Let’s talk more about things that were too tiny. But instead of yesterday’s mini-mirror, this time we’re taking things outside. To the carport to be exact. See that tiny little lantern hanging from the ceiling?
Yeah…. she’s not looking so hot. Rust? Check. Cracked glass? Check. Teeny tiny dollhouse-ish scale? Check.
So we’ve been keeping an eye out for a larger light since we moved in back in late 2010. You name it, and we’ve looked there (at stores like Home Depot, online, on Craigslist, at local outlets and secondhand stores like The Habitat For Humanity ReStore, etc). Ideally we wanted a big chunky clean lined lantern in a rich dark oil-rubbed bronze finish and a price tag that didn’t knock us over (we saw a few that we loved, but for the jumbo size that we wanted, they were two hundred big ones). And it had to be made to be outside since we wanted it to hold up and not get all rusty or be unsafe (things outside have different UL listings for that sort of use, so using an indoor fixture outside can be a fire hazard).
But finally, as if by some miracle, after over a year of looking we came across this guy at a local lighting outlet (The Decorating Outlet) which is one of about ten places that we had been dropping in on every month or two, just to see what popped up.
And by some even larger miracle, this lantern was majorly marked down. Yup, the original price of $295 was slashed and then $159 was written and then that was slashed and a giant $19 price was drawn on in marker. Now we’re talking, right? That’s over 90% off! The reason? It was missing the ceiling canopy. No biggie, those are $6 at Home Depot or Lowe’s in the same dark oil-rubbed finish, so that definitely wasn’t a deterrent.
The other defect? The outside of the lantern has four panes of glass, and one of those four panes was actually missing. The funny thing is that we didn’t notice the entire time we checked it out (and we were holding it about a foot away from our faces). So we knew once it was hung over seven feet from the ground no one would ever be able to tell. Especially if we hung it so that missing pane faced the side of the carport with the wall of bushes (you approach the space from the front, and there’s a door on one side and a gate off the back, but no one ever walks towards the carport from that wall of bushes). And if it ever really bothers us we can get a new pane cut for it at a local glass store (if we have issues with bugs & birds trying to nest) for under $15, which is still way cheaper than the full price. The bottom of the lantern also slides out so we can keep that part removed so bugs don’t collect in there. Such a convenient feature!
As for hoisting that baby up, it definitely was a two person job (I held it up with both hands while standing on a ladder and John connected the wires – with the power off of course). Here’s a terrible photo I snapped while holding the lantern with one hand and the camera with the other while teetering on the ladder because I love you guys.
Oh and before we settled on our hanging height, we measured our friend’s big SUV (just to be sure we left enough clearance room for taller cars and not just our short little Altima). Thankfully the carport is super high (over nine feet), so it can still have a bit of drop to it for that fancy schmancy lantern feeling (we didn’t want the top grinding up against the ceiling or anything) with loads of room even for tall trucks/SUVs to pull in under it.
So much better, right? We’re digging him. In person he just feels so much more in proportion to the wide open carport and the rest of the house in general. As a source of comparison, here’s the old guy…
And here’s the new lantern, holding things down…
Don’t mind that pile of wood on the right. Blame it on the de-eh-eh-eh-eh-eck-pro-ject. That doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?
Old guy from further away…
And the new guy…
Purty cute. Not exactly easy to see from the curb since our house is set so far back… but no longer invisible! Woot!
It’s just one of those proportion things. A giant high-ceilinged space with a tiny child-sized lantern can leave a bit to be desired (seriously, it was the size of one of these little metal tea-light holders that Ikea sells for $3.99). So nineteen bucks later ($25 if you factor in the canopy we added) we ended up with something that’s not only an upgrade from inside of the carport, but it’s actually a nice crisp and updated look from the driveway and even from the curb (now that it’s to scale with the house and you can actually see it). Huzzah!
