Let there be Light...

You may have heard we are thinking of a kitchen reno...so I am completely obsessed with white kitchens and everything kitchen-y these days...and by obsessed I mean I am driving my husband crazy with my constant banter about it.  He's trying to stay interested but I've noticed his eyes glazing over quite often lately...what do you mean you don't want to talk light fixtures at 8am before work???

As in everything I do, I am trying to get the look I want for less.  We are going with white Ikea cabinets, wood countertops and wood floors.  I want it to be sleek and clean but will add lots of warmth through the wood and some great vintage pieces for interest.  I am going to be making the kitchen island out of old doors and hoping to get some old stair treads to use as the top for that too....that's a whole other post though and will happen in a month or so.

My latest sourcing is lighting.  We can't really put in potlights without ripping apart the ceiling, so I want a fixture to give off light from all over as well as shine down on the island.

I found this light from Restoration Hardware...which I love, but wanted to see if I could get something similar but vintage for more character.

I have been on several vintage/reclaimed materials websites looking for these.
Here are a few jems I came across...
www.timelessmaterials.com
www.artefacts.ca
www.legacyvintage.com
www.lucanarchitectural.ca

These places are amazing sources for old reclaimed materials and have some really great finds.  All are about 1-2 hours out of the city so I find you get better material and not at city prices....worth the drive!

In my search, I found lights like this at http://www.victorian-revival.com/

 

 I want to take 2 or 3 of these and get them made into a fixture like this....

.....but for less than the $1000 I was quoted if possible

Of course I called my guy Ed and have him on the case searching for these lights as well....we will see what he comes up with.

I also want some light around the new banquette area...still waiting on my chalk paint to arrive to finish the table...and decided sconces were the only option due to our high sloping ceiling there.

I ordered some online from Home Depot that I liked....

I really liked the textured glass and the details and they were a steal at only $50 each!!
Of course then I found these babies at Victorian Revival...

And it was love at first sight...so I have some returning to do...These guys were $85 each but still a bargain and more in keeping with the industrial look I want for the kitchen.

Lighting is a crucial element in any room but especially in the kitchen where so much work is done and we spend so much of our time.

I will keep you posted on how my island fixture turns out...and also how the sconces look in their new home once my electrician (read husband!!) installs them.