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?
Deb D. says
Go Peterisks! Seriously in love with what you’ve done so far! I’m loving it all and think you’ve got some major talent between the two of you. Looking forward to the shelves and flooring!
Lori B. says
The lights look even more amazing hanging up than I imagined they would from the post yesterday! They are real show-stoppers and so bright. Can you see them from the front door?
I’m tending to agree with everyone who mentioned that the stools might need to be ORB-ed. Can’t wait to see everything else come together!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, they’re visible from the front door! So excited.
xo,
s
Tracy says
Wow, those are bigger than I expected. Very cool. I have to confess the first time I saw three holes up there, I didn’t realize one was going away and I thought “OMG, do they not realize those are not evenly spaced???” As if you wouldn’t, heh heh. Anyway, like everyone else, I cannot wait to see the new floors.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, ah yes – that third one is from the pendant we had the electrician’s ceremoniously kill!
xo,
s
Gem says
Haha, I thought the same thing for a minute!
Suzannah says
Wow! The lights look great! The flooring will be a HUGE game changer in that room though and it’s going to be awesome. I think it will give the space just the right amount of warmth! so cool.
I do have a lighting related question for you. Have you attempted to clean your Maskros light from Ikea and how?
I just installed this in our entryway and am wondering if and how to ever clean this guy?
http://emmelinelouise.posterous.com/some-house-before-and-afters-finally
YoungHouseLove says
Amazingly I have not. He gently sways in the breeze sometimes so I guess that shakes dust off? Literally, I’d expect him to be furry by now but he looks great!
xo,
s
kate says
Like the change on the peninsula from yrellow to white. Looks much more coordinated!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- it’s just better lighting! The peninsula has always been white like the cabinets. Too funny. See, that shows how much good lighting matters. Haha.
xo,
s
Ariane says
Since you’re asking, I’ll share that I’m at work, editing a story for tomorrow (I’m a journalist for television and I’m working on my weekly sustainable development-themed spot, if that makes any sense).
In the tweaking department, I’m still working on my bathroom, there’s not much left to be done but I’m beeing shy with the saw I need to use in order to finish.
Anyways, you guys are doing a great job ! Are you going the blend-in way or the contrasting way for your piece of art ?
take care !
YoungHouseLove says
We’re thinking about a big ol’ pop of color. I’d love a giant print or painting!
xo,
s
Sara B says
wait wait, instead of:
When a light walks in with an itty bitty waist…
how about:
When a light walks in with an itty bitty base…
YoungHouseLove says
Bwahahahahahahhaha. Much better.
xo,
s
Julia H. says
I agree with Debbie C…at least try clear bulbs instead of frosted for now..and you must go with a dimmer! :) Lutron has a Eco-smart dimmer that is green friendly. And put a dimmer on the recessed too – you can really make a fun layering effect for whatever mood you are in between the pendants and the recessed. LOVE THE PENDANTS THOUGH! Nice work!! :)
YoungHouseLove says
We actually have added a dimmer already! Didja see that detail in this post? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin @ One Project at a Time says
I can definitely envision those stools going ORB now to glam them up a bit! You mentioned adding more ORB to the room to layer it in… where else did you have in mind?
YoungHouseLove says
The stools are always a possibility and also some accessories (ex: orb a few frames and a vase or planter up on the floating shelves, etc).
xo,
s
Cassie says
Have you guys seen http://society6.com ? I stumbled on it the other day (through a link from Pinterest)…there are some pretty great art prints for really reasonable prices! Also, free shipping through Sunday! I haven’t ordered anything from them yet, just admired the selection.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Val says
Lookds great! I’ve been anxiously awaiting the kitchen reno. Now I can’t wait for the dark floors to tie in the orb in the pendants!
Rachel says
I vote no to ORB on the stools. I think they need a bold color.
YoungHouseLove says
Always another possibility! It’s why we want to wait for the floors to go in… just to see where we end up. Will keep ya posted though!
xo,
s
Penny says
Yep, I just totally held up a dark brown piece of paper in front of my computer screen to see what the dark cork floors might look like. I’m a dork. But it looked gooooood!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahahahaha. Now I want to do that!
xo,
s
LT says
What a nice looking pair of big globes you have Sherri! Hahaha! Seriously, the kitchen looks great. Can’t wait to see what you guys will do next. Thanks for kicking my butt in gear today – I’m off to do something constructive/productive. And to try to get all of those songs out of my head….
