On a dining room lighting choice.
So, this is going to be a decorating post. I know. Very out of character. Bear with me. . .
My tastes veer toward antique, junk, found objects, metal, rust, peeling paint. This fit in pretty fine when Todd and I were in our first house in EAV.
I loved that house.
Then we got knocked up and had to move to a bigger house.
Furniture still worked. Schools didn’t.
And now we are in a great school, but in something i never thought i would own. A split-level. And my furniture? It still works, but I am finding that I need to mix it with more modern elements to keep it from looking incongruous with its surroundings.
So, I am getting a new piece of furniture, an old pie safe, from my in-laws. It is beautiful, and I will post a photo when it moves in, and give the whole scoop on its history. (I know. You are just riveted now, aren’t you?) It will go in the dining room. My dining room, with its farm table, beat up junk store chairs, and weird Pop objects: old iron, churn, huge antique crocks. Old photos on the walls.
I decided I wanted to repaint the den and dining room, to brighten the area. I love the color that we picked, but it is turning out to be too dark in those rooms (the den and dining area are connected). The dining room only has one window. I figured while I repainted, I would also use that as an excuse to get rid of the dining room light. It is the exact same fixture my grandparents had in THEIR house in Warner Robins. Need I say more? That bitch needs to go.
I started looking at fixtures. Realized the more traditional fixtures were going to make my dining room look like a Cracker Barrel. Decided what I really wanted was something more funky. Lighter, airier, brighter, less heavy.
This is new for me. I found myself looking at fixtures I would never have looked at before. I got Todd on board. We are in agreement. And now I’ve narrowed them down to a few I like.
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- #1
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- #2
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- #3
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- We are thinking about knocking out the windows and putting doors to a screened porch. (Which will add to darkness, but i want one.)
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- Stairs up to BRs. Stairs down to basement. Thinking i should repaint this room too, since they are adjoining.
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- Quint and Scully stay, as do couch, door on wall, drawing in frame.
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- Will probably paint dining room door white to brighten room.
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- Red hutch in back is going. Mirror on wall is going. Keeping the armillary sphere. Armoire is going somewhere else – too overpowering in this space.
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- See what I mean? Small. No light. (Let’s concentrate on the dining area for now – yes, Kitchen’s Grandma wallpaper is going from kitchen. Baby steps.)
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- Walls will be painted white/off-white. Junk in left back corner will be gone. Hutch in back right corner will be gone. Table and chairs stay. See how dark it is?
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- This thing is gone. Have to lighten things up in here.
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- Good example of stuff i like – repurposed wooden table, vintage enamel bowl with red trim.
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- Love the purples and greens. My favorite colors. Wish I could wear two patterns like this and not look like a sofa or a crazy bag lady.
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- She loves my camera.
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- #4
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- #5
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- #6
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- #7
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- #8
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- #9
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- #10
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- #11
I always have trouble pulling the trigger on decisions like this, though. I have a favorite. Todd has a favorite.
Which is your favorite?
Update: Added photos of dining room and adjoining living room.
