Lighting Up Our Life! Or Our Kitchen

We needed an electrician. Our range hood wouldn't be possible without one.

Along with it, we wanted to move a few outlets and a light switch.

After some electrician quotes that were clearly just to take us for a ride...we found someone highly recommended and within the range our contractor suggested ($400-800).

We liked him - kinda an old hippy who cared about the environmental impact and suggested things we hadn't thought of. Plus, he worked on an hourly basis, gave us an estimate of time it would take, and didn't just come up with a magic number in his head for all the work.

So we booked it.

And he came the next day.

Between his visit and when he arrived, we had to go pick out lighting (track lighting for the ceiling, an under cabinet light, and a pendant for over the table).

*note that I didn't originally plan to do lighting at all. Seemed superfluous. I had read over and over again that lighting would make a huge difference, but I think taking out nasty nasty tile would make a bigger one - and we are on a budget.

My plan was to buy our lighting at Ikea - better design than home depot and more options.
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Life lesson learned below. Visit stores in person. Use the brick and mortar. Better for the economy and better for my house.
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Our electrician sent us to Universal Electric. It was like a whole new universe of options. Affordable options.

He sent us to see Robin. Who rocked our lighting world.

I would have been lost in that store without her. I'm the kind of person who will wander around lost guessing what I need before I let someone finally help me.

I don't want pressure.

She let me find what I wanted and knew her lighting stuff. And could explain it to lay people.

How cool is this one?


Or all these little pendants?


We got our order all ready with normal track lighting and this pendant lamp:


Bubbs went to pay.

So I walked around and found my love



Ain't she pretty?

So I stopped the presses and as he was handing over the plastic - I dragged Bubbs and Robin back over to see if this light would work with our track lighting.

As T would say, "yup!"

And the deal was done.

Yesterday around lunchtime I took this picture:


Today at 5pm I took this one:


I know it looks a little industrial or something in this pic, but in reality, it looks like magic hit our kitchen. This is an amazing transformation. Even with complete demo, our kitchen has never looked better.

The paint looks fresh - the appliances are pretty - and we can see our food!

Noon yesterday:


5pm today:

The chord on that pendant is a little funky and I'm not sure it is supposed to be that way. We ended up with the floor model so I'm going to have to get creative with it.

Anyway.

I don't know that I've been so excited about anything in my life.