Young House Love

Home Decorating, DIY Tutorials, & Shenanigans

  • Shop Our House
  • Our Previous Homes
    • Our Richmond House
    • Our Beach House
    • Our Duplex
  • Before & Afters
    • Our Current House
    • Our Previous House
    • Our Beach House
    • Our Duplex
    • Our First House
    • Our Second House
    • Our Showhouse
  • DIY & Decorating Tips
    • Most Popular
    • Home Improvement
    • Painting
    • Cleaning & Organizing
    • Crafting & Art
    • More . . .
  • Podcast
    • Getting Started
    • Show Notes
  • Shop
    • Our Fav Home Finds
    • Our Lighting Line
    • Our Books
    • Book Club Picks
    • Black-Owned Businesses

Young House Love » Our Second House » Ceramic Dog Flashbacks

| By John Petersik | August 9, 2011 | 196 Comments

Ceramic Dog Flashbacks

To make room for our DIY-ed clothespin light, first we had to give the current fixture the ol’ heave-ho:

HallLght In Laundry Room

Well, not literally. Since there’s actually something kinda charmingly retro about that puppy, we wanted to give him a new life somewhere else in the house instead of sealing his fate (aka: donating him to the Habitat For Humanity ReStore). That’s where this hallway that leads to the guest room, hall bath, playroom, and nursery comes in:

HallLght Before Off

Clearly our hallway screams “nothing to see here folks, move along” for the time being, so there’s certainly a lot to be improved upon. But our attention kept going to this 18″ wide (I’ll pause while you digest just how wide that is) behemoth of a swirly ceiling-fan-ish glass shade. This picture does not do justice to its sheer size and resemblance to a giant serving dish for a twenty pound turkey or five million brownies in a pyramid. Be careful not to stare too long, you might fall under its hypnotic spell…

HallLght Before Close

Are you getting sleepy? Well, if you aren’t – apparently I was. Because moments after turning off the power, taking that honking twice-as-large-as-the-soon-to-be-installed-light down, and readying myself to install the smaller and more streamlined retro laundry fixture in its place… this happened:

HallLght Shattered Straight

No sooner did the loud shatter stop ringing in my ears did I hear this from the other room: “John, PLEASE tell me was the old light.”

Sadly I couldn’t. As I raised the metal base of the laundry light towards its new home in the hall ceiling, I failed to notice the glass cover had accidentally come with it – barely hanging on by one screw. Call it working too fast. Call it butterfingers. Call it errant flashbacks from cleaning up after someone who pooped in the bath that morning (hint: it wasn’t me, Sherry, or Burger). Whatever my excuse, this current all-my-fault situation…

HallLght Shattered Angle

… was giving me crazy deja vu to this previous all-my-fault situation…

Broke Dog Pieces

The lesson here? Don’t let me near anything fragile in a hallway. Ever.

The other lesson? Bless Home Depot for selling similar glass bulb covers for seven dollars. A quick trip out to the store followed by some much-more-careful light fixture installation left us with this (don’t mind the ugly attic pull-string in the background- we’ll have to upgrade that):

HallLght After Close

It’s not quite the same as the original (which had subtle frosting on all sides, whereas this has a more distinct white band and a translucent base) but we don’t really mind the slight difference. Sherry’s considering the whole spray-frost option down the line if she changes her mind, but we’re happy to live with it as-is for now.  And at least finding something similar spared us from having to reinstall the old light again. Which is basically the DIY version of the walk of shame.

We’ll be the first to admit that the new fixture hardly qualifies as a “room transformation,” but maybe we’ll do something fun with it down the line – like paint the base a fun color, or add stripes a la this $75 version from Schoolhouse Electric:

HallLght Otis Light

We learned from our other hallway (where we hung a ton of frames) that this type of small space can actually be a fun spot to do something semi-dramatic. So we’ve talked about DIYing some wainscoting or some other architectural detail (and maybe even using a bold-ish color above the rail). The only challenge will be working around all the other wall acne. Like this oh-so-attractive doorbell for example:

HallLght Doorbell

Maybe when it comes time, we’ll shop for a new doorbell at this place…

Random side note: when I briefly studied improv comedy at the Upright Citizen Brigade Theatre in New York, that girl was in my class. Clearly we followed similar paths in life.

