I Like Big Globes And I Cannot Lie
You other brothers can’t deny. When a light walks in with an itty bitty waist…
… and a round thing in yo face you get sprung. At least I do. John just gets all blown out and looks angelic.
The purpose of that photo was actually just to show you why we picked the height that we did. The common pendant light recommendation is to hang it 30″ above the top of the counter (from the top of the counter to the base of the pendant), but we went 31″ because my tall hubby didn’t want those round things in his face obstructing the view. It’s so nice to have some proper lighting above the peninsula since that part of the room has been super dark. As we mentioned yesterday, they were $60 each at a local lighting outlet, which made buying two of them cheaper than the actual retail price of one (they’re $129 a pop here).
Of course we still have some holes to spackle (five to be exact), but things are definitely looking up!
As in, I can’t stop staring up at them. And John’s been ogling them too.
The lights, not the holes.
I’ve got holes. In different area codes… area codes. Remember that song anyone? Apparently I’m in a singing mood today. I blame it on the eh-eh-eh-eh-electrical. Blame it on the eh-eh-eh-eh-electrical.
Ok, I’m done now. Promise.
Anyway, this is a shot to show you that we still have a light over the fireplace to switch out. It’s actually perfectly centered on the fireplace as you face it, although the angle of this pic makes it look all sorts of wonky. This is a pendant that broke pretty soon after moving in so we haven’t used it for about half a year. Can’t wait to hang something better suited to the chill-zone by the fireplace. Maybe a big ol’ drum pendant that’s only dropped a few inches from the ceiling so it’s high enough for anyone 6’4″ and under not to bump their heads (that’s the tallest person we know, haha). So yeah, along with spackling holes and getting a pendant for over the sink, this guy’s on the lighting agenda too.
But back to the globes. We actually installed a dimmer switch yesterday, which is awesome because we can blast them all the way up or lower them for we’re-just-eating-spaghetti-but-let’s-fancy-things-up ambiance. We’d love to get LED bulbs for our pendants (they’re compatible with CFLs, halogens, incandescents, and LEDs, which is nice) but since we have a dimmer switch, we have to find special LEDs that work with a dimmer. We’ll keep you posted.
Update: we’re getting lots o’ comments asking if we’ll be ORBing the stools – we’re actually going to wait for the dark cork floors to go in before making any decisions on them either way since that could be a game changer. Oooh cliffhanger…
Here’s how things look in the other direction. See how a big drum shade might be nice for that cozy corner by the fire?
Mmm, let’s get a little closer, shall we?
Update: We gave edison bulbs a try and they were reallllly yellow in our room (maybe with white counters they’re not the best idea since they left ours looking dirty?) – we also gave clear bulbs a try but they cast a bunch of harsh shadows on the ceiling, so we prefer the frosted guys we have here for now – although we’re definitely still looking into dimmable LEDs!
In the words of sandwich-loving Joey Tribbiani: how you doin?
Oh and see that nice big chunk of sunny grellow wall between the fridge and the half wall into the dining room? We want to get a nice big piece of art for that spot. So we’re on the prowl. Will keep ya posted on that too.
When we were reconfiguring the kitchen we talked about putting an upper cabinet there but knew that the peninsula would feel so much more open to those sitting there (especially the person on the end) if they weren’t staring at the side of a cabinet. It’s actually an area where we do a lot of prepping now, so we love that it’s open. It’s hard to explain, but it feels more like a room and less kitchen-y, in a good way. Just sort of casual and airy and not too wood-riddled.
Anyway, next on the ol’ kitchen list is patching those holes (we’ll share all the spackle-tastic details) and hanging (and building in) our craigslist range hood. Then we finally get to add the open shelves that I’ve been over the moon to “meet” since about four months ago when we decided to go for it. We’ve been keeping all of our dishes/plates/cups in a lazy susan cabinet in the corner by the stove, and while it works okay, open shelving will be approximately 957 times more convenient. Yes, I’m a complainer about turning the lazy susan one way to get a dish and having to spin it the other way to get a cup. Plus after we get the shelves made and hung and painted I get to put pretty vases and containers and frames up there along with all of our everyday dishes. Maybe even a ceramic animal or two if I’m feeling crazy. And let’s face it, I’m pretty much always feeling crazy.
Speaking of which, remember my whole self-imposed “Dude, Get On That Already” challenge?
How is it already Wednesday and I have yet to tackle something? Come on $herdog, you said once a week you’d get on that. So GET ON THAT, ALREADY! Hopefully I’ll have a little update for ya tomorrow. Anyone care to join me and share what you’ve done tomorrow morning?
So in summary: work continues and we’re all over the place as usual. Hah. What are you guys up to today?
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I am picky about lighting, I feel in your space they work wonderfully! I wouldn’t use them in my decor,but that is because they would then clash. I was looking on blogs today http://blackwhiteyellow.blogspot.com/2012/01/scandinavian-inspiration.html and saw the second picture on this blog. The pendants looked similar to yours only larger. I just thought I would share. Thank you for offering such an amazing blog I always look forward to your posts, and I feverishly take notes for when the hubs and I have a house!
