By Elena Markov New York-based Interior Designer | Specializing in modern organic interiors | January 2026
I’ve been working on interiors in New York for fifteen years now, mostly in Brooklyn and Manhattan brownstones where space is tight and light is everything. A couple of months ago, I was wrapping up a project in Fort Greene—a classic pre-war apartment for a family with young kids. We had the basics dialed in: warm oak floors, a cream sectional, layered neutrals, plenty of plants, and a fireplace that actually gets used. But every time I walked in during the late afternoon, something felt off. The recessed ceiling lights were doing their job, but they made the room feel flat and a little sterile—like an office, not a home where people kick off their shoes and unwind.
Clients have been telling me the same thing for years, especially since we all spent so much time indoors recently: they want cozy living room lighting that feels gentle and inviting, not harsh or overly bright. Clear glass bubble chandeliers are beautiful, but in New York’s often gray winter light, they can come across as too crisp. That’s when I turned to a smoked glass branching bubble chandelier—a piece I’ve been specifying more and more.
The smoked gray tint diffuses the light in this beautiful, hazy way, like sunlight filtering through clouds. The branching brass arms give it an organic feel—nothing too perfect or symmetrical—so it looks like it belongs in the room rather than dominating it. When we installed it above their coffee table, the difference was immediate. Afternoon sun moved through the globes and cast the softest patterns across the rug. In the evening, dimmed low, it created this warm, ambient glow that made the whole space feel lived-in and calm.
It’s become one of my go-to solutions for modern organic living rooms because it solves that real pain point: overhead lighting that’s functional but soulless. This chandelier gives you sculpture and softness in one piece—perfect over a dining table too, but especially in living rooms where you want to encourage lingering.
If you’re searching for cozy ambient lighting ideas or a smoked glass bubble chandelier for living room, this style checks all the boxes: organic, refined, and genuinely relaxing.