Oh look, now I’m all sidetracked. Where was I? Oh yeah, apparently I break stuff. You?

More posts from Young House Love

Filed Under: Decorating, Our Second House

Making Faux Butterfly Art (And Checking Out Foamhenge)
Nine Dollar Pillows + More Free Art

Comments

  1. Avatar for ElizabethElizabeth says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    Haha! Last time I was in NYC I took my mother and teenaged niece to UCB…we had a blast! Although we were a little out of place in the young hipster crowd.

    I think that light fixture would look totally cool with painted stripes.

    And I think I speak for all commenters when I say how relieved we are to know that the bathtime faux pas wasn’t committed by you, Sherry, or Burger. WHEW!

    Reply
  2. Avatar for Taylor @ TheProposalEnthusiastTaylor @ TheProposalEnthusiast says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    I love random posts like this. Thanks John.

    Reply
  3. Avatar for ALittleBiteALittleBite says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    Oooh, poor light fixture. But I’d love to see some wainscoting in there!!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Devon @ Green House, Good LifeDevon @ Green House, Good Life says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    I’ll admit I prefer the more DIY-intensive posts. But this was a great read nonetheless. You’ve got a gift, John. You should be, like, a writer or something.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for JulieJulie says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    So you save butterflies but you kill a DOG? :)

    Julie
    ilikebeerandbabies.com

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:38 pm

      Haha, I know right? So insensitive.

      xo,
      s

  6. Avatar for susansusan says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    Oh god. Wall acne. My newest favorite phrase. AWESOME. Actually, I really like that old fixture with all it’s swirly goodness.

    Reply
  7. Avatar for ErikaErika says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    I really like the swirly light cover. Maybe it just doesn’t work for the space, but I think its pretty cool. Will you try to find another place for it in your house?
    I am an expert at breaking dishes and glasses!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:40 pm

      We’re planning to donate that to the ReStore so it can live on in a bigger house. It’s just so huge that it feels like a giant dinner platter on the ceiling!

      xo,
      s

  8. Avatar for MichelleMichelle says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    I can’t believe you studied at UCB, you are officially “cool” in my book now ;) Going and seeing Amy Poehler was a highlight of my recent (first) trip to NYC!

    Reply
  9. Avatar for ShannonShannon says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:40 pm

    Aww John don’t beat yourself up! But my problem doesn’t seem to be breaking things as much as it seems to be not taking enough risks in DIY’ing

    Reply
  10. Avatar for EmilyEmily says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:40 pm

    My brother used to do improv with the UCB! He’s probably about the same age as you- wonder if you knew him. Named Nelson Walters…

    p.s. love the new light fixture!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:44 pm

      It’s not ringing any bells. But I wasn’t in that many classes and don’t remember many people’s names. If they pop up on SNL I tend to recognize them though- haha.

      -John

    • Avatar for KatieKatie says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:11 pm

      “Ringing any bells”- nice one!

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:32 pm

      Nice. Accidental doorbell joke.

      -John

  11. Avatar for Kate BattleKate Battle says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:40 pm

    Aww that is SO SAD! I LOVED that old light! I wish I could find one of those for my house. There was one just like that in the kitchen of the last place I lived and I LOVED it.

    RIP cool retro light. :(

    At least you found one that is similar at Home Depot so you didn’t have to trash the whole deal….

