lights...camera...more lights

I'm not going to lie: we have been talking about replacing the two light fixtures in our kitchen for the past four years now, but it wasn't until one of them fell from the ceiling and hung by the wires on Sunday that we actually did it. 

Nothing like a little motivation. 

One of the fixtures in our kitchen hung low over a table in a past life.  As we chose not to place a table in the particular spot, our taller friends and family have been ducking around and walking into this light for, as I mentioned, four years. 

We got a simple ceiling mounted light for this spot and if you're tall you can come back now.  Let's try it again.  I promise your head is safe. 



The kitchen light came with a buddy, so we also replaced the unattractive fixture in the laundry room.  It was pretty dark in there while we were working and I kept wanting to turn on the light. 

The real beast of a project was this fixture over the island.  The directions estimated 45-60 minutes to install.  I estimate that it took us 3-4 hours. 

It is not my dream light fixture.  We had a lot of parameters to work within, the main one being that the old light was placed near the back right corner of the island underneath it and I have this silly desire for lighting to be centered. 

But- dream or no dream- it is up and we are getting used to it.  Pictures don't do justice as to just how much light we have illuminating our kitchen now.  This thing takes six halogen bulbs.  Six!  Halogen!  Do you have any experience with halogen lights?  They are very bright and sunny. 

Over lunch on Monday, I tried to put into words just how bright our new setup is:

"It's like I'm in a...."

At the same time I was saying "tanning bed", Steve threw out "dentist's chair". 

So there.  Now you can picture it for yourself.  And I'd like to clarify that I've never actually been in a tanning bed. 

So the lamp- we bought this wire container from a flea market years ago and originally filled it with white Christmas lights and tulle.  When all the lights burned out last week, we decided to make it into a real lamp.  We got a lamp kit and a cool filament bulb from Lowe's and Steve had that thing finished before I knew he had started.  It gives off a very warm, yellowish-orange glow, much like we are living in the 1920s. 

All this change is getting me motivated and I think we will be on a home improvement streak for a while now.  This week I'm working on one more shop project, plus a few personal projects that I'm excited about.  I love it when the shop is pretty full and I have time to sew things to keep!