Hilarious post!
Katie says
Love the look of those globes!! Can you share how they are centered over the peninsula? The photos make them look off center, but I figured that can’t be right with the uber planning that you two put into everything. How far apart are they from each other? And how far from the ends of the countertop? Also, any plans to cover the labels on the sockets, or is that less noticeable in real life?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah it’s just the picture and where we stand to take them. I think they’re 20″ from the wall with 20″ between them and 20″ to the end of the counter? That’s a smidge too long since the peninsula is only 5′ long. Don’t remember exactly but when we marked them with tape we just used a ruler. Haha.
xo,
s
Allison says
Hi, Sherry.
What’s the distance between your kitchen pendants chain-to-chain? (I’m guessing 20″ is glass-to-glass.) Also, are they centered over the width of the countertop, or are they closer to fridge side?
I’ve got my fingers crossed that you’ll climb up on the counter with a measuring tape. Or recruit John. :)
I’m 3 weeks into a kitchen remodel, and I need to decide on light placement for Monday. So of course I turn to YHL to see what YOU did. Thanks for detailing what you’ve done; it makes it easier for indecisive people like me.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re 28″ apart (chain to chain) and they’re centered over the counter. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Ashleigh says
I love those lights!! We searched high and low for something similar when we redid our kitchen earlier this year but had no luck at all.
Don’t suppose you know of any UK stockists that have them do you?
Love your blog btw, it has been such an inspiration to us!
Ash xox
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe try calling the people we linked to with the full priced ones and see if they stock them in the UK?
xo,
s
Katelin says
I’m lovin’ those lights!! So gorgeous :) Your kitchen is really coming together; its giving me so many ideas for my own! My husband and I just bought our first house 4 months ago. We want to live in it for a little while before we decide how to upgrade, but your blog is such an inspiration. Thanks J-Boom & $herdog! (See your nicknames are sticking!)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooo! I think that might have been the first time someone used them both in a sentence. It’s starting…
xo,
s
Erin Ohio says
The pendants look great! We have a penninsula too that we added when we knocked out the wall between our kitchen & dining room 10 years ago (OMG time goes by so fast). We have upper cabinets though and after seeing this they are coming down! I’ve been wanting to paint the cabinets and get rid of the ceramic tile anyway (hopefully the hard wood floors we refinished in the rest of the house are still intact underneath) but now I REALLY want to. Thanks for the inspiration & my hubby will say thanks for the HUGE honey-do list;) Can’t wait to see the floors!
Clare says
I am loving the changes. These lights go perfectly and I can’t wait to see how it all comes together with the floors and open shelves!
Lauren says
We recently had to patch a bunch of drywall holes in the ceiling (for also installing can lights incidentally). We found some stiff patches that came in different sizes that made the process go much easier than we thought: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100403176/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053. If you have nothing to secure the replacement drywall circle to in the hole, a lot of times tape just won’t cut the mustard, but these suckers are marvelous!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes we’ve used those before and love them! Will go with them again for sure!
xo,
s
Megan @ Two Live Colorfully says
Dang, Sherry is saucy today! :)
I am so loving the light fixtures you guys. They are a smidge industrial, no frills and go swimmingly with the stools!!! I am so stinkin excited to see this kitchen done!!!!
Christy K says
This post had me giggling the entire first half. Probably a good thing I didn’t read it while on the phone with my mom she totally would not have appreciated it as much as me! :)
Carolyn says
HA!! You referenced AREA CODES! Oh, I totally remember that song. Though I didn’t know of it til 2004 because of a friend in college. Who would’ve thought you would be referencing that song on this blog…craaaazy!
karen says
love the lights! I really like the dark finish they have. loooove the idea about a big piece of art too!!
I’m thinking you too can work some magic on those counter chairs too!