    Reply
  12. Avatar for Lindsay@Tell[email protected]'er All About It says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    I don’t break “stuff”, I break ME. Dropped a 50 pound mirror on my thigh that gave me this lovely shiner.

    http://tellerallaboutit.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/meet-my-nemesis-sir-isaac-newton/

    haha! love the wall acne, too! ;-)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:44 pm

      Ouch! That’s a big ol’ bruise!

      xo,
      s

  13. Avatar for Leigh AnneLeigh Anne says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    Oooooh – I love the idea of wainscoting for a hallway! I’ve been thinking about something similar for our house but have wondered whether or not it would look right in a ranch because there’s no wood border around the hallway opening; it just leads right into the family room. I realize that you’re in the brainstorming stage of this, but what are your thoughts? Thanks! (Hopefully that all made sense.)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:45 pm

      Hmm, I think if we had that situation we’d try to add trim around the doorway so it would go with the wainscoting look. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for AlisaAlisa says

      August 9, 2011 at 7:29 pm

      We have the opposite in our house- wainscoting in the living room but then they added floor to ceiling trim to stop it before hitting the hallway. It doesn’t look off or anything if that helps!

  14. Avatar for TomissaTomissa says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    I was having an awful morning, but reading this lets me know that it’s okay for things to break.

    I have to admit, though, that I do like the new fixture better.

    Reply
  15. Avatar for DarbiDarbi says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Can I say that I was less excited about the broken light fixture, but really appreciated the SNL comic relief? Just what I needed during the middle of the day!

    Reply
  16. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    I love the inspiration light with the stripes!

    Reply
  17. Avatar for AnneAnne says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Looking forward to seeing what you do with the doorbell, our new house (less than a month!) has a hideous and similar brass and plasticy mesh situation. I am still trying to decide between spray paint or buying a new one.

    Reply
  18. Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Oh John. POOR YOU! You need to stay away from the breakable stuff.

    On another note, I assume you do, but do you use Automator? Because if you don’t, it will save you life. Especially cropping all those photos I imagine you two do.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:47 pm

      We use “bulk actions” in Photoshop to help crop/size stuff. Never tried Automator though, so maybe we should give it a spin. Taking and uploading pics still takes us some serious time!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:58 pm

      I haven’t used it to crop photos. But I use it to rename files, and I’ve added a “service” to my contextual menu (the menu when you two-finger-click on a file) so if I have a bunch of photos highlighted and I open my contextual menu, the service pops open and I can sequentially change the name of the photos so whatever I want! I’m assuming you could do that when cropping. As long as the photos are always going to the same size (and even if they’re not since you can change the settings once it opens!). And you could have 1 for vertical, and 1 for horizontal.

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:02 pm

      Very smart! That’s kind of like the actions we’ve set up in Photoshop!

      xo,
      s

  19. Avatar for John MJohn M says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    Not really a loss. That light is not comparable to the vintage one you were going to replace. One very similar is selling for $68 at http://www.rubylane.com/item/494613-lite70-bg3307/Huge-Vintage-Art-Deco-Ceiling. The light was probably moved to the hall from one of the bedroom.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:50 pm

      Haha, that’s too funny! It’s so giant it just didn’t work with all the other ceiling stuff going on (whole house fan register, pull down attic access, nearby doorbell, etc). We’re donating it to the ReStore though (so it can live on)!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for NancyNancy says

      August 9, 2011 at 6:13 pm

      My first thought re the big swirly one is “art deco.”

  20. Avatar for JenniferJennifer says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    I was so worried when I saw the post that something bad had happened to your clothespin lampshade! I’m sorry about the drama, but y’all fixed it all up with style.

    Reply
  21. Avatar for AnneAnne says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    Oh no! Speaking of ceramic animals, did you see the IMM Living store on Joss and Main today? Plenty of ceramic animals (including a unicorn vase, guess where the flower stem goes?). Thought of you guys.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:51 pm

      Haha, sounds fun! Off to check it out!

      xo,
      s

  22. Avatar for Maureen in NYMaureen in NY says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    I, too, love the idea of wainscoting in a hallway. I have this unbelievably tiny hallway in our house that connects a bathroom, bedroom and closet. Wainscoting would be a great there. Also, thanks for posting fun little things like this. It’s kind of like a “behind the scenes” look. :)

    Reply
  23. Avatar for jenna laughsjenna laughs says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    John and Sherry, I’ve been following your blog for awhile and just love all your ideas and insight! I’ve had a food blog for awhile, which is becoming a “home and garden” blog… because my fiance and I just bought our first house! It’s a disaster in there – no appliances, wood paneling, mauve carpeting. You know. I can’t wait to read your blog now that I can use some of your ideas. It’s becoming much more real! :)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:53 pm

