Support for the Dowager

Who, or what, is the Dowager you might ask. Well, it's an elegant antique Danish chandelier which was given to us twenty-five years ago and which I very much wanted to use in our ultra-modern Great Room.

When I talked to our lighting designer John Bullock about this he was immediately enthusiastic and explained how it would work.

Think of a lighting scheme as the equivalent of an Edwardian country house party:

Bustling away, doing all the work, are the Below Stairs Lights - never seen but missed if not there.

Gliding around always anticipating your every need are the Footmen Lights - seen but hardly looked at.

Controlling everything is the Butler Light - a quiet presence immaculately presented.

Then there's the Lady of the Household Light - a shining glamorous one-off star with no obvious competition.

Until, that is, one spots the Dowager Light carefully framed off centre to shimmer with old silvery hues.

Well, all Dowagers need good support and so today the carpenters made this structure above the suspended ceiling to take her weight!