AmiDawn says
hey. i don’t know if you already know this or how married you are to the idea of LED lights, but they do make dimmable CFLs… we’ve been thinking about them for our dining room, but we need to replace the fixture in there before we get new bulbs
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! Will have to check that out too!
xo,
s
Kelly M. says
Love the lighting and its awesome you made them TPF (Tall Person Friendly). As a 5’10 chic- I appreciate this. Kitchen is coming along fabulously.
~Kelly
simplykellyblog.com
Karen says
I love those light fixtures! I can’t believe how much brighter the kitchen is.
Do you mind if I ask how y’all are still feeling about the grellow walls after you’ve gotten the gray penny tile up?
YoungHouseLove says
Love them so much. In person it’s perfection. White cabinets and white counters with light gray walls calls for some soft color, at least in our world. Haha. But we have heard the walls can read differently on different monitors.
xo,
s
Monique says
Wham, bam, thank you ma’am!
Mary Elizabeth Coleman says
My vote is MORE open shelves. Cause, ya know. I totally get a vote right ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I think we’ll be covered with the back wall, but in the words of Justin Bieber: never say never!
xo,
s
Allyn says
You guys seriously get songs stuck in my head ALL THE TIME.
But those are seriously gorgeous lights.
When I first ready the title, I got super excited thinking that you’d found some big (map) globes.
Yeah, I’m a map nerd.
Renee says
What does ORBing a stool mean? Sounds like a medical term, even though I know it can’t be! I googled an “orb stool” but just got something like this: http://www.harrows.co.nz/stools/products?id=242
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha- ORB is my weird shorthand for oil-rubbed bronze which is a type of spray paint that’s the same finish as the bulbs! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Samma says
LOL you’re totally gonna Rachel Ray ORB!
EVOO any one? Anyone?
Maybe it’s just me and my foodp*rn loving husband …..
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- she’s funny. I like how she says yum-o. Hah.
xo,
s
Whitney says
Gorgeous! I love them! I have globe envy! Makes me want to reconsider our pendants! Don’t tell my husband ;) (Our search for the perfect pendant was a little dramatic, haha)
Jen Migonis says
Love the lights! They look perfect with the chairs. And I always appreciate a good Friends reference. :)
Ethne says
I really like your little rocking horse on the mantle. I’m sure he won’t be there forever, but he looks nice. Question: do you have issues with the brightness of the bulbs in the pendant lights blinding you? We have an exposed bulb on our island and we had to use a super dim bulb so our eyes wouldn’t burn out of our heads. (Still usable, but sometimes I’d like it to be a bit brighter.)
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully we don’t! I think we were so starved for light at the peninsula and now that we have a dimmer we can lower them but they’re at full 60 wattage most of the time. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Michelle M. says
Your spare horsey art might look awesome in that space?
YoungHouseLove says
Sadly it’s too big! But I’d love something with color!
xo,
s
Courtney F. says
I *LOVE* the globes! Are you going to redo the peninsula chairs in ORB to match their finish? :D That would just be gorgeous…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- check out the update on the post- just waiting to see how things look with the dark cork floors before jumping the gun on that decision. Will keep you guys posted though!
xo,
s
SarahW says
Lovin the lights! It’s really starting to come together.
Celeste says
Sherry, I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. I get giddy about reading your posts in the morning, and literally CAN NOT WAIT to see the whole kitchen after (especially the cork floors). Keep rockin’ girl!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw I love you right back Celeste.
xo,
s
Kate Battle says
I know you are waiting till after the new floor is in, but a little part of me really wants you to paint the stools the same yellow as your front door….is that crazy?
YoungHouseLove says
Don’t think I haven’t threatened to do just that to John while we’re laying in bed. Haha. But it makes sense to wait (aka: John is the patient one in this group and he’s making me wait).
xo,
s
Natalie says
Funny – I just read on Houseography about their DIY stove hood. They didn’t give many details, but it was cool to see a nice, vuluptuous hood that was DIYed!
http://www.houseography.net/2012/01/our-diy-stove-hood.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes I love them! We House Crashed them a while back so we’ve seen it in person!
xo,
s
Corie says
Lookin’ GOOD, guys. I just love how it’s all coming together! Go on with your bad selves. ;)
I have no projects to share save a paper V-day heart chain I made with the kids, but can’t wait to see yours!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that sounds cute!
xo,
s
Jackie says
Things are looking great!! I just bought the same pendants from Shades of Light (through your sponsor link!) a week or two ago. Slightly jealous you got them for so much cheaper but now I’m even more convinced of how great they’ll look once our kitchen re-model is under way! :)
Diana T. says
Love the new lights. I would love to see an updated budget breakdown so I can get an idea of how much you have left in your plan to spend on things like art by the fridge. Can’t wait to see the new flooring!
