Living Room Glow Up

I know it's been quiet around here. It just felt so frivious to talk about decor when so much more important things were happening. But Christmas time is here so it was time to get decorating. I've been thinking of making a few changes to my living rooom for a while now so this was the perfect time to make it happen. Come on in!

 

Warning: this post is pretty much a present to myself - things Ive been wanting to do for years but always put it off.  Well now is the time people.  What are we waiting for?

New light fixture, who dis?  Yes I finally switched out the big chandy for something more sleek and updated. I'd been lusting over the outrageous expensive RH version for years when I finally found this very similar style from Mooielight and I was sold!  I did come with a bit more assembly then I expected but I'm thrilled with how it looks up. While its not an exact dupe it's very close for a LOT less money.  (I'll share more about it in another post.)

Another new change is this tv area.  I finally got the "Frame" tv and I'm absolutely enamored! I know its just a tv but ain't she pretty!  It hangs tight onto the wall so no unsightly mounts peeking out and will show artwork and photos when not in use.  

And finally I found this wooden mantel shelf that fit perfectly underneath from Decor Steals.  I originally ordered it thinking it would be great for holiday use but I think it adds some interest to the spot so I might leave it up all year round. Last but not least the Christmas bling! Most of it I've had a while but a couple of new additions. Like the little snowy tree I painted myself (follow my tik tok for the how to), the gingerbread sign, the frosted garlands, lighted snowflakes and twinkly curtain lights.  In honor of the Rockefeller Tree stowaway owl, I put some of these little owls in the decor this year too. Something only I would notice but no one is coming over anyway so why not?

Phew thats a lot to take in one post but suffice to say I'm really pleased with how its all came out.  Especially now that we are home ALLLLLLL THE TIME - I really needed to change it up.

If you are still reading - thank you!   I'd love to hear how you have been making the most of the season this crazy year in the comments.

Country Cottage: Simple Rustic Dining Room

You've already seen the country cottage living room makeover (which definitely qualifies as one of my favorite rooms evah!) so it's time to see the other side of this room which is the dining space. With budget a serious constraint, the decision was the keep this room simple and more cabin like. That way it served as a counterpoint to the living room as well as a calm, open entryway to the whole house.





Renovation was essentially a clean up job. Pulling up carpet, sanding and staining the rustic existing floor boards and the whole space getting a fresh coat of white paint. The dining table and chairs are hand me downs from my sister in law's parents so absolutely free. The indoor herb garden was put together with a few scraps and some hardware and make a great live addition to the room.  The one splurge was this antler chandelier which gives the whole space a fun element while still being clean and modern.


When budget allows, I think these copper chairs along with some drapery and a sisal rug will finish off this room beautifully. I'm trying to convince them a shiplap wall would be pretty rad too but it's a bit of splurge and I think they are all DIY'd out lately.  But plenty of time to work on that in future years - until then, this is a lovely spot to entertain (and my sister in law is an amaaaazing cook and baker so I always look forward to meals here)

Outdoor String Lights Hung

I have been pinning and pining for outdoor string lights for ages. It's just one of those things that lingered on my future to-do list but I never quite got around to. Mostly because I wasn't sure how to hang them and for some reason, figuring it out seemed daunting. Well, as you can see, my backyard now has string lights hung - turns out it wasn't all that difficult after all. Needless to say, I love them! I'm not sure why I waited so long!




It was Christmas in July when I got a wonderful gift from the nice people at Birch Lane. They sent over 2 sets of these Edison bulb outdoor string lights just for me!  (In case you haven't heard, Birch Lane is new online source for classic home decor and furniture at reasonable prices.)

Because I didn't want to have to take them down at the end of every season, I wanted something heavy duty and this fit the bill perfectly. I literally had no more excuses - off I went to figure out the best way to hang them. In the end, I used eye hooks, turnbuckles, cable ties and the muscles of my better half to string the lights from the deck to our backyard trees.



It only took a few hours and now we have a little bit of drama in the backyard.  Like a great party is about to start every night. Love!

Ode to the Sputnik

If you have been reading for any length of time you know I'm a big fan of the sputnik chandelier (exhibit A: my shore bathroom,).  It's beautiful in form, provides great dispersed light and works well in so many room types.


image sources: a nisbet design / nuevo estillo / jonathan adler / annette english

I love it so much I'm thinking of using it for when I finally getting around to moving Aggie into her "big girl room".  So imagine my excitement when I was strolling the aisles at Lowes during my Style Saturday event and spotted this incredibly affordable version at Lowes last month!  They even sell the edison style bulbs.



At $198, it's hard to beat. And while I was at it, I spotted a few other great fixtures there as well.

allen + roth valleymeade $198 / allen + roth bronze pendant $118 / antique white $149

Thanks to Lowes for having me over and thanks for offering such stylish lighting pieces.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Lowes but all opinions expressed are my own.

Lighting up my life!

Thanks for all the anniversary and get well wishes. You make a girl feel good!

So today's post is back to business - home projects that is. Rewind a few months and you'll remember I was asking for ideas about the shore condo kitchen. There is a lot wrong with it but I really felt that a new light fixture would make a huge difference. (And you already know my penchant for dramatic light fixtures right?)

I've been looking for ages for just the right thing. Feel in love with this turquoise number but it was way out of the budget and DIY versions just look sloppy to me. Considered a Capiz fixture but I wasnt' sold on it and I don't think it was going to provide enough light. Nothing was right.

So then one day I was admiring the craftmanship of the very talented Jeremy of Pickett Furniture and a lightbulb went off over my head. Why not ask him if he can make something custom? His style is more modern than mine but sometimes those are the best kinds of collaborations.