      Aw congrats on your first house! Good luck with everything. Just remember to have fun and try not to cry when stuff breaks (read: when your husband insists on repeatedly breaking things).

      xo,
      s

  24. Avatar for candace @ thecandace.comcandace @ thecandace.com says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:51 pm

    Doh! At least it was only a $7 mistake though! Hopefully you get something to clear up that wall acne soon too! :)

    Reply
  25. Avatar for EmilyEmily says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:51 pm

    Okay, so my first thought was along the lines of “How the heck did he break the CONCRETE greyhound?!”

    Glad to see that’s not the case :-p

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:54 pm

      Now that would have totally send me into a tailspin of sobbing and snorting and not being able to blog for days from the misery of it all.

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for EmilyEmily says

      August 10, 2011 at 9:21 pm

      Yea, and it wouldn’t have been a pretty cry either :(

      Good thing it’s concrete!

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 10, 2011 at 10:19 pm

      Haha, totally would have been the ugly cry.

      xo,
      s

  26. Avatar for CarlyCarly says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:51 pm

    Ugh, we have one of those hideous doorbells too. I like the term “wall acne”.

    Reply
  27. Avatar for PaigePaige says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    Oh man, when I read the title I thought there was another ceramic animal casualty! But it was just a light. Easier to replace. Whew!

    Reply
  28. Avatar for JenniferJennifer says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    We recently tackled a hallway project as well. We painted the hallway (leading from the entry way to the living room) with chalkboard paint – rustoleum pea pod! Our kids love it and we have found that it sort of draws guests away from the front door and into the living room. Right now the kids just draw lots of pictures but soon it will be a great place for spelling words and reminder notes :)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:55 pm

      That sounds really fun! I love that it’s functional for visitors too since it draws them in (instead of clustering at the door forever like my family).

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:29 pm

      Oh! I really like this idea. And you can make your own chalkboard paint in any colour you’d like for cheaper than buying it. Seen here: http://pinterest.com/pin/103276367/ (yes it’s pinterest :D) and a few other times on pinterest by just adding non-sanding grout!

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:32 pm

      Haha, I’ve totally pinned one of those tutorials and can’t wait to try it out!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for FaithFaith says

      August 9, 2011 at 4:09 pm

      I was also going to suggest chalkboard paint, it looks great and would be fun for Clara! I’m glad I scrolled through the comments first.

  29. Avatar for JessikaJessika says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    We have a few of the Schoolhouse fixtures in our house (not put in by us, but we do love them). The color doesn’t show through when you turn them on, but that’s fine with us. They add a cute pop. I think you could easily paint on some paint on your Home Depot one!

    Reply
  30. Avatar for DonitaDonita says

    August 9, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    OK soooo I actually LOVE the light fixture from the laundry room. I have THREE of those in our house. Two in my kitchen and one in the bathroom. I am going to buy one for my laundry room too. THEY ARE SO RETRO and I love that. :-) The old one, looks very Victorian to me. I’m not a fan of that style, but many would love it, I’m sure. ;-) Walmart has the same light that John broke * I mean accidentally broke. :-D*. That is where we buy ours, CHEAP. Ha Ha the doorbell. I was looking at it thinking what in the world is THAT. Then it dawned on me, probably the doorbell. LOL

    Reply
    • Avatar for DonitaDonita says

      August 9, 2011 at 2:59 pm

      P.S. I thought the string was a pull string for the light, was very envious. Another retro feature. :-)

  31. Avatar for SkeeterSkeeter says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    I stumbled upon your blog about a week ago and I am officially addicted. Is there a support group? My husband and I close on our very first house in a week, and what semed like a small list of “to do’s” has now grown by gargantuan proportions…thanks to you guys. But now at least I’ll have insperation and instructions on how to do it all. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:03 pm

      Aw thanks Skeeter! Good luck with your new house!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for Kristin H.Kristin H. says

      August 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm

      Skeeter, have you read “The Help”?? Because you officially have the best name ever.