Oh and although I pointed out how doubly-miraculous it was to finally find this lantern, which was thankfully the right size and the right price, the true lesson is probably that if you look long enough for something (over a year!) and resist settling for something cheap but not pretty enough (or pretty but not affordable enough) you’re probably likely to come across something sooner or later (and I guess over a year definitely falls into that later category). So don’t give up. Also, eat Oreo’s. They fill the hole in your heart until you find the ambiguous item you’re searching for.
Even though we eventually have plans to convert the carport into a garage, we think we’ll still definitely appreciate having a light that we control with a switch that feels nice and stately.
Oh and here it is with our car back in there, just for comparison (and to show you guys there are still over two feet of space for a taller cars like SUVs – I promise we measured and all is good).
Doesn’t it just feel more substantial and balanced than this old picture with the car in it from the same angle? And you can see from here that although the new lantern is a lot larger, it only hangs about 4″ lower than the last one did (use the ceiling line in each pic for comparison). So it’s not like it’s danging a foot and a half lower or anything.
So that’s our little lighting/carport upgrade. Any other light switch outs going on? Have you been hunting for something for over a year that you finally got your mitts on? Was there a funny reason why it was on sale? Did hanging it involve two of you teetering on a ladder, silently cursing the day you found it until you got it up and permasmiled with relief?
Great lantern. Will you be matching your other exterior lights to it?
As long as they’re all a similar finish and feeling we’re cool (they don’t all have to be exactly the same size and lantern shape since that could get crazy).
xo,
s
I really thought you guys had decided that your car was too small and you were upgrading. LOL! Of course, that might just be because I decided the same thing this past weekend.
Haha – I definitely thought they got a new car too!
I thought the same thing! Love the new light though–a much more cost-efficient upgrade than a bigger car!
Ditto! Haha. Children have a way of making cars small. Think station wagona nd mini-van.
Ditto!
Love it! Also horay for small(ish) cars. Just sayin.
Don’t you just love how one light fixture can make such a big difference to the whole space?!?! I love your new lantern! For $20 you cannot go wrong! Check out the quick switch me made in our kitchen. I was so excited, and my husband loves it too!
http://www.home-everyday.com/2012/08/new-kitchen-light-fixture-bye-bye-ufo.html
Looks awesome!
xo,
s
Ooh, great deal and pretty to boot! But all I can think about is how the missing glass it going to lead to two inches of dead bugs and possibly nesting birds in there. Might be worth it to replace the glass.
Yeah we’re going to see how it goes.
xo,
s
And cobwebs. It is pretty though!
definitely see how it goes. our overhead light at our front door has TONS of dead bugs in it (like… almost blacking out the light) and it has glass on all sides/tops/bottoms.
the worst part is we can’t figure out how to shimmy it off to clean it – the sucker is practically a support beam for the house!
Thanks everyone! I added an update to the post about how the bottom of the lantern slides out as well (so bugs won’t collect there- it’s such a handy feature) so that definitely helps!
xo,
s
LOVE it! It just looks so much better than before. Bet it would look cool with some of those faux spiderwebs on it at Halloween :)
I changed a light fixture the other day for the first time. My eldest daughter held it up while I attached the wires and I kept pretending to electrocute myself. Loads of fun. Developed some serious trapezoids.
Nice guys! I’m slowly learning that bigger is always better (in both small and big spaces). It’s such a hard thing to get the right scale on things!
Out of curiosity, did you consider a ceiling medallion for this? It may look bad or really good, I can’t decide. It would certainly break up the flatness of the ceiling a bit.
Oh that’s a fun idea!
xo,
s
Love the carriage house feel!! Wow and what a deal! I would def get a pane cut or birds and bugs may think it is a new glamorous home for them haha.
I LOVE that clock! What a lovely idea.
The lantern looks awesome! I love how the smallest changes can make such a huge difference. The garage looks completely different with the new lantern.
Love it!!!
I would suggest adding the other glass, though, just to keep bugs and birds out :) It looks like a prime nest-building spot.
The new light looks awesome! I agree the scale is much better!!
