When we moved into our house a couple of years ago, the kitchen left something to be desired. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either. It had zero personality, and needed some extra functionality as well. So slowly over the past two years, we’ve worked on changing little things – first we added an island and painted the walls a muted light green color, then we added extra storage around the refrigerator and new knobs on the cabinets. And now, at long last, we’ve added all new lighting. And let me tell you – this made the biggest difference of all.
Before there was a track lighting system that was functional, but not so pretty. Many people actually complemented us on it, but I secretly hated it. It had a strange, spider-like appearance and no depth, leaving a large empty area above the island which was just begging for a stylish light fixture with some character.
So we swapped it out for a gorgeous chandelier from Lamps Plus that has four lights and a black rectangular frame. I love the way it mimics the shape of the island, while also tying in with the rest of the black elements in the room. And because our home was built in 1830, I didn’t want anything that looked super modern. This fit the bill perfectly.
We were also in desperate need of some task lighting underneath the cabinets, so we installed four under cabinet LED puck lights. They make chopping vegetables infinitely easier, and they give the space a more finished look. And last but not least, we added LED tape lights above the cabinets. This is the sort of thing that you didn’t know you needed until you have it, and then you wonder why you never had it before. They’re $60 and incredibly easy to install… just adhere them to the inside of your molding and you’re done. They even come with a remote so you can adjust the brightness and the color.
Because our house is so old, the under cabinet lighting took a little longer to install… but in the end I love the way it turned out. The light is pleasantly warm but not yellow, and the pucks themselves have a sleek look unlike some of the clunkier options on the market.
According to my fiancé, the Cove Point Chandelier was easy to install (I have zero knowledge on electrical matters, so I handed him the tools he needed and told him whether everything looked straight). It comes with extra center rods, so you can make it hang down lower if you like.
While we still have a few changes we’d like to make (cough… backsplash… cough), I love the way the space looks now that we have real lighting. I can’t tell you how much more enjoyable it is to cook and eat in the kitchen now. And of course now I’m inspired to start working on new lighting in other parts of the house!
 |
| Did you like this post? Share it on Pinterest by clicking “Pin It” in the top left! |
This post was sponsored by Lamps Plus, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Design Fixation online!
Comments are closed.