  32. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    Not that it matters at this juncture, but Schoolhouse Electric sells all of their bases and shades separately. So for what is pictured in your screenshot, the price is actually $137. Always bums me out a little when I realize how much those buggers actually are. Still a good deal and worth it for some rooms, just not as cheap as I first thought when I saw them.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:05 pm

      Woah- I never knew that!

      xo,
      s

  33. Avatar for Kristen @ Popcorn on the StoveKristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    Bummer about the light breaking but at least you were able to find a replacement!

    Reply
  34. Avatar for AllisonAllison says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    What a bummer! I have about 5 of those exact light fixtures just lying around the house that I’ve been replacing as I finish each room in my house! I see them at Lowe’s all the time and can’t believe they’re still around!

    Reply
  35. Avatar for Amy @ this DIY lifeAmy @ this DIY life says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    I’ve been contemplating wainscoting in our laundry room. Thinking of doing board and batten, Ana style (http://ana-white.com/2011/07/diy-board-and-batten-ana-style). About the light fixture, I noticed that some people in the comments said that they liked the old one. I’m with you :)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:32 pm

      I love that bathroom with the pink above it on Ana’s blog!

      xo,
      s

  36. Avatar for Maury @ AFabulessHomeMaury @ AFabulessHome says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    I have that EXACT fixture in my mudroom/laundry room. What’s wierd is that it’s about 1 foot away from the other light fixture.. I don’t know why.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:30 pm

      Oddly placed light fixtures are one of the great mysteries of the world, I think!

      xo,
      s

  37. Avatar for ChristineChristine says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    I guess I sorta kinda like the swirly one too! You’re going to make some shopper at the Restore very happy!

    Reply
  38. Avatar for Skye @ Neathering Our FestSkye @ Neathering Our Fest says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    Wow this is the day for the best videos ever! My husband and I are netflixing The Office and actually watched that episode the other night and the Doorbells & More? HILARIOUS! :)

    I can’t wait to see what you do with the pull string for the attic door. Those things are so unsightly but so necessary. I’m eager to see your ideas! :)

    Reply
  39. Avatar for KristenKristen says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    Oh guys, you just never fail to disappoint with your posts! Lessons learned:

    1. John’s writing is really hilarious (we knew that)
    2. We are all guilty of saying “what’s broken?!” way more times than first saying “are you okay?!”
    3. Home Depot has retro-type fixtures for $7 (the Schoolhouse Electric one is beautiful, but will probably never be in the budget for me!)

    Thanks for making me snort my way through (an otherwise) pretty boring Tuesday! :)

    Reply
    • Avatar for Allie NicoleAllie Nicole says

      August 9, 2011 at 4:43 pm

      Oh, good times. I was just thinking that S, like me, hears the crash and says “What did you do?!” instead of checking to see if the husband is in one piece.

      It can’t be helped.. years of broken objects and a still-intact husband have taught me that he’ll be okay. Glad you live to write another day, J!

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 4:55 pm

      Haha, I’m such a mean wife! I was terrified we’d never find a replacement cover, but it was easy. And a replacement hubby would have been a lot harder to find.

      xo,
      s

  40. Avatar for LauraLaura says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    crazy! i just learned about schoolhouse electric and was admiring that same fixture just yesterday. one of my coworkers is remodeling her kitchen and putting a few shades from their artist line in it.

    Reply
  41. Avatar for toni fromtoni from says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    loved the snl video. Thanks for the laughs, so sorry you broke your light, but I like the one you bought better and it would look really cool if you could figure out how to diy the stripes onto the shade.

    Reply
  42. Avatar for Celina BlandfordCelina Blandford says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    I am curious what you do with the attic pull-string! I have the same one outside of my bedroom and have been thinking of ways to make it look better.

    Reply
  43. Avatar for KarajeanneKarajeanne says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:34 pm

    what will your new doorbell say?

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:46 pm

      “Ding dong, someone inside is probably painting, hammering, sanding, or breaking something. Enter with caution, yo.”

      xo,
      s

  44. Avatar for laralara says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    our ugly doorbell is covered by a just-as-ugly large, black wood platter. glued on REALLY well. we’ll be in the market for a new doorbell soon too.

