There’s one thing you’ll never find in Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott’s Manhattan apartment: recessed lights. Instead, they opt for a combination of vintage-inspired lanterns, sconces, and lamps.
The couple shared their secret to elegant kitchen lighting in a recent Instagram video from their talented designer, Young Huh. Zooey and Jonathan’s freshly renovated New York apartment is alive with their signature whimsical style, and their baby blue kitchen is no exception. Warm lighting is their secret weapon for keeping it welcoming.
Rather than leaning into kitchen lighting trends, the couple opted for sculptural lights with character. Zooey explains: ‘If you look up, you notice that there are no recessed lights in this place.’ With Jonathan interjecting: ‘That’s a swear word in our house.’ She continues: ‘We were able to just put beautiful lights everywhere, or we have a chandelier or a pendant, a sconce or a lamp. The lighting feels magical and moody.’
To explore Zooey and Jonathan’s lighting idea further, Homes & Gardens curated an edit of light fixtures similar to those we see in their kitchen. We also spoke to a design expert on recent shifts in kitchen lighting. Let’s jump in.
Recreate Zooey and Johnathan’s Lighting at Home
Elegant Stoneware Pleated Pendant Lamp
If you love a pendant light with texture, this pleated stoneware design is a chic choice for your kitchen. The beautiful combination of cream and brass feels elegant and timeless – it would look so charming in a cottage kitchen.
Pendant Light With Opal Ribbed Glass Shade
Bringing in a hint of that black and brass color combination, this pendant light features a larger shade made from ribbed glass. It’s a stylish choice if you want to bring in that cozy, textured look in an easy-to-clean way.
Battersea Opaline and Brass Hanging Lantern
Zooey and Jonathan use these gorgeous lanterns above their kitchen island, and it’s easy to see why. The combination of curved milky glass and perfectly aged brass has a heritage look and feel that will never get old.
Moroccan Moorish Hanging Metal Lantern
If you want a more characterful lantern, this vintage Moroccan Moorish pendant from Marrakech is perfect. It features softly sandblasted, milky-white glass framed in a rich dark bronze metal finish, handcrafted by skilled artisans.
Metal Swing Arm Wall Lights
Sold as a set of two, these sconces bring timeless style to the walls in your home. Their metal arms are designed to swing outward and inward, allowing you to position light exactly where you need it.
Greta Scalloped Sconce Wall Light
With an accordion arm and a floral-like shade, this wall sconce has a charmingly vintage-inspired feel to it. Its brass finish is so tasteful, and I just love how its cord perfectly matches in color.
Though recessed lighting was long the preferred option in kitchens for its easy-to-use nature, this tide is shifting. Helen Pett, Design Expert at Arteriors, explains: ‘As much as practicality is important when planning kitchen lighting, increasingly we are seeing a demand for jewellery pieces – those statement designs which can really add something different and special to kitchen design.’
As Jonathan and Zooey demonstrate, following in this shift asks homeowners to choose lighting that they absolutely love that shows their personalities. Installing a variety of different heights of lighting with different constructions helps to create a gorgeously layered scheme that you’ll want to spend all day under.
Helen advises: ‘An extravagant chandelier or decorative set of pendants above the island can work as a beautiful focal feature while still providing a glow over this important kitchen space. This provides the perfect layered combination to ensure the kitchen is properly lit and has light level for every occasion.’
In terms of bulb strength, one piece of advice is to consider the lighting scheme in one of your favorite movies. Jonathan jokes: ‘This is the side effect of being engaged to someone whose father is a world-class cinematographer. Lighting is very important.’ This way, Hollywood magic can always be a part of your home, as it is in Zooey and Jonathan’s apartment.
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