Lighting

It's been awhile (a long while) and no promises but I decided I needed to start recording these updates on a regular basis again. We'll see how that actually goes...

I've done a few updates to the lighting since I last posted including getting a new fixture for the front entry and moving that fixture to the back entry which made a huge difference.


That being said there is still a long ways to go. I despise boob lights. Could there really not have been a better choice then these jokers?

Capital Lighting

They are builder grade and due to us having a very limited budget while building these lovelies were scattered throughout our house. Now that we are becoming a little more settled (still a LONG way from being comfortable though) I'm starting to become ready to switch them out for more up-to-date fixtures with a bit more character. Although this house started as a 5-7 year house for us, we're already at 4 years and have no plans to even being moving anytime soon....although I did recently list us on Zillow at a make-me-move price about $75,000 over the last estimate of our house. That's why it's classified as "Make Me Move" right?

Here are some updates I'd like to get to eventually. I keep lots of records on my Pinterest boards now but that doesn't record where we've been & the path along the way :).

KITCHEN:
1. It's so dang dark in here, I want to put in some under cabinet lighting operated on a switch.

source

2. Again, speaking of the darkness, I'd like to add a semi-flush mount fixture in the center of the room. I loved this one but apparently Ballard doesn't carry it anymore.

source

3. I really like the look of little pendants hanging down over the sink. I don't know if this would end up being too busy & I don't know about having to have pretty bulbs but I like this one.

source

LAUNDRY ROOM:

This just has your standard boob light which does a good enough job of lighting up the room but I'd like a little more character. Something along these lines but less expensive & smaller.

source

STAIRS:

The lights we currently have are good enough but not really my style. I'd like something low-profile but with style, like this, but that emits a bit more than just a "warm glow."

source

TIM'S CLOSET:

Poor guy has a straight-up florescent fixture, ugly as can be & awful colored lighting no matter the bulb. I'd like to get him something that gives better light for him & isn't ugly (for me).

source

UPSTAIRS BEDROOMS, BONUS ROOM & MASTER BEDROOM:

I know some people don't like ceiling fans but around here the mugginess just sits on you like a wet blanket and without the extra airflow from ceiling fans in the bedroom it just gets to be a bit stifling. That being said, I'd like to have ceiling fans that are attractive and add to the room rather than detract. The upstairs rooms & bonus room currently only have lights in them & we have an ugly ceiling fan with a light kit so I'd like to replace all four with something like this, but not $400 each, yikes!

source

FAMILY ROOM:

We currently have 4 can lights & a fan in the den but although the plan was originally to add a light kit to the fan I think I'd rather just replace it. If I couldn't convince Tim to get rid of the fan altogether I'd likely just get the same as what is in the bedrooms but I think some negotiating with putting the fan in the bonus room just might let me get away with getting rid of that one. In that case I think I want a rustic looking chandelier which I haven't seen any of that really interest me just yet.

HALLWAY:

Our upstairs hallway just has can lighting (smart!) but our downstairs hallway still has a boob light. I think that I'd like to replace it with the flush-mount that matches all of our other pieces.

source

HALF BATH & OFFICE:

I can't remember if the half-bath has a vanity light fixture or if it has a ceiling mount. I could swear to you that it is a ceiling mount though. I have some big plans for this room (at least for now) which a large light would compete with too much so I think I want something pretty, but low-profile.

The office has the most basic flush-mount imaginable right now with no character at all but I'd like to replace it with this very simple flush-mount that does not look like a boob. (side-note: I'd also consider this for the Laundry Room & for the Hallway).

source

MASTER BATH & GUEST BATH:

This is our current fixture in our master bathroom & I'm pretty sure its the same but with a different number of lights for the guest bathroom:

source

Nothing really bad about it, but nothing particularly interesting either. I also want to frame in our mirror & put a built-in cabinet between our sinks for more storage so we will need two separate fixtures for that to work. 

For our master bath, I'd like something a little quirky & am willing to spend a bit more since I will be using it/seeing it multiple times each day. Something like this could be fun.

source

For the guest bathroom I think I'd end up waiting to see if our first child ends up being a little girl or a little boy because I love both of these (although they'd both be too small).