We went back and forth on emails about style, materials, price, etc. I sent him some inspirational photos and he worked up some sketches for me. Thats when the real fun started! Check out some of the amazing designs he worked up.

All pretty fabulous but not quite right for what I had in mind. So I sent him a some feedback on what I liked and didn't like about the designs and he came up with this version. I was instantly in love with it!

This week Jeremy sent me this photo of the pieces coming together! After he works his magic, it has to go off to get wired so it will be a little while longer before I can hange it but I'm so excited!

Now the only question that remains is the color. What color should it be painted? I want it to be a color that I would want to work in when/if we renovate the kitchen. But of course Im going to hang it as soon as its ready so it can't be totally random. Right now Im torn between navy blue, a charcoal gray or a bright sea blue. What do you think??

Smitten..

Thanks for your feedback on the capiz fixtures. I'm not worried about it being outdated as much as growing tired of it myself. And Im not concerned about getting it greasy because its pretty far away from the stove. But your comments revealed a dealbreaker: not enough light. Its the only fixture at this end of the kichen so no go.

In my search for alternatives I found this beauty.



I'm smitten! I think I'm slightly preferring the white version but look how amazing the blue one looks!


Photo credits: Toby Fairley found on Blu Label Bungalow

Sadly at $6900 its about as far away from my budget as I am from being a supermodel astronaut.

I've been wracking my brain for a way to DIY a version but I think even that is out of the cards. I'd need soooo many beads (Im estimating about 2500!) and those aren't exactly cheap. So the search continues.

Capiz: To be or not to be?

Now that I've revealed our other place, I have free reign to blab on and on about what Im thinking of. The kitchen needs an overhaul but its not in the budget to renovate this year so I'm just trying to polish it a tiny bit to hold me over. Something I've wanted to do from day 1 (but never got around to) was swap out the ceiling fan over the kitchen table for a more attractive light fixture. (Don't get me started on ceiling fans!)




Photo credits: Brooke Gianetti via manoblueblog; coastal living via my home ideas; 247 reno; save for later

I've always had a capiz shell chandelier in mind but as the years go on, I'm not so convinced about it anymore. Is it even pratical in a kitchen? Will it provide enough light? Is it going to be dated by the time I'm ready to renovate the space? I'm never one to care about trends but I don't want to be personally bored with it in a year or two.

I'm also having a bit of a problem with the price tag on some of these models? Is capiz really this expensive?? So what do think. Hot or not?

Candelier, light my way.

I don't know why but I like saying that word. Or in this case, a non word. Candelier, Candelier, Candelier.

I toyed with the idea of taking a proper vintage chandelier and then ripping the guts out to use it for this purpose. In my minds eye, it would have been great but then I realized they don't grow cute vintage chandeliers on trees. In my searches I stumbled upon this little iron number on ebay for less than $30. Sold! Should I find that perfect chandy sitting the garbage one day, I won't feel too bad for demoting this one. Until then, it does nicely. Don't you think?


We hung it quickly to add a little bit of pretty to the backyard. Still a ways to go but its coming along piece by piece. (I know it needs to be hung lower but I'm just too lazy to fix it now.)



There are much better examples of the candelier on the interwebs. Im already drawn to the electrified versions so this fixture stalking should come as no surprise. Take a look.


cute pink stuff


jm3 via flickr


good housekeeping


sunset magazine


my deco



country living

So are you with me on this fascination? Do you have one of them yourself?

Now if I could only figure out how to light the damn thing without pouring hot wax all over myself.

This is the question: to bling or unbling?

My living room chandelier had its unveiling this weekend. (It had been wrapped in plastic for weeks). This photo doesn't really do it justice as it has the most beautiful scrollwork on the arms. I should have gotten up on the ladder to take a detail shot but oh well - you'll just have to take my word for it.

I like grand lighting - its like beautiful earrings with a simple outfit. So while I do love it, Im thinking it might be too much. Should I remove the crystals? Its a fine line between glam and gauche. What say you?



I won't do anything until the furniture is in and I can see the full effect but I wondering what the impressions are at first glance.

Little wonders

As the kitchen gets fine tuned, no other major transformations have taken place this week. There have been a series of small tasks being crossed off that give me great joy. Sometimes the little things make a big difference. As much for the thing itself as for the reminder we are getting closer to the finish line.

This first thing isn't really that small but its getting lumped into the small miracles list.

When we bought the house, one of the first things we noticed was that the bench in the parlor hallstand was broken and its other "leg" was no where to be found. We discussed this with our architect as well as the various contractors we interviewed and all manner of repair solutions were suggested. Despite a few very good ideas, I still really wanted a matching pair of phoenix in the house. So I was quite shocked when our contractor told us he could have a copy of the remaining leg made. We didn't hold out much hope and figured whatever came back would likely be a poor imitation of the original.

But one day we noticed that the hallstand had been repaired during the days work! And not only was it repaired in some half ass manner but the phoenix carving had a beautiful match. If I didn't look closely, I would be hard pressed to know which one was new! I was seriously impressed. I have no clue where our contractor found someone to do the carving (he later told us it wasn't easy) nor do I care too much. Im just happy it was done so well. Can't wait to see this baby painted.

Back on to the "little" things list, our doorbell got installed. Doesn't it look purdy?

I will say that Im a little annoyed that the button part doesn't light up. I assumed the plastic button was there because its illuminated. Evidently it was just a cheapo button on a the brass fixture. So annoying.

The faucets in our master bathroom got installed.

Can you sense a theme here? I like shiny things. :)

The corbels were installed in the ceiling divide between dining room and kitchen. Its a small detail but I think it adds a nice texture and a whisper of interest to a really boxy room.


And finally our dining room and living room light fixtures got installed. Two chandeliers and two sets of sconces now in place.




Woo-hoo.