Monique says
OK, here comes another overly dramatic comment from me. . .
I think this kitchen should change the way everyone thinks about kitchens. No, fo’ real. Hear me out.
So, when I saw the original lay-out, I thought “eh, how are they going to work with that?” Then I saw your design plans, and said to myself “well, they can turn it into something good *considering* where things started.” But now I look at this kitchen and I think, no, ALL kitchens should strive to be like this one. And here’s why: We’ve been conditioned to want islands and guest entertainment to be all up in the cooking area. That makes no sense! Why would I want my kids near hot surfaces and sharp objects? Why would I want guests to be anywhere near the splatter? Your kitchen is showing a better way to do things, have the party close, but not *too* close. Change, change has come to America!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, I love it Monique. You’re so sweet and you’re making me all weird and grinny over here. We sort of accidentally fell into the whole peninsula idea, but we’re so glad we did. Haha.
xo,
s
Ginny @ Goofy Monkeys says
I must admit that whey you posted about these fixtures the other day I wasn’t too excited, but they look GREAT now that they’re installed! I didn’t realize how big and globey they were :) Good call hanging them a smidge higher.
I did a little lighting work chez moi yesterday –
http://goofymonkeys.blogspot.com/2012/01/let-there-be-light.html
It’s amazing what swapping out a lamp or fixture can do to change a room.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha. Big and globey = hilarious. Also I love your lighting work! And those fun curtains!
xo,
s
Lauren says
Guys! This looks wicked awesome! It’s got such a homey feel yet industrial/country/modernish… if that makes sense. I can’t wait to takle a project tonight becuase of you!! : ) Have a great day!
Val says
Looking good! Not sure if this helps, but we bought dimmer switches that were made for CFL bulbs, etc. Not CFL bulbs that are made for dimmer swtiches. A regular dimmer switch costs roughly $7 bucks on the cheap side, but CFL dimmer switches start at around $20 bucks. Maybe check with your local hardware store?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip!
xo,
s
Gayle says
Okay, so here’s what I’m thinking. I don’t want to sound like a downer, but since incandescent (did I spell that right?) light bulbs are going away and you’ll only be able to get the new swirly green kind, what are you going to do with the big fixtures once you run out of the old school light bulbs? Or are the swirly ones going to come in regular?
YoungHouseLove says
These fixtures work with CFLs, LEDs and halogen bulbs too! They’re universal- which is nice! The swirly ones (CFLs) can already be purchased encased with a frosted glass outer part that looks just like an incandescent, so there are lots of options!
xo,
s
Linda says
I just found these bulbs at Home Depot (http://www.lighting.philips.com/us_en/products/ecovantage/index.php?main=us_en_consumer_lighting&parent=7593748565&id=us_en_products&lang=en) – and I was thrilled as I have a fairly expensive – for me- kitchen overhead fixture that I just could not find CFL bulbs that would fit – not the minis, nada! I got 100 watt equivalent that are exactly the same size and shape as a ‘regular’ 100 watt bulb and so far am very happy – and somewhat more eco!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Linda!
xo,
s
Lauren says
I think these globe pendants are one of my most favorite things you’ve ever done. I’m seriously in love.
And weird that you would reference Sir Mixalot on the blog today. I was totally busting that song out this morning while I was walking my dogs, until I realized what I was doing that is, and was like “Lauren, this is very inappropriate, stop it immediately.”
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahaha. I think it’s a great dog walking jam.
xo,
s
kathy says
love it!
I would “get on it” tonight… but we’re going out to dinner. Tomorrow night. I will get.on.it!