I thought long and hard about the light fixtures for Our DIY House. To me, light fixtures are a huge part of the decor of a room. They can really set a mood!
We purchased most of our light fixtures through our account with Direct Buy. Want my honest opinion on this club? I think it's completely worth purchasing a membership (which is very pricey!) if you like high end items for home improvement store prices AND if you're planning on renovating in a big way or building. We purchased our membership in B.K. ("before kids") when we had extra spending cash.
Here's a peek at our light fixtures. My hubby is an electrician, so he's installed them all himself (along with a parade of fancy plugs, dimmer switches, timers and all sorts of fun things). I stuck to oil rubbed bronze fixtures for most of the house, and polished chrome for the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms.
(Scroll to the end for a DIY on how to paint fan blades like a pro!)
Master Bedroom Fan (Kichler) (We debated long & hard over whether or not to have fans in our bedroom and breakfast nook because they are notoriously ugly. However, I actually loved the look of these fans. They have a neat "industrial seaside" air to them, and you can't deny how awesome it is to have a breeze inside on a hot day!)
Master Bedroom Reading Lights (Z Lite) (We opted for pendants hanging in front of the windows on either side of our bed so that we could fit our King bed frame between the windows.) You can see our gorgeous DIY craftsman trim here too - I'll post a tutorial for that later (I'm so happy with it)!
Master Bathroom Chandelier (Z Lite) (Don't make fun - this is my favourite piece.)
Office (Lowe's Canada)
Entry Chandelier (Z-Lite) (This was my big splurge, but I think our 3-story entry needs something substantial and gorgeous.)
Dining Room Chandelier (Kichler)
Laundry Room (Kichler)
Kitchen Island Pendants (Kichler)
Breakfast Nook Fan (Kichler)
The blades on this polished chrome fan for our breakfast nook didn't match with any of our decor-to-be, so I painted them black (to match our cupboards and tie in with the oil rubbed bronze elements). It was easy and I loved the result!
To paint fan blades like a pro:
Sand the blades lightly (I used a block sander). This helps the paint adhere well.
Use a small foam roller (this is the trick!) to paint the sides first (I used a semi-gloss latex paint), and then the tops of the blades. A foam roller leaves a nice, smooth finish with no brush strokes. This is especially good if you're using a semi-gloss paint like I did here.
Paint at least two coats of paint (make sure to let each coat dry thoroughly before applying the next). See? Even four-year-old C can paint smoothly with a foam roller.
That's all! Now I have a fan that ties in beautifully with everything.
Next on our plate is laying our laminate flooring, tiling, and installing our cupboards. We're exhausted, but Our DIY House is nearing it's completion! Thank God.
What do you think of my lighting choices? What's your favourite light fixture in your home?
This post is part of my "Our DIY House" series where I'll share with you my most exciting DIY ever - building a country house from the foundation up with my talented hubby! We're crazy, we're creative, we're on a limited budget and we're planning on having it finished in the Spring of 2013.
Linked to: Sundae Scoop Link Party on I Heart Naptime
I never thought I'd ooo and aw over a ceiling fan! Those are gorgeous! Retro/industrial= my style!
Haha, thanks Jess! I never thought I'd want ceiling fans in my house (I think of "Trading Spaces" episodes from 2002 that are engrained in my brain where they're ripping down the fans like there's no tomorrow).
The secret to getting a good finish on your fan blades seems to be using a small child to do all the work. love the rest of your light fittings
Haha! Yes, she loves helping her mama paint. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I love the office light but can't find it at Lowe's. Can you send the link? Also, where did you find the laundry room and dining room light? I love your blog and am thinking about using the same laminate in our renovation! 🙂
I cannot find it either, Laurel. They most not have it anymore. 🙁 The laundry room and dining room light, however, are by Kichler and you should be able to find them at most specialty lighting stores or online! We love our laminate flooring. I would definitely recommend using it!
Thank you for sharing this technique. I never really thought of the pillowcase technique. That is just amazing. I do admit that cleaning our ceiling fans can be very time consuming and difficult, but with your post that will not be the case anymore. Thank you again for sharing.
Wonderful website. Plenty of helpful information here.
I'm sending it to a few pals ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And obviously, thanks for your effort!
Appreciating the time and energy you put into your blog and detailed information you offer.
It's great to come across a blog every once in a while that
isn't the same outdated rehashed information. Fantastic read!
I've saved your site and I'm including your RSS feeds to my Google
account.
This design is incredible! You definitely know how to keep
a reader entertained. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost...HaHa!) Fantastic
job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
Too cool!
First off I want to say excellent blog! I had a quick question in which I'd like to ask if you do not mind.
I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing.
I have had a difficult time clearing my thoughts
in getting my ideas out. I do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually
wasted just trying to figure out how to begin. Any
ideas or tips? Cheers!
I have fun with, lead to I discovered exactly
what I was looking for. You've ended my 4 day lengthy hunt!
God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
whoah this weblog is wonderful i like reading your posts.
Keep up the great work! You understand, many individuals are searching round for this information, you could help them greatly.
Good blog you have here.. It's hard to find excellent writing like yours these days.
I honestly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Your style is so unique compared to other folks I have read stuff from.
Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just
book mark this site.
Good article. I'm going through some of these issues as well..
My brother suggested I may like this web site. He was entirely right.
This submit actually made my day. You can not believe just how much time I had spent for this info!
Thanks!
It's actually a cool and useful piece of info. I'm happy that you just shared this helpful information with us.
Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
Hi to every one, the contents present at this website are actually remarkable for people experience,
well, keep up the good work fellows.
Superb, what a weblog it is! This webpage provides valuable facts to us, keep it up.
I pay a quick visit every day some web pages and websites to read posts, however this webpage gives feature based posts.
you are truly a good webmaster. The web site loading speed is incredible.
It sort of feels that you're doing any unique
trick. Furthermore, The contents are masterwork.
you have done a fantastic process in this topic!