I really like it and congratulations on such a great find! I would suggest, though, replacing that glass panel soon – I have a panel out in my vestibule light, which has a door that you need to open to get in to it, and you would not believe the number of moths and other bugs that manage to get in there. It is gross. So to avoid lots of bug cleaning, you might want to close that up!
The bottom of the light actually slides out so we also have the option for the lantern to have an open bottom (nothing can collect if we do that) so we’re debating that too!
xo,
s
Are you concerned about birds nesting in there or spiders and other insects gathering in the light since you’re missing a glass pane?
Never mind. Someone else just asked that. :-)
Aww, I was hoping for a night-time picture! Any chance we could see one?
That would be fun!
xo,
s
The hubs and I started to redo our half bath in December. We replaced the toilet, vanity, ripped out the yucky medicine cabinet and painted. We left the old light up until June when we found a light we liked. We’re still missing a mirror and there and hope to find one sooner rather than later!
You might want to consider that fourth pane of glass immediately. I think with one missing you’ll have a big ol’ bug and moth trap on your hands. Looks great though!
guess I wasn’t the only person who thought of that…
Haha no worries! Everyone is thinking alike today:)
xo,
s
I would love to see a night picture of your lantern all lit up. I bet it’s just beautiful!
-Shannon Summers
Wow, the deals you guys find are AMAZING! It looks great! But I wonder if the inside (since it has a bottom, rather than being open from below) is going to quickly collect dead bugs (yuck!) with that one side being open. I think the 4th piece of glass would really be worth the few dollars to replace it! (although, it does make it simple to replace the bulb!)
haha, nvmd! We all are thinking alike, today.
Haha it’s true!
xo,
s
Wow! 19 bucks, that’s awesome! You cant beat 90 percent off!! You have definitely inspired to wait it out a little on some things I need to find for the house. It looks great! :-)
What a great upgrade! Definitely gives big kick o’ interest to the carport!
What a huge improvement. You guys are right, no one will ever notice the missing glass unless you point it out. What a score!
What a great deal! I get so pissed when I go to the sale section of a store and an item is TOTALLY banged up or missing pieces and theyve only take 10% off.
big pet peeve!!
looks like an improvement, but does this mean the garage transformation isn’t on the horizon anytime soon?
It’s definitely still on the agenda! Check out those last few paragraphs at the bottom:)
xo,
s
Haha, I like how you captured the distance and light fixture … it does make a difference!
I did just ordered a light fixture for my kitchen reno … but I gotta keep that on the down low until it is safely secured in my hands as there were only a few left and on back order. fingers crossed or my whole kitchen plan is blown (ha not really but its a beauty).
I really like the lantern, the size, the finish, everything. I’ve been trying to convince my husband to let me replace all of the lights going up our stairs (evil gold trumpet shaped things) with wall-mounted outdoor lanterns for a sort of Enchanted Forrest type of thing.
Oh and as far as waiting a year for something….(this is ridiculous btw)
It didn’t take me too long to hunt down a shark costume for my small dog but I have been waiting for almost a year (since last year’s Shark Week gave me the idea) to use it. Tomorrow morning, to kick off the last day of Shark Week, my Shark Week-loving husband is probably going to be woken up to a very small dog dressed as a shark jumping into his bed and his wife shouting SHARK ATTACK.
And then tomorrow night I am making tons of homemade sushi to make it up to him.
Hahahahaha I LOVE it!!!
xo,
s
I happened to have time to read comments today so as I was browsing through I started reading this one and I thought “this is hilarious”. I wasn’t planning commenting, then I realized it was from Lauren. It all makes so much sense now because Lauren is hilarious and totally random.
Y’all have been a huge inspiration for me in the Department of Wait Until You Find Something You Love Rather Than Settling. We’ve been in our house for 2 years and there are still some holes, but I really like the idea of refusing to settle. The new light looks great and the price is eyepopping!
Maybe some time you could post a pic of the lantern on at night – I’d love to see how it adds to the outside ambience.
We’d love to!
xo,
s
I can see why you want to upgrade to a garage. But I think that carport looks quite nice. The lantern looks great!
