Granite countertops. Check. Ornate light fixtures and fans. Check. Tan walls with white trim. Check. They were particularly proud of the ceiling fan in the living room, which they called their "wow factor." We were only wowed by the fact that it has the smallest fan blades on the planet and puts out no air, despite its dual design.
For those of you who aren't from Texas, believe me when I say ceiling fans are necessary, but it's possible for them to be less obtrusive. The curly metal and baby blades will be replaced with this simple fan:
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| Roto ceiling fan by Minka Aire lumens.com |
Also being replaced are the ubiquitous builders' grade "booby lights," both the flush mount and its slightly fancier semi-flush sister.
They will be replaced by these fixtures.
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| Golden Lighting Multi-Family flush mount fixture allmodern.com |
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| Philips Discus semi-flush fixture allmodern.com |
This is the fixture over the kitchen island.
It will be replaced by two (or maybe three) of these:
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| Bromi Design Camden pendant thelightshop.com |
Last, but by no means least, is the dining room fixture, which we're hoping someone buys the minute we put it on Craigslist. I'm sure it will be lovely in someone else's home...but not in ours.
It will be replaced with this Sputnik style chandelier.
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| Style Selections 18-light brushed nickel chandelier lowes.com |
The interior walls and beams will be painted a gloriously creamy coat of Benjamin Moore White Dove, which we finally selected after agonizing over more white paint chips than we ever knew existed and multiple swaths of actual paint blotching those perfectly blah tan walls.
It's one of the most popular of the Benjamin Moore whites, described as a soft white with just a hint of yellow, which I hope will look just right with our creamy white brick walls of the sun room and the atrium. As soon as the walls and beams are white, the new light fixtures will go up.
After that, we'll start looking for something to replace the granite countertops...but that's another post.
I hope the old owners aren't readers of your blog Dana ;)
ReplyDeleteI hope so too, Kylie...and if they are, I hope they know that I really do understand their reasons for the choices they made. It's what most Americans want in a house these days, and they were trying to flip a house, not restore a mid-century home. Those of us who love vintage and modern decor are a little outside the norm, I think. ;)
DeleteOh gah, I very much prefer the simplicity and elegance of the light fixtures you've chosen! And tan? How boring.
ReplyDeleteI realize that one man's simplicity is another man's boring, and there are people...mainly those un-modernists out there...who wouldn't understand our painting the walls white, so I'm not trying to dictate anyone else's taste. I just know what works for us. :)
DeleteWow factor indeed! Thank you for saving that house!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely going to be a labor of love. Plus, I'm a little obsessed with finding bargains online.
DeleteWhoa that is one ugly ceiling fan, lol. Love the one you chose and the sputnik light also.
ReplyDeleteI'm not kidding...the blades are so tiny that the only time you feel any air at all is when you stand right under it and concentrate really hard on feeling air. haha
DeleteHave to agree about the ugly ceiling fan. LOVE the one you chose to replace it, Dana. I have to admit that when it comes to ceiling fans, I prefer them to be as simple as possible. All of ours are all white to blend in with the ceiling and a minimalist modern design. And, I absolutely LURVE that Sputnik style chandelier!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you about ceiling fans. They're the one thing in my house that are far more about function than form. I just want them to keep me cool.
DeleteDana, I never knew those lights were called "booby" lights, but the rational is inescapable. I doubt I will ever look at those lights again with a straight face! I lived in Texas for two years, and the Texas summers are impossibly hot. Air conditioning plus ceiling fans allow one to live through them. I love your choice of overhead lights and fan. I am inspired!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I could inject a little humor into your next trip to Home Depot. Once you've heard someone call them that, there's no way to call them anything else again. :)
DeleteAnd who knew you could find a 35" Sputnik light at Lowe's for under $200? I was so excited when I found it.
The fan made me laugh, in fact all if Australia is laughing at that fan! 😂
ReplyDeleteYour excellent taste again saves the day! I think your enjoying this process x
I absolutely enjoy the process. When my daughter asked me to source things for her, I was delighted to help.
DeleteGood choices! I picked the White Dove paint for the exterior door trim, a much softer color than bright white. If you have a floor plan and other exterior pictures it would be nice to see. Can you get a furniture discount as a store owner?
ReplyDeleteNo floor plan, although maybe I can find time to draw one before too long. When we moved in there was ice and snow on the ground, and lately we've been getting lots of rain, so I haven't taken exterior shots yet either. I'll try to do that soon.
DeleteNice choices!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Now we just need to get it done.
DeleteThis is exciting, love the minimalist new fixtures you've chosen. I have to say though, the twin mini fans have their own charm. In the right space, they could be cool. Pun intended. (:
ReplyDeleteI feel certain these fixtures will be sold quickly when we put them on Craigslist. I'm sure they appeal to a far broader section of the population than do the ones we've chosen. If I had been flipping the house, I probably would have chosen something similar. (I have to admit, I got a laugh out of your pun.)
DeleteBooby lights. ;)
ReplyDeleteLol - they truly do look like the smallest fan blades in the free world. Booby lights also had me giggling (I'm such a child still laughing at mention of bums or boobs! I'm as bad as my boys!) Your new fixtures and lights are fabulous.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that fan the funniest thing you've ever seen? I can't imagine the thought process that went into its design. And will you ever look at that particular style of light fixture in the same way? ;)
DeleteWe too have inherited boob lights (there's a pair in the kitchen - gah!) and unattractive light fixtures and fans. JT calls the one in the dining room "the octopus" as it is some kind of wrought iron monstrosity. And the walls were all not just tan but a fleshy, pink undertoned tan that I could just not abide. We did paint swatches of BM's Simply White, White Dove and Moonlight White and ended up choosing the Moonlight White. Oh my goodness, white paint and new light fixtures (and outlets and switches!) can make all the difference in the world. Can't wait to see more! Cheers - CT
ReplyDeleteYou're so right that changing paint and fixtures, plus outlet and switch covers, can completely transform a room. We've gone through a big process of getting quotes from painters, and now I'm ready for the transformation to begin. I'm so tired of looking at this muddy tan!!! I can't wait to see more pictures of your new house. So glad you're posting again!
DeleteI love all of these! Especially the ceiling fan! I'm so happy to see more and more modern ceiling fan options. I cannot imagine Texas without one. I'd melt, for sure.
ReplyDeleteYou're right...ceiling fans aren't optional here. :)
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