist modernity of the three clear
Clarion pendants in the kitchen let the dramatic, herringbone-tiled backsplash take center stage. A pair of clean-lined
Cuddle pendants in the dining area is a quiet accent to the rustic wooden dining room table.
The master suite is masterpiece of layered lighting. "Lighting is critical in design. There's never such a thing as too much, as long as there's a switch to turn it down," says Lindsay. "I dial into how the room will be used and execute a lighting plan to fit all tasks." She chose the
Cherish chandelier to highlight the vaulted ceiling and installed recessed lighting for additional ambient light. The
Hinton wall sconces are installed over the bed's headboard, rather than over the nightstand, as a fresh way to provide task lighting. The Clarion pendant - the same style as in the kitchen - brings design continuity as well as a delineation for the cozy seating area within the master bedroom.
"I wanted it to be a spa-like retreat: you walk into the master suite, take a deep breath, and feel relaxed," said Lindsay. Her inspiration began with the simple roman shades at the windows and evolved into a neutral color palette topped with textured accents that drive that relaxed feeling home. The room's beauty epitomizes her top design tip: "Start with something that speaks to you, something that is the inspiration for the rest of the space," says Lindsay, "then build upon it to make sure that the final design works collectively." The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway has raised more than $315 million dollars for children's cancer research and treatment since its inception in 1995. All the raffle proceeds from the Dream Home Giveaways go directly to St. Jude. For more information about how to enter, visit
https://www.stjude.org/give/dream-home/hampton-roads.html.
Photography by Dennis True with Virtual Tidewater