our new lights!

We're making waves in our home.  I've learned if I want something to get done, I need to start it...because Noel hates unfinished projects (as do I).  A prime example: we've had our pendant lights sitting in a cupboard waiting to be installed for at least 8 months.  So, to get the ball rolling, I took down the light in the kitchen.  No fixture = no light = inspiration for Noel to want to help me with the project. Genius, I know.

Say goodbye to the ugly, flickering, too small fixture!

We knew it was going to be challenging because we were replacing one fixture with three, all of which needed to be moved about a foot and a half away from the original hole.  This meant we had to deal with fishing wire through floor joists in the ceiling (because naturally we have a bedroom above our kitchen, allowing us no access).  Luckily, we were moving the fixtures closer to the light switch, which meant we didn't have to add additional wire.

I included pictures of how we did it, but if you want to learn how to rewire and install lights, I highly recommend watching this video:

First, we removed the existing fixture and electrical box.  We then marked where the new lights would go, drilled pilot holes, and then drilled the actual holes using a hole saw.

Things got really dusty... :)

We hit the floor joist just where we wanted it, which was quite the feat.  Then, we rewired everything, and hung the pendant lights.

Aren't they beautiful?  They help make the space feel so much cozier, and they give off a lot more light than the old fixture.  We love them.

laundry closet remodel

Slowly but surely, we've been making progress on this little laundry closet of ours.  What started out as a basic, boring closet is almost complete, and I can't wait for it to be finished!  To those of you who don't remember, this is what we started with:

In in this previous post, I talked about the steps we took to get it to this point:

So, for the past year or so, our laundry closet has looked like the image above.  No storage, no hanging space, nothing.  Not exactly ideal.

The plan was to hang these Ikea cabinets in the laundry closet once I painted them, and then install a bar underneath for hanging clothes, but I realized the cabinets were too large for anything to hang under them.  So, I started looking for other shelving alternatives.

I finally found three shelves I liked, but the middle one was too wide to fit in the closet.  I didn't think this would be a big issue as I could just trim it down, I just had to actually do it.  As a result, the shelves sat in the hallway, and continued to sit in the hallway, until one night, I just got sick of it.  Noel and I went to work and installed two of the three shelves, and made a makeshift hanging space for the time being.

Don't you just love how our hanging bar is haphazardly stretched across the top of the shelves? Eventually, it will be installed under the middle shelf.

Below is the middle shelf that we need to trim down.  It's probably a third as tall as the other two shelves, which will allow us ample space for hanging clothes to dry beneath it.

And a little sneak peak at some of the gorgeous accessories that will bring life to the lovely little space.  Now all we need are some labels and we will be in action.

As for other exciting news in this house: we installed the pendant lights in the kitchen this past weekend!  Pictures and a tutorial will be heading your way on Friday...so stay tuned!

let there be light

We've been busy little bees over here.

Goodbye ugly old light fixtures....

Hello, pretty young thang.

Word to the wise: don't change light fixtures at night.  

You will likely look like a crazy person as you are forced to pull out every lamp you own.

And that's just the start of what we've been doing.  Hint: our entire first floor looks 100% completely different.  More on that later.  On the to-do list for this weekend: pendant lights.  We'll see how that goes...cross your fingers for us.

make it work: kitchen sink lighting

The other day I realized I haven't been doing too much blogging about home decor, which is the point of this blog.  So, today I'm going to talk to you about one area of the house that boggles my mind: the lighting above the kitchen sink.

As you can see below, we have a plain, boring light above our sink that does little for the space in terms of design.  However, I really don't like many of the fixtures people generally put over sinks, so I have compiled a list of four types of kitchen sink lights, and I'll tell you why I think each one works or doesn't work.

Single Pendant:
I've been seeing this trend EVERYWHERE for awhile, and don't hate me, but I just don't get it.  Yes, I realize that it ties the lighting in the kitchen together, but to me, having one solitary pendant light over anything looks just plain awkward.  The light looks lonely, like it's floating in space and has nothing to balance it out.

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Multiple Fixtures:

Since one light looks lonely, and since I absolutely looove pendant lights over a bar/island, I thought maybe if there were more of them over the sink, I'd like it better.  Not the case.  I think the multiple lights make the space look too cluttered.

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Chandeliers:

Another trend that I adore is when people use chandelier in unexpected areas, such as home offices, bedrooms, and closets.  So, I did a little digging to see if perhaps a chandelier over the sink would be the solution to my dilemma.  Conclusion: there is just WAY too much going on over that sink.  In the second picture, the chandelier looks a lot better (probably due to the lack of a curtain), but when you take a step back and see the entire kitchen (3rd picture), there are just far too many different competing ceiling fixtures in the space.

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After all of this, you're probably wondering what I do deem as acceptable lighting above a kitchen sink (you and me both).  In my searching, I did find something I like: recessed lights.  They are simple, unobtrusive, and provide a ton of light.

I think the reason I am so drawn to the recessed lights is because they add nothing but light to the sink area.  Why is this a good thing?  In all of the pictures I've shown you, the sink is framed by a window above it, which acts as a focal point of the room.  When you start to hang lights in front of it, your eye doesn't know what to focus on, as there are competing focal points.

The first image below, in my opinion, is absolutely perfect.  The arch at the top of the window adds visual interest to the focal point, making the space feel complete (plus I love the cabinets, backsplash, countertops, all of it).  However, if you look at the third picture, the window does look a little bare.  To fix this, I would hang a roman shade or some sort of modern valance above it.  By dressing up a window with curtains, you accentuate the window.

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PS - did you notice that amazing beverage holder in the end of the island?

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Despite all of this, I do have to say that design is subjective.  If you have a pendant light over your sink and you love it, then that's all that matters.  Just because I don't think something works doesn't mean it looks terrible - it's all in the eye of the beholder.  Cheesy, I know.  But it's true.  I'm sure there are people that will walk into my house and not like it at all (although if that's the case, I'd like to have a word with them - I kid I kid).  So in the end, do what makes you happy.  And do you know what makes me happy?  Announcing that one of my blogger buddies Paige won a free American Heirloom candle from Goose Creek Candle Co!  Congrats Paige!  Also, I'd like to give a big thank you to all of you who entered - and remember, even though you didn't win, you can still receive 25% off your total order by being a Through the Front Door reader!  Just use the coupon code 1050 at checkout (valid through Sept. 30).

Have a great weekend!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Shops at Target

Have you guys heard what's new at Target?  As of this weekend, they officially launched the fall series of The Shops at Target - and I am so excited!

 

For those of you who may not have known, The Shops at Target officially kicked off earlier this year, in an attempt to bring a little boutique to the big box.

   

This fall's collection features four shops from some fabulous designers.  Patch NYC is my favorite shop, as it features vintage-inspired home goods from the Boston based designers Don Carney and John Ross.  However, the Curiosity Shops gives Patch NYC a run for its money with all of its fun and quirky kitchen accessories.

Kirna Zabete and Odin are clothing boutiques, for girls and guys, respectively, and the clothes are amazing.  I wish all of them were in my closet right now.

Here's a little behind the scenes look at my favorite shop, Patch NYC:

And here's a peek at some of my favorite products from this new line:

Patch NYC Favorites by kirstendanielle on Polyvore

So what are you waiting for?  Head over to Target and check The Shops out!

Also, don't forget to enter the Goose Creek Candle giveaway!  It ends Friday!