Bathroom SpotLIGHT

Our house has really been lighting up recently! Literally.  You can check out the lighting glam scene here in our kitchen. Since we had an electrician out to the house anyways, we thought to ourselves, what else can we afford to do right now that we need help on? Light bulb moment (hee hee, couldn’t help it)! The bathrooms. Our bathrooms had the plain old big bulb lights that I think have been there for about forever.

Guest Bathroom (check out the whole tour here):

Master Bathroom (check out the tour here):



They aren’t terrible looking but they aren’t that great either. Especially when you get up close, you see lots of gunk caked on it that is impossible to clean off. Yuck. There are also some errant paint marks on these as well. So when the Lowe’s mailer (or circular like I call it that always makes Eric chuckle at my old school language) came in the mail and they were having a sale on nice, modern looking light fixtures, I trotted on over there and scooped two up. We contemplated getting two different lights, but decided to go with the  same light fixtures. Reason number one was price; these were the best price for the look. Reason number two was the simplicity and modern lines. I love that is has a classic yet modern look that will grow with our house yet hopefully not date it for a while. Reason number three was that they interchangeable glass shades. They sell all sorts of variety of these glass shades for about $4 plus. So if we are ever in need of a change-up we can do it for probably around $30! Sold!

So these joined the growing pile of waiting lights until Mr. Friendly Electrician stopped by the casa. These were a pretty easy change (famous last words, right?) except for allowing space for the medicine cabinets to open. We had never noticed this before, but the cabinets and light fixtures were different sizes. Notice the bulb count? They were also positioned differently. So the electrical box in the master bathroom had to be moved up while the hall bathroom was fine where it was. So after one patch job and some touch up painting in both, we had a new look and feel with the glow of the light fixtures!

We love the look and the new light it throws. It is still plenty bright but gives a softer glow, compared to the bare bulbs of the last fixtures. Eco-friendly me is also very happy that CFLs can be used in these fixtures!

Just like most projects, when one project gets checked off the list, a few more get put on. With these new fixtures, the light is bright but a little more focused downward. We are contemplating getting a dual light and fan to replace the ancient and loud fans so there can be more light (which is always a good thing) in the shower area. Since the fan is on a separate switch, it doesn’t always have to be on all the time. We are also contemplating (well, we have been thinking on this one ever since we moved in) about changing out the mirrors for a more decorative framed look. We do need the storage though, so it would mean finding alternative means than the medicine cabinet or buying a fancy medicine cabinet and cutting bigger holes in the wall. Things to ponder…

Lighting, Glorious Lighting!

Remember back in the day (or maybe just two months ago) when our kitchen looked like this?

You can see the full old school tour here. Well, let me tell you folks, Mr. Kitchen is looking a whole lotta different now. I thought I couldn’t be more excited than when the new countertops went in. Then the backsplash went up and a small cabinet reno happened and up spiked the excitement level again. Then, the other weekend happened and if I was excited before then there isn’t even a word to describe my feelings when I walk into our kitchen now. Perhaps euphoria, awe, giddiness, the case of the happy dances…get the picture?

What brought on all of this? Lighting, glorious lighting. If people ever were to ever ask me if there were only one change to make to a house/room, my answer would most definitely be lighting. Lighting is king in my book. It changes the look and feel dramatically. It can also be done reasonably. So without further ado, may I introduce you to Mr. Kitchen. That’s right, it’s Mr. Kitchen because he’s so stylish he deserves his own name (and perhaps talk show if I could work a deal).

This is the result of changing out the old florescent light in the main part of the kitchen, putting in pendants over the bar, and swagging a new light fixture over the kitchen table. Hello new kitchen. It really shines a light on how awesome a kitchen it is now. Pun intended.

We love how the track lighting can be moved around to pinpoint once dark corners in the kitchen. Hello corners of our pantry cabinets I never saw before!

I have had my eye on this light fixture over the table for probably about a year now. At first glance I was a smitten kitten. I knew it would be perfect here. For me, the kitchen lights are all about texture and pattern. We wanted to set a pallet that could grow with the kitchen, subtle but elegant. I think all the lights together really did the trick.

Let’s be real though, the crown jewels are these little pendants. When I first saw them at the store I liked them but I didn’t love them. They were a little dusty and high up on the ceiling in the store, so I couldn’t see them perfectly. They did catch my eye though. Then I saw its fluttering price tag and before I knew it three just jumped into our cart! $17 apiece. WOW! The cheapest I usually see is about $40 a pop.

Check out how they perfectly mimic our backsplash. Ahhh, the continuity is breathtaking. With the brushed nickel finishes all around and the complimentary patterns, it is a room where Eric and I spend a lot more time in now. We just like to sit there and stare and also end up doing more projects in there.

As much as the light fixtures bring the room together, I also love how the pendant lights give a slight visual barrier to the room. The kitchen and eating area seem to have more defined spaces in the big open room. I think swagging the light fixture helped as well since the other small light used to just be centered on that side.

How did we go about doing this little job? Well, we picked out the finishings and let an electrician come work his magic. With installing pendants (involving running new wire, connecting to another line, and venturing up into the attic mid-summer), moving electrical boxes, and adding wire to a few light fixtures, we left this job to the pros. I at first wanted to do it myself, but am very glad we let our friendly electrician do it. Whew! Some things are worth it, especially electrical!