Oh it looks so much better! For some reason I thought the first picture after the lantern’s close-up was of the new lantern and thought to myself “hmm, that doesn’t look any different” and then I scrolled down to see what it ACTUALLY looks like with the new lantern. I think that somehow made the change-up even more impressive. Scale is so important, isn’t it! Great find and great update. Sarah
lol! I thought the exactly same thing! It must be a Sarah thing :)
I know you guys are talking about a garage, but do you like the carport? I think it’s kinda nice – I might consider a nice shed instead of a garage…
But anyway, I love the new light and the way it looks in the far-away view with your gorgeous driveway.
We have mixed feelings but we thing a garage would be so functional for storing all the stuff that’s not as convenient back n a shed (bikes, Christmas decorations, etc).
xo,
s
I was going to say the same thing. :) Although I totally get why a garage is 100x more functional, I kinda love the carport. Just for you guys though – I live in Wisconsin where we have ucky white stuff half the year and would quickly tire of (my husband) having to shovel all the flyaway snow.
Am I the only one who can’t read your blog this week because of the Joel stein background? The only thing I can read is your comments because they’ve got the blue background. Sad!
It’s an iPhone/iPad glitch (wish we could fix it but we didnt change anything on side) but if you clear your cache/cookies/data it’ll fix itself! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Such an improvement and for such a nice price! From afar it kind of reminds me of a bell, like you should run out there at dinner time and ring it so everyone (picture Clara and all the little forest animals she plays with) coming running in to eat! Lol
I absolutely LOVE that light fixture – sooo perty! ;-)
That’s what the hubs and I are missing in our feelings of discouragement while house-hunting: OREOS!
Now, granted, we haven’t been looking for a year, but four months is a while…right?!
Love the lantern–now you have your little piece of “old/vintage/rustic” in the carport! At least, I figure a lantern is a little vintage-y. :)
Haha oh yes, add Oreos into the equation. Game changer.
Good luck house hunting!
xo,
s
Wow – previously utilitarian carport, now inviting porch appearance! I hope you can have some more outdoor parties including that area before you eventually close it up into a garage.
How the heck do y’all get these deals?
The scale on that lamp is so much better!
Patience! And lots of checking back. Haha. I swear that’s the key.
xo,
s
Haha, your, “Add a more proportioned light to the carport” item in your list yesterday stuck out to me as odd for some reason, but I see you had it all along!
Haha yes, after looking for so long you can bet I wanted something to cross off when we got that heavy dude up there! Haha.
xo,
s
Love the light, love the deal, and love the fact you guys don’t mind getting a new ceiling canopy and pane of glass!
As for hunting/waiting… I started looking for the perfect patterned sheer curtains when we moved in but didn’t find “the one” for the longest time. I finally found what I wanted this summer when a new store opened up nearby. I needed four panels, so I had to wait two months until I had collected four coupons so I could get 25% off each panel. I finally put them up last week, and we are coming up on our three-year anniversary in this house!
That’s awesome! Congrats!
xo,
s
Have you thought about trying to cut the glass yourself? It’s not difficult if you have the right tool, and isn’t expensive either. http://www.oldtownhome.com/2011/7/26/Toolbox-Tuesday-Precision-Glass-Cutting-Without-Breakage/index.aspx
We were really intimidated at first to cut glass, but with a little practice now it seems like no big deal. :-)
That’s cool!
xo,
s
It is quite easy to cut glass. One of my first jobs was working at a hardware store where we sold glass, cut to fit while the customer waited. Sherry, as many projects as you and John tackle and frame, you would love owning a glass cutting tool.
I love your new carport light. What a deal! Ha ha, I won’t tell you to consider getting a piece of glass cut, but I will tell you our front porch fixture is open at the bottom and is hung on the wall beside the front door of our sided home. I don’t go out there every day, but usually turn the light on most evenings.
My son noticed smoke floating in front of the dining room window shortly after turning it on one night. Evidently in the space of a day or two, a sparrow had build a large nest and the hot bulb was against the nest. I know that won’t be an issue for you because you are going out that door frequently to go to the car so you’ll be able to keep an eye on it. I still love, love, love the new blue bathroom light. So pretty!
