We've come a long way in just two short weeks. This past weekend, we had a bunch of friends and family over (around 45) to celebrate Faye after she was blessed at our church and we have been working overtime to get our place a little more presentable and welcoming. There are always projects to be done (baseboards!)--and our friends all know this--but it has been fun to push ourselves to see how much we could get done. Chris climbing up into the ceiling, centering the light box and installing our new dining room fixture in the eleventh hour was the icing on the cake. Here's how things were looking 2 weeks ago:
And here's how our great room is looking today--new chandelier included!
The evolution includes removing our microwave and surrounding cabinets, rearranging some furniture, painting our cabinets and getting new barstools and installing this new light we got from Lamps Plus. In this post, we talked about a bunch of chandeliers we were considering and we were surprised not one person guessed this one! Surprised in a good way, though. We kind of like being a little unpredictable and against the norm. In the end we chose this one for a few reasons. Since the dining room space is in the center of the great room, we thought a fixture that was not heavy visually and didn't block the view of the kitchen would be best. And as much as I loved (loved!) the idea of two pendants over the table, we're excited to implement something similar over an island one day.
If you don't recognize this option from our round-up (it was "C"), it could be because we decided not to put the shades that came with it over the bulbs--a decision we made before ordering it after seeing the same fixture we loved without a shade in the Curbly house. These 2" round bulbs we picked up at a local lighting shop for a little more than $1 each, felt a lot more modern and clean to us than the fixture with the shades. When we flipped the switch, we fell even more in love. Very dramatic. Very modern-candelabra-esque.
The arms are all adjustable and after playing with them for a little, we like the longest stem going the length of the table and the other two forming an "x."
We really can't stop looking at it. It changed the whole room for the better. We wanted something eye-catching and unique, without blocking any visual space and this light was just the ticket. Are you surprised?
Special thanks to Lamps Plus for partnering with us on this project.
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I have been a crazy woman trying to find this chandelier (or anything similar) that seems to have disappeared from the internet! Do you have a name for it or know where else it might be found? Thank you so much!
There's one linked on our Shop Our House page (not in black though).
[…] that was dangerously close to our heads and didn’t work in the living area is gone and the dining room chandelier got updated, too! The other good news is, despite our nearly failing grade on this one, we’re bringing […]
[…] the one in the half bath, Faye’s room, added sconces to the reading room, the guest room, the dining room and today we’re adding two more to the list with a newly installed light in the entry and […]
[…] (something we are thinking about doing again!), the patio doors and adding some furniture. We also updated the dining room fixture–which made an instant […]
Love the chandelier! Was looking at the pictures and was thinking that plaster ceiling with some nice downlight would spice up the ceiling don't you think?
Isabelle
http://visualresistance.org
Where did you get those frames?!
Target. It's been a little over a year though.
amazing :) i love it!
Love how it can be rotated---great pick!
I love that you went the riskier route! It totally paid off. Absolutely love it!
A rustic barn wood kitchen table would look SO heavenly in this kitchen!
Amen!
Yes, lovely. Open air. Wonderful choice.
I totally thought you guys would go with two fixtures too but I love this one! All your hard work looks amazing!
Option D, I knew it. It looks really great, especially with the painted cabinets.
So much YES! For me it's the larger size of this one that helps the most.
Also-- I love that couch! Did I miss a post about it somewhere?!
That's our Lily sofa by Younger Furniture. We got it in our last house, but we just barely rearranged a few things and it ended up here. https://chrislovesjulia.com/2014/05/rearrangingfree-decorating.html
This is really unexpected, but I can't believe how it transforms your space! The before and after is gorgeous! By the way, I love your new stools! They look so good with this redesign!
And..the missing picture is to be different? The new light looks great.
we'll call it artistic. ;)
Good call, you are artistic! :)
I'm OBSESSED with that missing picture. Looks amazing. Please don't change that!!
The chandy looks so good sans the shades. I kind if hated it when I saw it the first time. A++.
Excellent choice, my friend! I've had my eye on that exact fixture since I first saw it in the Curbly house too! It doesn't disappoint in your space.
Quick question... Does the wood grain show through the painted cabinets? I am loving the transformation!!
I actually had to just go check because I couldn't remember. Very slightly if the light hits them in the right spot. But not noticeable at all.
This transformation is amazing! The chandelier and the bar stools really bring a modern look into the space. But somehow it still looks cozy and homey. Are you planning on changing out the countertops and backsplash at some point? Looks like those are the same as before.
Oh yeah. But probably not until next year when we renovate the whole thing. Tile countertops are THE worst in our book, but we just can't justify spending money on countertops that will be replaced in a year--since we'll be changing the layout of the kitchen a bit.
Oh my the new chandelier looks great! Everything is falling into place :) Do you have future plans for the lighting in the kitchen area? I see you feature the lovely builder grade 'boob' light that so many houses of that era have.
Boob light AND a fluorescent. Oh dear. We can't wait to upgrade those, but we're hesitant to do so before we renovate the kitchen because the layout will be changing. We may end up removing and capping the fluorescent until that point because we hate to turn it on and the new chandelier+ the boob light provides plenty of light for the space.
Please tell me the name of this chandelier, I have been searching lamps plus' website for days and can't find it. I noticed a few ppl asked on IG as well.
I'm afraid it's been discontinued. :(
This looks great! I like this a lot better without the shades.
That light looks so much better without the shades. They should really show that option on their site. The whole area looks so much more open now. Good job!
Related question to Ruth's...what if you get ONE MORE SPICE! lol there's no room! (I assume you have these out and more tucked in a cabinet somewhere.)
I really like what you guys are doing, and I think your "in between, use what we have" phase is great, inspirational, and simple. Good job, guys.
Are you still happy with your flooring? Are you going to try to darken the grout at all?
Hahaha, yes. We have at least 20 more less-used spices in the pantry. As for the flooring, we can't say enough good things about it. It has been so nice not to worry about them with Greta and Charly and all of our frequent guests. I did get some grout dye a few weeks ago, but haven't had the chance to experiment with it yet with Faye's arrival. Some grout lines are naturally darkening, but that is one aspect that we are disappointed with, for sure. Maybe this summer I'll get to it!
Very unexpected but I like it! Good job. :)
I have a question that's totally irrelevant: I thought that herbs and spices were meant to be kept in a dark place but yours are out in the open. Is it because I'm mistaken or because you get through them quickly enough for the flavour not to be affected or something else entirely? I love the way they look on that shelf.
Yes and no. If you don't use spices regularly, they can lose potency over time and sunlight and heat can add to that deterioration. BUT, it also depends on how fresh the spices are when you buy them. These spices on the shelf are all of Chris's most used spices (he has at least 20 more less used in the pantry) some that aren't even ground yet. He uses a mortar and pestle frequently to grind his own spices--these on this shelf--so they have the most flavor when he is ready to use them. Does that make sense? Hope so!
Thank you, that's super helpful.
Hi Ruth,
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about that anyway. The Internet tends to over-sensationalize the impact light has on spices. As though spices are just ground up vampires that will turn to ash if the sun hits them. All spices lose potency after only a few months of being ground, whether stored in a dark cabinet or on a counter. It's unavoidable and essentially every home cook has already grown accustomed to using weak spices.
As long as you keep them out of direct sunlight and use them quickly, you'll be just fine. Although I would suggest storing expensive spices (like cardamom and saffron) in a cupboard to extend their life as long as possible. Other than that, just swap out as needed. :)
Thanks! I shall change around my spice storage - I think they're lovely to have where you can see them.
Btw, I love that you both reply so thoroughly and quickly. Thank you. :)