Light Times

There are some highs and lows in the lighting situation.  First the highs

these lights i wanted to save from the house

i cleaned up the glass and bought a replacement fixture to go with them.  

Mirror Options

Jon was out of town this weekend, and gave me leave to make the mirror decision myself, so i spent the time focused on finding some solutions.  I hit up HomeGoods and a few thrift shops in search. Here is what i found.

Mirror Hunt!

OMG it is hard to find a bathroom mirror!  I mean, i'm only looking for something spectacular, unique, fun, classy, period-appropriate and functional - why should that be so hard?

ok, so i am perhaps being overly particular about this selection but i strongly feel that in BOTH of our bathrooms we have made simple, elegant, classic selections for all the things like tile, faucets, vanity, light fixtures etc.

Upstairs Bath

So About That Sink...

Period Inspiration

Jon and i discovered the Cinemax show The Knick a short while ago when HBO was streaming the first season for free.  Recently comcast gave a free week to binge on the second season, without adding a subscription to the channel.  it did not disappoint.

Light Choices

Thank you all so much for you feedback and suggestions on stair and entry way lighting! it was really helpful to have some thoughts on our ideas and get new ideas and suggestions too!

Jon and i spent all this weekend working on finding finishes for everything.  We looked at tile and carpet and toilets and sinks and lights and i don't even know what else.  Most importantly we settled on a lighting plan.

We decided that for light fixtures we should go the more cost conscious route, as those are really easy to change out ourselves should we ever decide to upgrade or want something different.  We want to spend more of our finishes budget now on things that are harder to change later, like tile.

That said, we have ALMOST every fixture picked out.  We are still deciding on a handful but for now, here are the lights for our house!


Master bedroom and closet - this is about 75% confident. we like the multi-light style for the closet and a small simple fixture for the bedroom.

Stairway Lights

Ok, so here are some lighting thoughts i'm thinking.  Each of these are for the stairway and entry/foyer where we need; one wall fixture (sconce), one shorter ceiling fixture, flush mount or otherwise, (ceiling) and one more dynamic fixture (pendant). Each image shows the fixtures, in order left to right of ceiling - pendant - sconce. Also, these all have pretty wildly varying costs, and we ARE trying to be cost conscious, so bear that in mind. Votes? also, you can mix and match! AND keep in mind this is a 1890's farmhouse and we want to keep some of that charm :)

#1

light overload

sigh, has anyone ever looked at a wall sconce and not hated it? honest question here, have any of you even seen a wall sconce and thought, "that's nice?" well i haven't and i feel like i've seen about a billion in the last few days.

We are picking out lighting for the house, we have to know what kind of fixtures we want for updating the electrical.  There is one tricky spot at the top of the stairs where we have to do a sconce on the wall to light the stairway, instead of an overhead fixture. I'm having major analysis paralysis on this one.  I want to find something that doesn't stick out from the wall too much, it's a tight stairway anyway.  but it also has to look good and provide decent light.  Oh, and i also don't want to pay more than $50 or so for a fixture i'm going to bang into weekly until it finally falls off the wall and breaks in 18 months.

you'd think i was looking for a unicorn.

unfortunately, i don't ever seem to be indifferent to light fixtures in general. i either love something or i hate it and for sconces i 99% hate them all.  i wish i could just deal with something bland, just go with whatever, builder basic piece of shit is de rigueur and never notice it again but that's not my personality.

Here are some options i am maybe thinking about possibly considering, but really i don't like any of them for this space.

Objectively i like this one a lot - so much that it's going in the bathroom :) but i'm not entirely sure it is narrow enough for the stairway AND i don't know that i think a black fixture is a good idea.

This one seems pretty cute too, but it's a little utilitarian for the hall.  this would be amazing in a studio or workroom, big pantry or whatever.  i think we need something 20 - 40% decorative and 60- 80% functional, this guy is at best 15% decorative and at least 90% functional.

Jon suggested this one, which is probably the direction we need to go in, in terms of size and shape, but i just can't get excited about it.

Maybe i'm asking too much that EVERYTHING that goes into our home be a deliberate choice that we are both happy with and that fulfills our vision for a happy, comfortable and good looking home.  Perhaps because this is one of our first decorating decisions it's getting more attention than it deserves.  I know if it's all like this i won't have energy to mull over decisions like paint and blinds and throw pillows (who am i kidding, i could debate the merits of a given throw pillow for days without breaks for food or water).

In short, any suggestions on a great sconce?

Final decision - vanity

so, i mentioned the epic search.  i visited dozens thrift stores, scoured craigslist, krrb and other sites for hours.  I wanted to share with you some options we found, to give you an idea of the search.  of all my searching these are the best specimens i could find... each with their own flaws.

 a little small - too many drawers - it's hard to modify a piece that is built of drawers, when cabinets would be easier for the pipes and plumbing - we'd have almost no storage left.

i like the look a lot but in addition to too many drawers, it has a laminate top - not a good look, i want wood.