    Reply
  45. Avatar for MichelleMichelle says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    Idea for the attic pull down… I saw this done when we were house hunting. Put a fairly large eye-hook in the door to the attic, where the cord is currrently located. Then get a 1″ dowel rod that’s about 3″ long and put a hook in the end. To open the pull down, hook the eye with the hook on the pole and pull. Store the pole with the hook on it in a closet and only bring it out when you need it.

    Instead of getting knocked in the head by the cord every time you go down the hall, there’s just that eye-hook in the ceiling. We copied this idea for my mom. She loves it.

    Reply
    • Avatar for MichelleMichelle says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:44 pm

      Dowel should be 3 feet long, not 3 inches :)

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:46 pm

      That’s so smart!!!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for Kim SKim S says

      August 9, 2011 at 6:04 pm

      That is SUCH a good idea! When I read the post I was thinking “oh now I have to wait and see what John and Sherry do about their attic string and ugly doorbell so that I can copy their ideas” but now I can take care of one of those problems right away by copying Michelle instead! John and Sherry, I’m still waiting to see how you handle that doorbell. :o)

  46. Avatar for elaine Kelaine K says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:40 pm

    My father in law made us a new wood box for our doorbell to match our cabinets
    when we renovated our kitchen. The old one was really tacky pine with a gold eagle on it. I had forgotten all about it until you mentioned yours.

    Reply
  47. Avatar for NoraNora says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    George, my ceramic pug, recently suffered a similar fate. His head is still attached but he has a hairline fracture around the whole thing. Luckily, he is still available at UO and the “breaker” is buying me a new one. I have a much small cuter white dog and when I heard “uh oh” my heart sunk because I can’t find it anywhere online (I wanted a matching pair). Why do cute ceramics have to be so fragile?

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 3:48 pm

      Oh no! Not George. It’s a cruel world.

      xo,
      s

  48. Avatar for Amanda WellsAmanda Wells says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    OH, now I want that school house electric light!
    http://www.amandadovewells.com/?p=1028

    Reply
  49. Avatar for TesseTesse says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    Ohmygosh, I thought I was the only one with that particular monstrosity of a doorbell. It hangs in our hallway over (yes over) our bedroom door. It’s AWFUL and I haven’t figured out how to hide it yet so I’m anxiously awaiting to see what you guys do!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Stephanie PhillipsStephanie Phillips says

      August 9, 2011 at 4:04 pm

      We found brushed nickel chimes and a sleek white cover at Lowes on clearance for $8 awhile back. Went ahead and swapped the parts out and are MUCH happier. :)

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 4:19 pm

      Ooh that’s a nice solution!

      xo,
      s

  50. Avatar for JoJo says

    August 9, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    If youo still have the lg swirly light you can make a great bird bath with it I did a tutorial on one here – http://jos2ndact.blogspot.com/2010/07/lampshade-birdbath.html

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 9, 2011 at 4:21 pm

      No way! Off to check it out.

      xo,
      s

Newer Comments »

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

John and Sherry smiling against pink backgroundHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
*This site contains ads and affiliate links*
See our disclaimer & privacy policy to learn more

Latest Finds

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

SHOP OUR LIGHTING

Young House Love Shades Of Light Capiz Chandelier

GET POSTS BY EMAIL

We’re Digging

Traditional Rug
The “Magic” Rug
Smokeless Solo Stove Firepit
Smokeless Firepit
Woven Storage Ottoman
Storage Ottoman
Subtle Pink Rug
Our Bedroom Rug
Blue Air 211 Air Purifier
Our Air Purifiers
Faux Potted Olive Tree
Faux Olive Tree
Kohler Memoirs Toilet
Our Favorite Toilet
Soft Striped Rug
Soft Striped Rug
SEE MORE OF OUR FAVORITE FINDS > >

  • About
  • FAQs
  • Press
  • Contact
  • :)

© 2023 Young House Love ® · Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · A Fun Wordpress theme on Genesis Framework · Hosted by Liquid Web