{renovate} backporch lighting

When I posted our backporch makeover last week the most commented on feature was our lights! So, let's take a closer look at them, shall we?

{That mess in the background? Welcome to life during a remodel ;)}

Let me preface this by saying - lights for the backporch weren't even on my radar. My plan a for lighting in the space was twinkle lights. But when we went to Astoria last summer for our birthdays, we came across the most charming architectural salvage store, Astoria Vintage Hardware, which also sells amazing upholstery fabrics and some other new items. And, that's where I found the lights. I totally had a gut feeling about them, and we brought them home with us without having a place to put them. Friends, for us, this is living on the edge. As a general rule, we don't make home purchases without a specific use or place in mind for the item. But I knew they were worth the risk.

On the drive home, I was imagining them in the kitchen. But as it turns out, they were destined for the back porch, because they are perfect for that space.

Here's what they looked like at first. But, we thought they needed something a little sturdier to make them seem more like a fixture.

So Chris built this awesome wood fixture that the lights hang through.  I love this in ways I can't even begin to explain. It ties the lights together, it's dark stain is an awesome feature in the very white room, it compliments the farm table, it hides all the cords (functional!) and my awesome husband built it, so you know, I'm biased :).

As you can see, we have pretty small bulbs in there. This actually creates the perfect evening lighting situation. Not too dark, not too bright. Perfect for the dinner parties we like to throw in the space.

So, if I were writing this up last month, this would be the end. The only place I'd ever seen these lights were these two, in that one little store, in that one little tiny town on the Oregon coast. 

Randomly though, I ran across them online the other day (!). So, if you love them, you can find them here. 

Friends, I'm curious to hear. What's something that you purchased without having a "spot" in mind -- you just knew you loved it??

{renovate: kitchen remodel} shedding light on the situation

Happy Monday friends! Are you all ready for a great week? It is sunny and beautiful here -- it actually feels like summer, which is a nice change of pace! :)

Our kitchen remodel is moving right along. We've had an electrician in the house for the last THREE days. It seems like a long time, but I know it's going to be worth it. So, today I thought we'd talk about lighting plans. We don't have cable at our house, but whenever we're at a house with cable, I LOVE to watch Candice Olson. Isn't she amazing? Have you ever noticed how much she talks about lighting plans and how important they are to a room? Well, when we sat down to plan out our kitchen, we decided it needed a lighting and electrical makeover.

Before, we had two lights. That's right, TWO. See, the yellow above. A ceiling light, which was pretty good size. And, a fluorescent light, below our upper cabinets/above our stove. I had a good chuckle after the post outlining everything that's wrong with our kitchen. Someone commented on how the fluorescent light should've been included. Which is so true -- it's hideous! I didn't even think about it, though, because it was such an essential part of the kitchen. When you only have two lights you just love them both! :)

The little orange boxes above are electrical outlets. That's right, only two of those also. And, one no where NEAR a "work" station, aka counter top. Let's just say that one little outlet on the far left has done it's duty and then some. Oh, and we're no where near up to code. There are actually two more outlets in the room -- one behind the fridge and one behind the stove, but I don't count those because I can't use them for other things.

Here's what our electrician has been busy working on. First, adding WAY more lighting! YAH! We opted to install four can lights to add tons more light to the space. A couple pendants over the (new!) island will add interest and task light and then a pendant over the sink will help us make sure the dishes actually get clean! ;) All the lights switches will be on dimmers, which will be sooooo nice.

We're also adding way more electrical outlets -- you know, so the house is up to code, which is something like every 12 (?) inches? I don't know, all I really care about is that my mixer and I won't be trapped in a dark corner anymore when I want to bake something! 

Want to see what lights we picked out? We spent a good chunk of Saturday out looking at lights. First, can anyone give me tips on how to pick out a can light? I have NO idea! And, my eyes started hurting from looking into so many lights! We did decide on pendants though and we stayed really close to my original mood board choices. And it only took one trip to Schoolhouse Electric .... shocking, I know ;). I know all their merchandise is online, but it's such a fun store to go in. All their fixtures are made to order and are mix and match with the shade. They make customizing incredibly easy, which made shopping super fun!

Above the island will be two of these pendants: the Union fixture, in polished chrome and this beautiful curvy Glass shade.

Above the sink will be this guy: a Satellite fixture, in polished chrome, with a Metal cage. LOVE.

I will probably say this about everything, but adding more lighting will probably make the biggest difference in the room. It was so dim before! It was even exciting to come home on friday night and have the can lights working -- it's making a huge difference already! So, have you guys ever designed a lighting plan? And, really, any advice on picking out can lights?! 

ps. My camera card read was making weird error messages this weekend! So, I'll be back Wednesday with the line-up of bloggers that attended last week's blogger summer social, and some tips on how to maybe plan one in your city! :)