Update: Kitchen Light Fixtures

Long time no talk...  Although I've been traveling a lot this year, we've managed to get a few things done.  Mostly light fixtures, which makes me very, very happy!

We need to take care of the kitchen ceiling since the old light was so large, but I couldn't wait to get the new fixture up so you'll just have to imagine it's finished.  First, the lovely old kitchen fixture - the ballast (?) was going bad and it wasn't turning on consistently so we had to replace it anyway:

So I understand those large, fluorescent, ceiling fixtures were popular at one point, but why this painted wood frame overlay???  At least it wasn't difficult to take down (thanks to Jonathan, as usual).  And here is the new fixture that is so non-offensive hopefully nobody will notice it:

The eat in had a light fixture that I think literally came from the set of "Golden Girls" (the ring was on the ceiling, but I am really bad at remembering to take pictures before we start tearing things down...):

And again, a new light fixture that will hopefully blend right in:

We're not doing a big kitchen remodel right now, but next up in the kitchen is paint and adding knobs/pulls to the cabinets to freshen things up a bit.  We do have some other priorities first though, so news at 11.  Also, more light fixtures to come in other rooms!

Sneak Peek: Master Bedroom

It's amazing what some paint and new switches will do to a room!  Recall the old switch plates and registers were mostly painted mauve to match the walls and the switches were that cream color (with the requisite mauve splotches from where they missed their target)?  We wanted to freshen that up with new white switches and plates, which also meant matching registers.  Jonathan was a fabulous electrician and only electrocuted himself once (that he admitted to) - the wiring in this house is really odd and he did a great job figuring it all out.

We love it!  The color is a little off due to the time of day and the work light we had on - the walls are light grey and dark grey:

Did you notice that we took down the dentil moulding (Does that have a "u" in it?  I've seen it both ways, but don't like using the word "mold" to describe something in the bedroom.) from under the crown?  It was really pretty, but just didn't suit our taste for the master bedroom.  Luckily it was a separate piece from the crown moulding so it came down easily and in full pieces, but I did then have to stain the underside of the crown (which, of course, I subsequently splotched intermittently with grey paint...).

Also, the curtains on the slider are temporary and will move to a light color wall, but we had to put something up ASAP because I haven't found the right curtains yet and we weren't fond of this beauty they left behind:

The curtains and finding stuff for the walls are Jonathan's favorite parts, I'm sure...  So, it's getting there - one room at a time!

Welcome!

This post is slower coming than I'd hoped.  We just moved in yesterday and have spent today unpacking, but with a few hiccups I am just now sitting down to show you our new home.

First, some photos that show you why we fell in love with this home - a ranch with an awesome deck and incredible view from the back yard.  The home is on .49 acres at the back of a small court / cul-de-sac and backs up to a golf course.  We are situated so that we shouldn't get golf balls in the back yard and we have that great row of hedges between us and the course.  The back deck has easy access from all wings of the home - great for summer entertaining!

Ok, now I'll share the photos that require some imagination...  The foyer opens into an amazing living room, with sliding doors onto the deck.  While it could use some updating, the great bones in here are unmistakable!

And finally, let's take a trip back in time...  Here are some photos of the dining room, kitchen, master, and den.  (There are 2 other bedrooms I didn't include, as well as 2.5 bathrooms.)  Be sure to check out the light fixtures!

I'm afraid that's all the photos to share right now...  After we finish unpacking we'll start with little updates to bring this home out of the 1980s (to be fair, I think the mauve in the master bedroom is probably from the '90s...).  We've already started on the master, so stay tuned for more photos as we finish the rooms!

Thanks for coming.  :)