All About the Lights

We close on our new home a week from today! This will be house #4 for us. We have this odd track record of never staying in a home for more than 3 years. But we are hoping this one beats the odds because moving is exhausting and expensive. Although I must admit I do love the thrill of decorating a new home and all the fun things that come with it. I even like the unpacking process (maybe I'm crazy?!).

Lighting is a key factor in any home. The color and lumens of your light bulb can completely change the feel of a room. A very white light bulb may make a room seem more sterile but also super bright. A warm light bulb will feel cozy and inviting but also won't be as bright. Think about Christmas lights. That warm glow really makes the season feel special.

Lights are one of the first things I change in a house. They can completely change the color of the paint on the walls. So before I begin painting, I make sure my lights are exactly the way I want them. Trust me, I have painted an entire first floor of my home and then changed the lights months later. It made the paint color appear completely different! So now I make the lighting a priority over painting.

If you can't afford to change out the whole light fixture, at least change out the bulbs to something you can live with. Lighting even changes my mood. Especially with the cold dreary winter months here in Indiana, I keep lights on all day long and I want to make sure they have a glow that will make me happy and not feeling depressed all day. 

The first thing to keep in mind is the number of lights the fixture has. If it's going in a small space like right next to the door or a small hallway, you may only need 1-2 light bulbs. If it's a larger space like a foyer or large kitchen area, 4-8 bulbs may be necessary.

Another thing to think about is what the fixture is made of - is there a linen drum around the light bulb? This will make the light dim and you may want more bulbs. A glass fixture will let all the light shine through and may only require one bulb to light the area. There are even lights that are completely open with no surround so the light will be extra bright. 

One last thing to keep in mine is the type of light bulb that will be used. The most common is an incandescent bulb but there are so many more. LED, fluorescent, puck lights for under kitchen cabinets, Edison bulbs are longer, chandelier light bulbs... I could go on and on. They will all give off a different glow and feel.

In my last post I talked about how gold is in style and it's going to be the main metal I'm using in my new home. And because lights are the first thing I change, I went and found gold lights that I love and will be using. 

Top left: Will be used in a small hallway

Top right: Will be used in a larger hallway

Middle: Will be used in the hallway leading to the garage/laundry area/pantry

Bottom left: Will be used in the 2 story foyer (metal bases for bulbs will be spray painted gold)

Bottom right: Will be used above dining room table

I saw the dining room light on Instagram and immediately fell in love!

Source: SincerelySaraD

I really tried to pick timeless and classic pieces that I won't get tired of in a few years. Even though these fixtures are in "style" now, I really think they'll be elegant and practical down the road. Of course you can always spray paint them haha!

I also realized I was drawn to a lot of round lights. The dining room light also has the rounded edges (can they be called an edge if rounded??). I really feel like they help soften the room. 

I saved the best for last! We will have 2 front rooms when you first walk into our new home. One will be the kids playroom and the other will have my desk, piano, and some cozy chairs in it. I wanted to replace the light in there and found the perfect one. I also found this awesome light while on Instagram (maybe I have an Instagram problem??).

Source: CrazyChicDesign

It didn't take me too long to figure out it was from World Market but was only available in oil rubbed bronze. Which led me to find this picture below as well. I thought, "hey, I could spray paint it!!" However, even the oil rubbed bronze was out of stock. I was DETERMINED to get this light somehow. All of my searches came up empty.

Source: Google

Until my loyal friend Amazon showed me this:

Source: Google

I know it's not exactly the same, but pretty close! So she's on her way to my house and I'll have the lovely task of spray painting her. I'm hoping it turns out as good as I picture it in my mind.

I'll bring you along during the process of getting them installed. It is priority #1 once we get our keys!

Gold is the New Black

Gold is making a comeback! Gold, brass, champagne, antique gold, satin brass, etc. All of them are super popular right now. I think one of the reasons why it's so popular is that it creates a warm, sophisticated and cozy vibe. Gold also goes well with white, black, and gray which is what a lot of kitchens are made of these days. Wood tones with gold accents are just gorgeous and create that cozy feeling.

I follow a lot of home decor bloggers on Instagram and some of them just have the most beautiful kitchens that have gold knobs and pulls. Here are some of my favorites:

Source: NestingwithGrace

Source: 1111LightLane

Source: SummerAdams

Source: ThePinkDream

Source: ChrisLovesJulia

Don't be afraid to mix metals. It has taken me a long time to realize that I could do that. A gold ceiling light with black door knobs is perfectly fine and will look amazing. Stainless steel appliances can even mix with gold accents in the kitchen. Try to pick a main metal for your home and have 1-2 accent metals scattered throughout. Look for inspiration pictures that you love and see how they interchange different metals throughout the room.

Amy from CrazyChicDesign did a great job of mixing metals in her living room. A gold curtain rod, a black candlestick, black knobs on the side bar, a silver coffee table, and metallic lamp bases. But it all looks put together and seamless.

Source: CrazyChicDesign

Chris and Julia recently renovated their master bathroom and it's just gorgeous. They did an awesome job with mixing metals. Gold and black sconces with satin nickel faucets and a satin nickel towel holder. 

Source: ChrisLovesJulia

This kitchen is stunning with the gold pendants, gold handles and black faucets. The wood shelves and wood stools help add in warmth.

Source: HouseofJadeInteriors

Gold, brass, and copper have warm tones. Where silver, stainless steel, and chrome have cooler tones. You may have a very neutral palate in your living room and want to give it a pop of color while still adding warmth. Gold will help create that cozy effect.

I'll be honest, at first I wasn't sure about all the gold. It has really taken me a year to really love it. I have one end table and one floor lamp that are gold and love them. But to have gold as a permanent fixture (ceiling lights and knobs) made me a bit nervous. However, after countless hours looking at beautiful homes on Instagram, the gold has grown on me. So much so that I'm using it as my main metal in our new home! 

My next post will be all about the new lights I ordered and I can't wait to share them with you. Stay tuned!

Life Updates

It has been a long long time since I've written a post. I have been thinking a lot about starting up this blog again. Part of me wishes I had never stopped it! However, so much has happened since I last posted. I'm not even sure I could have kept up with life and the blog!

Life Update #1:

For starters, in my last post, I made a comment about how I was not pregnant but we wanted to expand our family at some point. The joke was on ME because little did I know I was actually pregnant at that time! Whoa! We had 3 kids when I wrote that post - a girl and then 2 boys. I had always wanted another girl so my daughter could have a sister. So there we were pregnant and I was praying it was a little girl. We chose not to find out what the baby was until delivery day (we found out with all the others did fun gender reveals). And praise the Lord, we found out we had a little GIRL! I was so thrilled. Come to find out, she's my mini clone and I absolutely adore her. She was born on 7.7.17. My little baby is now 16 months old! I still can't believe we are a family of 6!

Life Update #2:

We also completed a HUGE kitchen/first floor remodel in the Summer of 2017! It was intense but completely worth it. I will probably do a few posts on that whole process because it took about 9 weeks and changed the layout of our entire first floor. The main floor of our house functioned so much better and I can't wait to share all the details with you. It was seriously my dream come true to be able to do this!

Before:

After Renovation:

Life Update #3:

One last life update for today... my husband lost his job earlier this year. We spent several months searching for a job in our home state of Michigan. That is where both of our families are. But for some reason God wasn't leading us in that direction. It's a crazy story and I will write a whole post on it because it's really neat. But needless to say, we are now living in Indiana and it's honestly been amazing!

Thank you for taking the time to read this if you made it all the way through!! I'm excited to be sharing more with you and get this blog back up and running.