A long journey to find the right foyer light

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holday season and we have just been spending a lot of time together relaxing and enjoying some real down time. I really have done nothing around the house since the dining room project... the weather is really brutally cold and not really supportive of too much DIY but I am planning lots of little projects for 2015...what about you?

Long ago I searched for a beautiful lantern for our main hall foyer...what I found out was that these kind of large lantern lights are really pricey...like $300-$500 plus tax...ouch. So I came up with a great solution, I made these lanterns myself out of a couple of terariums I found at Homesense...and they worked for nearly three years, I mean they still work its just they didn't make me happy anymore.

 I always kept looking for a beautiful affordable option...and I finally found one at Home Depot, this light was $222.00 although not a inexpensive especially since I needed 2 a totally fair price and the lowest I have seen for this size and style of light. It is called Milford by Livex lighting in case you're wondering.

 I put it on my wish list for Christmas and my wonderful hubby bought it for me...but when I opened it on Christmas morning I heard an awful sound, the sound of broken glass. Can you believe it!!!

 Heart breaking...I know.

In the meantime I sold my exsisting lights and this is how things looked for about 13 long days....we had to request replacement glass but they needed photos and it came all the way from NJ so it took a while.

 Look how pretty it looks with the glass...it was perfect. I was planning on getting a second one but then something strange happened...I looked it up to order a second one, I had been saving Christmas money and I had sold a bunch of stuff from around the house to buy it....but it was GONE what....gone!!!
WHAT!!!! oh yes Home Depot discontinued this light on December 23rd....WHYYYYY???
So then I was on the search to find another one....I found it, like I said Livex Lighting makes it and after figuring out it was called Milford and luckily I found it online in a lot of places, livex is a whole seller I guess so I couldn't get it from them. It turns out Home Depot had the best price for this light because I did find the same one but for up to $400 plus...so I went for a smaller version which was sadly more money than the larger one my hubby bought...then I slept on it and changed my mind and cancelled it, I wanted two of the same or so I thought. The second light is in a tight spot and I reconsidered and ordered a flush fixture from the same line and I believe it will work better...let's hope I'm right.

So finally after a long wait I recieved the glass and it was perfect and beautiful & I was very eager to get it installed right away.

Of course I used this handy tool which is just for opening and closing links of chain a must have tool found at tool stores. You can thank me later, it will save you so much time and struggles and damage when dealing with chains.

 And now look ....its perfect & I love it....I just need the weather to warm up so I can work on more of our wainscoting in this hall and crown moulding, but for now I will stare at my new light, it was well worth the wait.

 It has the most beautiful lighting at night...

 So there you go we have ourselves a new light...I am hoping our flush matching light will arrive very soon...some things are just worth waiting for , like babies, house and lights.

I hope you had a great holiday season and enjoyed time with family and friends.
Cheers to a New Year thanks for stopping by...

 Happy news our second new light arrived and was so easy to install and best of all it looks great !

dining room final reveal

 I am so happy to say this...the dining room makeover is complete...oh my I'm lying I still have to finish the crazy amazing crown moulding but that is for the spring.
For now here is my new dining room...

 Nightime shot right after we moved the furniture and wine fridge in, it was fun to just sit back and enjoy all my hard work.

It's time to plan a dinner to christen this room, what do I make???

We really need to get some wine and soon no one wants an empty wine fridge, I drink Pinot Grigio and Sweet sparkling wine just in case you are wondering or want to donate.

 I put in a wood register I finished just like the floors, I need a whole lot more like this, it makes such a huge difference over the stark white plastic ones.

Here is the before, this is how it looked right before we moved in, plus some cheap carpet.

 Right after we moved in this room was our staging/storage area for months.

 This all has come a long way from when I dry fit our fridge...I am sure some people wondered how this all was going to turn out.

It was sad to see this pine floor go under a coat or two of stain but it was the right thing to do, it's so nice to see how one room flows into another seamlessly...I love my dark stained floors.

Thanks for joining me during this long journey...I am very glad it is over and I am happy so happy with how it turned out, even better than I had even dreamt it would, it was a whole lot of work and I want to say a thank you to all who followed on instagram for all my daily updates and encouraged me ever step of the way, it made the journey so much more enjoyable.

One more thing I want to mention, big congratulations to Mel of  Broadview Heights blog who won the Scentsicles giveaway...


Thanks for stopping by, cheers for now...Chris

Dining room built ins...are complete

I am so happy to say that the built in project and dining room project as far as the permanent changes are all complete...well there are a few minor paint touch ups but that is it...and I will admit I love it...it feels like Christmas morning and I couldn't be more thrilled.

The floors are all stained Kona and top coated three times...now we wait three dayd for the full cure to move furnture back in to the room. 

 Although I have to wait to move the table and chairs in I didn't have to wait to put my pretty things on the shelves...I thought I would have a lot of shopping to do to fill the shelves turns out I had more than enough that has been always hidden away that I can finally display and enjoy.

 I am going to have to buy a lot of wine for the wine fridge though...can I please put it in already, I am dying to see it in place.

I am trying to decide if the room can handle a 60" round , until I decide I will put our 48" table and four chairs in on Wednesday 3:00pm  

Let's just go back 7 weeks to the sad state this room was in...I am so happy to get my life back...this poor house needs a deep clean thanks to this renovation...gotta grab a new furnace filter...don't forget to change those after a big messy project.
I can't believe I get to enjoy this room never mind that I created it too....sometimes I amaze myself...