Woah! We’ll have to keep an eye out for that!
xo,
s
Looks great! I don’t know that I have the patience you have to wait! That’s a lot of oreos looking for a large, affordable drum shade for me. I get sucked up into the “I don’t care what it costs, I just want it done”. I admire your patience to find the right thing at the right price.
About a year ago I was cruising the aisles at Home Depot and I stumbled across a light fixture that was originally $495 marked down to $16. There is no damage whatsoever but the guy said it was “last year’s model.” I really didn’t need it or have a place to use it at the time but I figured for such a drastic markdown it was worth grabbing. Still haven’t hung it anywhere but I figure I can find a spot or Craigslist it for far more than I paid. But I also seem unable to part ways with it because it really is gorgeous so I think I need to find it a place of honor in my house. Love your new light, it really does look great. Sometimes it really is just the little things……
What a deal! Hope you find the perfect place for it soon!
xo,
s
I see several other folks mentioned the whole “bird nest waiting to happen” thing with the missing glass LOL. I do like the bigger scale, especially from the street.
I was wondering about your plans to enclose the space, though. Those windows that open into the carport are from the study/office and the laundry room, right? Won’t that make those rooms dark? I know the study has a front window, but the laundry is so tiny and will lose all it’s natural light.
I’m acually contemplating undoing a closed in porch to restore the original lines to my Arts and Crafts bungalow and hope that will also lighten up the living room where the front windows open onto the porch area.
Yes we have to do more research as to what it would mean for those windows (we don’t know if there are fire safe sealed glass panes we can keep to avoid cutting off light!
xo,
s
I’m with you on the lighting deals! We had one of those old brass chandeliers in out dining room, and it was mucho ugly. It took me about 6 months on Craigslist, but I found a gorgeous chandelier (not 80s style! whoo), that was all right, but the wrong color. A little haggling, and a little ORBing, it looks great in our house and I only paid $25!
I love your new lantern, I really couldn’t tell how massive it was until the far away shot. Awesome!
I noticed that you made sure it was safe for outdoors…But I know in the past, you guys have used outdoor lights inside (I think in your bathroom). Is there any special thing you have to pay attention to, if you going to place an exterior light inside?
Thankfully there are just more safety checks for outdoor lights (they’re even more able to withstand moisture, etc) so bringing them inside works without worry!
xo,
s
Ha-cha-cha! I really like the new light guys. Have you ever replaced a fan? And then written up a super thorough post on it with pictures? Eh, eh? You know where I’m going with this and what our next project might be…? ;o) (I will now be heading to your archives) You see how great a discount you can find when you stalk an item? That is a beast of a final markdown price. I am going on almost a year of trying to find the perfect replacement everyday purse. I refuse to settle for a “just for now” bag. The search is driving the hubs crazy because he has to carry most of my things in his pockets when we are out and about.
My best, Lynn
Aw man, we have replaced a few fans but it’s so hard to take pics and write a tutorial since all four of our hands are busy. Maybe try YouTube? You can totally do it though!
xo,
s
Yet one more reason to eat Oreos, thanks!! :)
love it!
i’m curious about your reasons for converting the carport. i typically hate carports (and picture a red buick or collapsable camper in them…ha) but yours doesn’t bother me for some reason. i absolutely love your idea to do a trellis around the opening to make it lush, and it almost seems like you could get that enclosed/viney/english garden look all the way around by planting the right climbing plants on the back and side. i think the enclosed garage would look great too, of course,just genuinely curious on your decision to enclose it. thanks! :)
I think the functional thing about an enclosed garage is getting to stash your bikes and stroller and christmas stuff in there instead of in much less convenient places (like our separate entry basement that you have to walk to the back of the house with a key to open). But you’re right, it’s definitely tempting to cute it up with a trellis and keep enjoying it as a space to hang out!
xo,
s
Muuuuch beter.
Confessions of a Purse-a-holic