A few moons and many lifetimes ago I owned a cute little condo in downtown (Center City) Philadelphia. While I’ve moved on to a few homes since then, I held onto the condo and rented it out to a nice string of tenants. The most recent tenant just moved out and I walked into the unit I was horrified at how dated and beat up it was. Obviously this hadn’t happened over night (more like 7 years of use and abuse,) but looking at it more closely with my refined and discerning eyes, I knew a little updating needed to be done.
The kitchen in particular was just short of terrible. Years of accumulated oil had stained the walls and cabinets. There is no natural light in the kitchen and it felt DARK and DATED. While a full renovation felt way out of reach, I knew I could immediately improve the space with a new kitchen light. It’s such an easy change that can improve both looks and function. When the fine folks at Del Mar Fans reached out to me about partnering on a lighting post I really felt like the universe was giving me a personal high-five. My kitchen was getting a mini-makeover!
I’ve always cringed at the site of my old kitchen light. Due to the construction of the condo, it was not feasible to recess cans into the ceiling, so instead the previous owner chose an unfortunate fluorescent moon dome for kitchen illumination. Here is the kitchen before we started our makeover…
Did you miss the light? It’s right past the soffit over the island. (The dropped ceiling there allows for two recessed lights.)
When it’s off, it’s sort of just bland and un-cute. But when it’s on…. the fluorescent lighting feels like you are in a hospital room. Hello Moon Dome! This pic doesn’t even do justice to the ickyness.
When searching for my new kitchen light I had a few requirements
1) Close-to Ceiling fixture. Unfortunately my condo is not blessed with high ceilings, so I needed a light that would leave 80″ of clearance below it.
2) Max Wattage. As the only light in the room, I couldn’t just chose something with one 60 watt bulb. I needed something that would brighten up the space. My goal was at least 180 watts
3) Stylish Finish. I waffled back in forth on whether I should do nickel or brass. What if I went to sell it and potential owners weren’t as trendy as me? Ultimately I love brass, so I went for the gold.
4) Good Scale. While I couldn’t have a light that hung low, I didn’t need a pip-squeak diameter either. I wanted a light that would command the space and make a statement!
5) Sexy. With the short ceiling, I would never be putting a pretty chandelier in this space. That’s fine. Not every room needs a chandelier. Instead I wanted something tailored, classic and grand enough to make a little statement.
Taking my requirements into consideration, I perused Del Mar Fans’ website for some potential lights.
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4 / 5 / 6
7 / 8 / 9
I ended up choosing Minka Lavery’s Harbour Point semi-flush light. At 19″ in diameter I liked how it was bigger than flush mount lights so it commands the space. The brass finish or “Liberty Gold.” feels very now, but I like how the lines of the piece feel very classic, Also with 3 bulbs at 100 watts each, my kitchen would be getting decent light! You can find the light I purchased HERE.
While kitchen updates are still in progress, the light has been hung and I’m super happy. It’s Stylish, It’s Bright, and its Brass. What’s not to love?
Besides changing the light, we are also painting the ceiling. Previously it was a dark cream and now its a really light blue. It’s so subtle you can barely tell against the newly gray cabinet frames. Perhaps I need to go a shade darker to really make the ceiling shine? In small defined spaces like this I love doing a subtle color on the ceiling. I think it makes the space more fun and draws attention to my new pretty light. There is still a lot more to be done in here, but it’s feels so good to be well lit.
This one actually makes me happy when its lit. Hard to photograph, but easy to enjoy in the kitchen.
As you can see, we will be doing a gray and brass kitchen. I just love that combo. The light was such a great jumping off point.
Do you approve of my new kitchen light?
Do you have an offending light you wish you can replace?
If so you are in luck because Del Mar Fans is doing a giveway on their Facebook Page!! Seriously, who couldn’t use a new light in some kind?
It starts tomorrow and you have 7 days to enter. Please head over to their page for details.
This post is sponsored by Minka Lavery & Del Mar Fans & Lighting.
The post Before & After: New Kitchen Light for City Condo appeared first on Design Manifest.