DESIGN PROFILES
Marie Flanigan's Favorite Aspects of a Room
Architect-turned-decorator Marie Flanigan celebrates the launch of her new Visual Comfort collection with a peek into her latest, and possibly brightest, project to date. Photography by Julie Soefer.
Devin Pendant by Sean Lavin, Rousseau Double Wall Sconce by Kelly Wearstler
“Lighting is perhaps the single most transformative element in any environment. Its power to illuminate and animate—literally—shapes how we experience our surroundings,” muses Marie Flanigan. To celebrate the launch of her new collection with Visual Comfort, the lighting-obsessed, Houston-based designer exclusively shared one of her most potent design projects with us. Although Flanigan’s new fixtures were still on the drawing boards when this home was built, her less is more point-of-view is fully illuminated. Paging through the photos makes one wonder how her spaces simultaneously exude strength and serenity.
The secret is that Flanigan began her career as an architect but switched to design when she realized she couldn’t give up on the finishing details. She thinks and plans on a macro level and then hones in on finishes, furnishings, and lighting at a micro level creating holistically designed havens for clients. Melding modern and classic furnishings, polished marble with bare brick, and the functionality with the pretty excites Flanigan, but not as much as the influence lighting a house offers. “By incorporating recessed lights, pendants, and sconces in a room, you can change the whole atmosphere of the room with just a switch,” she says. Discover ten more of Flanigan’s brightest ideas for lighting and living.
Devin Pendant by Sean Lavin
Rousseau Double Wall Sconce by Kelly Wearstler
Shop a similar look: Gates Medium Rectangle Table Lamp by Marie Flanigan
Squared Away
We extended the barrel vaulted ceiling into the living room for added dimension in the expansive space. Lining up the barrels with the door and windows was key to the serenity of the room. Geometric table lamps enhance the room’s symmetry and movement.
Dover Floor Lamp by AERIN
Stand Tall and Proud
The long and lean, brass floor lamp draws eyes up to the tall planked ceiling and accents the fluted wood surrounding the fireplace in this sunroom.
Metropolis Table Lamp by Ralph Lauren
Double the Lights for Two
Reading wall lamps are wonderful when one person wants to read while the other sleeps. The bedside lamps add depth and interest to the room.
Squared Away
We extended the barrel vaulted ceiling into the living room for added dimension in the expansive space. Lining up the barrels with the door and windows was key to the serenity of the room. Geometric table lamps enhance the room’s symmetry and movement.
New Neutral
Blush is the new neutral, serving as the perfect backdrop for soft whites, natural tones, and warm gold hues. This serene color palette blends well with almost any décor and provides a sense of calm to all who walk through the space.
New Neutral
Blush is the new neutral, serving as the perfect backdrop for soft whites, natural tones, and warm gold hues. This serene color palette blends well with almost any décor and provides a sense of calm to all who walk through the space.
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall
When installing fixtures directly onto reflective surfaces like in this powder room, I select ones with light diffusing shades to avoid overly-bright, hot spots. These alabaster sconces were a beautiful way to achieve this.