Little Girl:

source

Little Boy (in antique brass):

source

Ultimately I think we can all learn a lesson from this...boob lights are not a necessity and even builder basic could transition into something much more attractive such as this. :)

source

Be Our Guest: Part 2

Bedroom #3, its the poor forgotten little thing that was completely empty save for Tim's PlayStation 2 console and games for awhile. We showed it a little love with a bed and leftover pillows, blankets and etc but it still can use a lot more, bless it.

I have absolutely no idea where the pillows are from, I want to say Target but then again I think Bed, Bath and Beyond. Regardless I got them back in college and the blanket, mattress, lamp and TV table are from Tim's college apartment yet again.

The closet has some medical supplies from after Tim's surgery, leftover wedding decorations, Tim's mom's wedding dress and my wedding dress (the lady at the dry cleaners told me it looks like a corpse all laid out in the box...gee thanks). It also has the comforters for both guest beds that I need to get some duvet covers for but can seem to make a decision on yet. Shocker.

Things we have left to do here:

1. Get a bedframe - I'm not crazy about/not locked into the way the bed is set up right now which leaves me completely open to getting a new bed. I've always wanted a metal bedframe but am afraid I'll get my arm stuck in the middle of the night. I'm not a peaceful sleeper, ask poor Tim how he gets so many bruises. Putting one in a guest room lets me still get it but saves my extremities from trauma. The majority of my friends are much more coordinated than I. Ballard again has a great one that would work perfectly.

2. Get a nightstand -  everyone always has something they need next to them at night, whether it be a cell phone or an alarm clock. We need a nightstand in this guest room so that our guests have a place for their things at night. Ballard Designs (shining yet again tonight) has a neat one thats pretty inexpensive.

3. Get a TV stand - Once again the Durham end table would have to be my choice because I can do so much with it in the man cave later (i.e. place the two of them together to make a coffee table, yes please).

4. Get curtains - The view from the window in this room is all shingles which wouldn't be an issue except they have these little windows that allow anyone to peer into this room. Curtains it is. 

Just a heads up, I have to say that I'm SUPER excited about my post for tomorrow so stay tuned :).

Be Our Guest: Part 1

First I just wanted to show that I actually am making progress on one thing...I still have no idea whats happening with this though.

Ok so back to the real reason we're here, Bedroom #2. This is my favorite because it actually has my old bed in it. That thing was so incredibly comfortable...until I tried to share it with a 6 ft. 200 lb man. Then it felt like a cot but up until that point it was amazing. 

I got the pillows and coverlet from Target a few years ago as well as the nightstand currently posing as a stool. The lamp came from Tim's college  apartment, yes the kid had a fully furnished/decorated apartment in college. The trunk was a gift from Santa back when I was a kid and the frames are leftover from our wedding and have photos of our loved ones that have passed away.

Otherwise the room is incredibly empty with just a TV and outdoor table from Tim's patio.

The closet has our nicer stuff that will be displayed as soon as we get our hutch in the dining room and that dresser has the majority of my college sorority t-shirts that I will someday (hopefully) turn into a quilt.

Things we have left to do here:


1. Get a headboard - How sweet is the little bird perched on this headboard? I love it! Thank you Ballard Designs...

2. Get a nightstand - I found this at Ballard Designs too, technically its a side table but I think the height would work with the tallish bed plus I like the pull out shelf for people's stuff to sit on while they are sleeping.

3. Get a TV stand - I don't know that we necessarily need a dresser in that room, just something to put the TV on that would also work in another caliber later for the "man cave". I think the Durham end table from Ballard Designs (yes they are hitting it out of the park tonight) does the trick and because we need 2 of them (for the other guest room) they will fit into my plans for later perfectly.

4. Restain/recover the trunk - This is a super nice piece of furniture that I'm actually not even going to take the risk on redoing myself so I'm going to have to hire someone one of these days to get it stripped and restained to a nice dark color...maybe if I wait long enough I'll just like the light stain again. I also want to recover the fabric on top with something a little more updated and less scratchy to sit on.

5. Get curtains - With how close we've seen that they are building the house next to us we need some curtains over every window of the house...desperately.