Gorgeous! I love them!
xo,
s
The kitchen looks so incredibly beautiful; I’m very jealous.
Aw don’t be jealous! It’s totally doable! Just take it really slow and do things one step at a time! Painting the cabinets took a while but was a completely budget-friendly change! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
I know you already mentioned it but those pendants are screaming for some better looking bulbs!
Maybe http://www.lampsplus.com/products/philips-ecovantage-72-watt-2-pack-clear-halogen-light-bulbs__u5882.html ?
We tried clear bulbs but they cast harsh shadows on the ceiling- still looking for the perfect bulb!
xo,
s
Those lights are nice! I installed some pendants recently too and peeled those warning stickers off. Stuck them into the info packet in my house book I keep so I still have the info, just don’t have to look at it on my pretty lights. :)
Celeb look-alike spotting: I was catching up on my TV shows last weekend and spotted what I thought were your pendants, but turned out to be similar ones from LampsPlus.
I found the scene on youtube (just the first 20 seconds): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn4pXsGZHSs&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLF651B80727E5F422
My husband officially called me nuts when I sat up and said “OMG! It’s the YHL lights!!!” He seriously considered getting me help when I got equally excited about the characters on Bones buying a fixer-upper.
This stuff really does start to leak into every aspect of your life and entertainment doesn’t it?
Haha – I love it!
xo,
s
My mother has been oggling your lights too….do you know what brand they are? She wants them, but we are in Canada so I’m hoping to search for them and find out if anyone sells them way up North.
Oh man, I wish we had info for you. I think they’re made by Shades Of Light here in Richmond, so maybe try calling them to see if they ship?
xo,
s
They’re gorgeous!!! I love your all’s taste. I am so eager to see the finished product. The pace you two go at is very intriguing – keep up the good work. :)
I’m a new reader (and homeowner), and I love your blog! Do you have a post about how you installed the pendants? It looks like you may have had recessed can lighting before, and I’m curious if your fixtures were the screw in can converterted type or if you hardwired to the electrical box. Thanks!
We actually didn’t have anything in those spots before and hired an electrician to install electrical boxes for us. But I do believe they sell recessed can conversion kits where you can turn them into a pendant. We’ve just never tried that ourselves.
-John
All right…I’ve been drooling over these lights for a few weeks now. How long ago did you buy them at the outlet, and any chance they might ship to Texas if they are still there?
I NEEEEEED them. *sob*
They actually sell them at shadesoflight.com and I think they ship everywhere! Might not be the outlet price, but they’re available!
xo,
s
Re the art – you may already have done, BUT i was just the other night thinking about my friend’s house, when it was new to them, back in the day: Her son was pre-school aged. She gave him a big piece of paper, picked the colors SHE wanted, and had him go at it! I don’t remember whether it was hands or brush, but it was QUITE abstract, LOL. Since it matched (or contrasted nicely with – i don’t remember now) her color scheme, it was absolutely STUNNING when FRAMED and hung! Didn’t cost a lot so didn’t have to be permanent, either!
Can I just say that you crack me up like an egg waiting to be scrambled! “I’ve got holes. In different area codes”. I almost spit out my coffee. Your blog is amazing. Though, I must say, it’s a work hazard. I can spend hours jumping from post to post. It’s a good thing I’m sleeping with my boss, otherwise I’d be fired (p.s. my boss is my husband, so it’s not a sleazy as it sounds! Bahaha). Keep up the great work! Can’t wait to get my hands on a book!
Aw thanks so much!
xo,
s
Love those lights! I’m curious…do they get crazy dusty? Considering them for our island…
They’ve been awesome! They’re so slick that dust doesn’t seem to be able to stick on them without sliding off! Haha!
xo
s
I know this is an old post, but wondering if you will answer my question. :)
Based on the inspiration of this amazing kitchen renovation that you did, my husband & I are thinking of also installing globe lights such as yours. We were wondering if you think the dimmer switch is necessary (ie. they could be too bright or “harsh”, as you said, to stare at or sit under for long periods of time)? Hope that makes sense. Thanks!
Dimmers for them would’ve awesome, but not necessary. Maybe like extra credit? Oh and if you use frosted bulbs instead of clear ones or choose lower wattage that can help if they’re too bright.
xo
s
I know this is an older post, but we just ordered (and hung) these same lights. I’ve got a quick question on cleaning them/keeping them clean. Did you find because they were in a kitchen, they got a layer of grease/film on them? And how often & what did you use to clean them? I was meticulous about getting the inside all clean but they still look very spotty and like they have smudges on them.
Thanks so much,
Kathy
We had the best soaking them in a mixture of half-water and half-vinegar and then propped them up and let them dry. We learned from the manufacturer that it helps clear off that fogging that you described. It made them crystal clear!
xo
s