Grand millennial, transitional, and elevated transitional are having a real moment right now. All three are rooted in the traditional style we know and love, drawing from classical European design but rendered with a lighter, more current hand. What ties them together is a shared respect for pieces with substance: nothing disposable, nothing purely trend-driven.
One thing all three styles have in common is a deep appreciation for quality lighting. In a transitional or grand millennial room, the light fixture is rarely an afterthought. It’s often the piece that sets the tone for everything else in the space, and it deserves the same level of craftsmanship as the furniture around it.
While working on our upcoming style guides for Transitional and Elevated Traditional, I found myself thinking of my talented friend, Irina van Oostveen. Her work is exactly the kind of lighting these styles call for.
Irina is an Ottawa artisan whose work turns forgotten objects into art. Trained as an interior designer, she stepped away from the profession through years of relocation, but never stepped away from her eye for beautiful, well-made things. Now settled in Ottawa, she has returned to the work she loves: creating one-of-a-kind lighting, furniture and interior accessories. She hand-makes her own lampshades, sources quality materials and luxury fabrics, and finishes every piece with real craftsmanship.
Antique and vintage objects are often her starting point, but the result is not a repaired or recovered version of something old. It’s a new piece, shaped by her own hand and point of view, that happens to carry history inside it. No two pieces are alike. Each is made once, as its own original work, which is exactly what gives a transitional or grand millennial room the depth these styles are built on.
Irina’s advice to homeowners reaches beyond lighting: listen to yourself first. Build a space that reflects who you are and how you actually live, one that genuinely brings you joy. Only then bring in the professionals to help realize the vision together.
Want to see more of her work? Follow Irina on Instagram @decorata.official to explore her latest pieces, and reach out to her directly with any questions about a custom piece for your own home.
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