Let’s do one more before and after to show the difference the lights make.

Look at that glow. It’s soft, golden, and inviting. I completely embrace the warm look it makes, but with its golden hue it doesn’t scream “Yellow Kitchen” anymore. You know that vote we had going on whether to paint the cabinets white or not after this little project? Team Megan was gun hoe about painting, but Eric and I made a pact to finish everything in the kitchen and live with it for a few months before making a decision. So glad we decided to do that. We actually love the cabinets now! It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we actually feel like they don’t look as old and dated now. The soft glow of the lights off the cabinets just highlight the beautiful wood grain and makes it a warm, inviting kitchen. Just what we were going for! So I again reiterate my house project advice, live with it first. You never know what you end up liking in the long run!

So where are we on our kitchen redo list? Let’s review:

• Paint yellow cabinet white
• Paint pea green garbage compactor black
• Paint yellow walls tan
• Put up new back splash
• Put up under mount cabinet lighting (shown in this post and the back splash one)
• Change light fixtures above the kitchen and eat-in kitchen area
• Paint all hardware and hinges

So what do you? How are your votes now on cabinet painting? Yay or nay? Or any big projects that you have slowly been finishing this summer?

Backsplash, backsplash, view all about it!

As you know, we have really been making some changes to the kitchen, first starting with new countertops and then painting our in-between-spaces kitchen cabinets and hardware. Our next and necessary step was putting up a backsplash because we had to tear out our old yellow tile backsplash (oh no, more yellow flitting out of the window of our kitchen). Since this project was going to take a while, Eric and I were living with a torn-up backsplash for two weeks. We were really ready to tackle this project to stop living in a construction zone.

Now there are many choices for backsplash, with most people going with tile. We considered going that route since there are so many choices, designs, and colors. We had also been eying another option that was most likely cheaper and easier. For us newbie diy-ers, it was appealing. It is called Fasade and it offers faux-tin tile options for backsplashes, walls, and ceilings.

They also have all sorts of colors and styles. After ordering some free samples and living with them a little while, we decided to go with this backsplash option and chose our winner.

It is ripple in brushed nickel (the one farthest on the left). So off we went to buy our supplies. Then this Saturday was the day! Eric had to work in the morning, so I was assigned prep duty. I was happy because I got to play with spray foam to fill a small gap under our window.

The spray foam was the fun part, the sanding and smoothing (as much as possible) the back walls was not as fun, but I probably got some new arm muscles! The surface for the backsplash needs to be clean and smooth. We tried the best we could and then just crossed our fingers everything would adhere.

My assignments finished, we were good to go when Eric got home. To see a detailed video on how to install the backsplash, you can view it here, but I will give you a short rundown. Warning, there are limited pictures of the actual install since this was a two person job.

First, you need to take measurements of your overall space to determine the amount of supplies that you need. Then you need will begin to make more precise measurements for each 18" x 24" panel. We took it one panel at a time, making the exact measurements for it and then dry-fitting each one to make sure we got it right. Don't you like my oh-so professional drawings and measurements below?

It was fun to do, making my brain use its math side (public relations doesn't always ask you to use much math). All the measurements had to be really precise. Eric compared it to making something out of Legos - which made him enjoy it!

When you have your measurements made for each panel and marked on the sheet, you then use a box cutter to score the panel, applying more pressure each time. Then you bend it back and forth and it just snaps off. It was actually really easy to do!

We cut against a yard stick for a straight edge and cut on a piece of wood so as not to harm anything underneath. As each piece was cut, we dry fit it, completely dry-fitting one wall and then the next, to make sure it all fit properly together. Once it was all dry-fitted, we cleaned the back of each panel with isopropyl alcohol and then applied three strips of the recommended double-sided tape. Just to make sure it all fit, we dry-fitted each piece again before adhering. Then you were done!

All-in-all it was a simple process, although it required quite a bit of precision and patience. It took us between 5-6 hours just because of all the measuring and cuts. Oh, and the triple checking that we did! But it was worth it. Now, here it is!

We also added some battery powered LED lighting to make it sparkle a little bit too. Oh, and that is totally me displaying some of the yummy veggies picked from the garden!

Now, let's do another before and after with our old yellow kitchen to where we are now!

WOW! Eric and I keep going in there to just stare. Then we look at each other and ask,. "Is that really our kitchen?" Yup, it really is. And we love it! So, let's review our kitchen makeover list and our progress.

• Paint yellow cabinet white
• Paint pea green garbage compactor black
• Paint yellow walls tan
• Put up new back splash
• Put up under mount cabinet lighting
• Change light fixtures above the kitchen and eat-in kitchen area (bought and waiting for an electrician quote on Monday!)
• Paint all hardware and hinges

Looking at that list I am impressed with the progress we are making. The next kitchen update post will be with all new lighting! I expect it to look dramatically different, especially in pictures, because we will bid farewell to our yellow florescent light.

What were you up to this past weekend? Any big projects you were able to check off your list?

PS - Want to check out the house tour of our kitchen before any updates? Check out the yellow cave here.