Light, Space & Time

So here in Charlotte, we are snowed in.

Good news: it’s beautiful outside. Bad news: I have too much time to shop online for housewares. We need to buy about six more lighting fixtures, and there seems to be an ever-expanding number of choices. Every time I begin to look at different lighting websites I fall into some what of a ceiling light stargate, where all sense of space and time becomes distorted and where I can lose hours, even days, of my life.

I have spent a disgusting amount of time obsessing over lights, and I am not ashamed to admit it. Lighting isn’t cheap, so comparing prices and finding lighting fixtures that I like for a  price that will keep me on budget can get a little tricky, but it’s absolutely necessary.

Have you been looking for lighting for your home? Below is a list of some of my favorite sites to find good deals on cool lights. Maybe you can avoid the wormhole better than I.

Websites for lighting fixtures:

• Overstock
• Joss and Main
• Wayfair
• Lighting Direct
• One Kings Lane
• Young House Love’s lighting at Shades of Light 

Different Styles

• Flush Mount – Fit snug against the ceiling so you don’t see anything between light and ceiling. These show very little. They are the nuns of lighting fixtures.
• Semi-Flush Mount – These tend to be off the ceiling a few inches. Still classy, these lights show a little leg.
• Chandeliers – High-class ladies of the night, these lights are all flash and leave nothing to the imagination. But we’re still drawn to them. And willing to pay.
• Drum Pendant – These hang low. They have a tendency to wobble to and fro. They also look like drums.
• Bowl Pendant – Same as drum pendants, but these look like bowls. No surprises here.

I ended up purchasing quite a few of the semi-flush mounts for rooms throughout the house, and a chandelier for the master walk in closet. Below are all of the lights for the house that I purchased thus far.

                                                                                                                                                                     

Do you have any recommendations for good places to find inexpensive lighting fixtures? Tell us – we’d love to share your ideas.

Countertop Debacle

Thank you everyone who participated in our poll.  I thought that would be a sure fire way for an indecisive girl to get an answer. Turns out, I’m still indecisive.

I stewed over these choices for hours on end and forced my family and friends to personally tell me which one to get and why. Most everyone had different opinions. My brother picked out a color that wasn’t even in the poll and both of my sisters introduced me to two completely different countertop materials: soapstone and corian. I’ve included pictures since, if you’re like me, you may not be able to conjure up a mental image of these materials.

Soapstone – I love this look, but it’s a bit pricier and there’s a greater risk of chipping and scratching. Some call it character, but it made me nervous. Don’t recognize it? You might remember soapstone from high school chemistry lab tables. Yep, that’s it.

Corian – This engineered material, also called solid surface, is made of compressed materials. It’s definitely one of the most durable materials around and the price is right, too. Problem is, I don’t love the look. The right version can appear very similar to granite, but it just doesn’t have the same organic  look.

After doing some research, we decided to stick with granite.

Home Depot was supposed to be having a sale on countertops: 10% off and free installation. This deal would put us under budget, which is always music to our ears.  We had until 2/4 to make a decision before the sale ended. Trent and I woke up the morning of the 4th without a decision, but we were optimistic we could make the right choice when the time came. We brought drawings of the kitchen dimensions, so we could get it quoted on the spot.  

We looked at the three choices we asked everyone to vote on, but none of those options felt … right. That’s when another one caught our eye. The stone pattern is called Moon White. 

This is a step up in the group level of our original choices in the poll, but with the aforementioned discount we would still be under budget. We both really liked the more marbled look and lower contrast. The granularity of the Group A options had bothered me about the granite the whole time.

Having made our decision, you can imagine our surprise when the manager informed us the sale had ended two days before. The worst! I felt my anxiety skyrocket as we received the granite-dream-crushing news. Luckily, the manager saw the disappointment in our eyes and let us know we could still get 10% off if we opened a credit card. Since I’m in Home Depot about every day, this worked out perfectly (I’m going to pay the card off immediately, so please forego the personal debt lecture). It turned out to be a good day. We found a countertop we really wanted, and we’re still under budget. Victory.

Also wanted to give a quick shout out to Julie at the Home Depot on Wendover. You rock! (No granite pun intended.)

If any of you are debating countertops and would like more information on ratings, I found this link to be helpful. Or just leave a comment, and we will be happy to give our opinion or get more info from our Project Manager, Tara.