01_29_2011 New lighting --> New paint --> New Blinds --> ??

You know how home improvements go...add one thing and the outdated nature of some other thing becomes clear. Replace that item it and it reveals something that requires additional attention. And so on...


So, the new fireplace was installed and looks amazing. One of the latent consequences of it though is it somehow highlighted the fan. THAT fan. The one in our entry way (who puts a fan in an entryway?) that is dark, old, dirty and just an eyesore. It was like low-hanging rotten fruit.


This happened at the same time there was some frustration expressed by Dave (aka melt down) regarding the lighting situation in his office (cave?) downstairs. There are two bedrooms downstairs. The builder didn't feel that bedrooms should have actual lights in them. That's right, no light on the ceiling. Nothing. Well, each room does have a tiny sconce directly above the light switch by the door. Let me tell you, it's about as good as no light. This clearly needed some attention.


Standing at the doorway of Dave's office gave us clear view of the problem in the Den: Very poor lighting. At the the builder put a light in the ceiling - one small globe light. No more. The night light in the wall throws more light than it does!

So new fireplace --> new lighting (This equation has transitive properties as it applies to rooms not near the fireplace).


We headed to the home improvement store and bought several new lighting fixtures. I'd been ogling some of the lights for a couple of years. Then our friend Phil (owner of Nuance Lighting here in Boulder) came over and did the work.

**I have to apologize here for failing to take photos lots of before photos. Happily Phil had taken a few** The ugly icky ceiling fan along with the dark wood beam-thingy on the ceiling were removed (revealing some scary paint colors underneath). Now there is a simple brushed nickle entry way light. And it dims. Very nice. This install was tricky as it involved existing three-way switches that didn't act that way. One switch with power didn't seem to go anywhere. After some detective work and updating of some connections, things were again sensible and safe.

The scary paint color revealed beneath the mystery wood on the ceiling was sort of the color of coffee...dirty coffee. Thus, the next equation is:

New lighting --> new paint.

I started painting the entry way. Wow - it's looks good and what a work out. I found a muscle in my rump that is not used in climbing or riding or walking or anything except painting it seems.

Because the entryway is sort of connected to the living room, it was clear I needed to continue the paint into the living room. We didn't realize how gray the old color was. Bleck. It's really bright and fresh now. This step of course revealed the next equation:

New paint --> New window blinds.

Happily, only one new blind. Again it's been a mystery to us why one of four windows in the living room had chocolate colored blinds while the other three were white. Well, it's white now and it is amazing looking. We wonder why we waited so long.

The next room that Phil tackled was the den. Out went the tiny dim globe (any one in the market for a globe? Haha) and in went some very cool and bright track lighting (with dimmer - all the lights have dimmers here now).

The bird's room got a new contemporary sconce. And the next big room that was tackled was Dave's office. A new sconce was installed, a new closet light wired and installed and even better, track lights were installed in his room. His office looked bigger - but we knew it'd be even better if:

New Lighting fixtures --> New blinds

And the den, bird's room and Dave's office look much better now. Well, except for the dingy paint on the ceiling. Ugh. Back to the earlier equation:

New lighting --> New paint.

Yesterday after climbingI painted the ceiling in the den. Now the ceiling looks great, but the walls... Color is being selected now for the den and the bird's room. Dave is still holding strong saying his room is okay paint wise.

I wonder where this updating contagion will end?

Enjoy!

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