Let There Be Light

   The top of the rail is fir, which will get darker as it ages but the posts are      

                           brushed stainless steel with cables between them.

It's an oldie but a goodie so how could I resist? As you can see by the reduced number of posts, things are winding down. This is great except that we have moved off our contractor's radar as he's already onto his next project(s). I'm not going to get into this now but at least here in Seattle, there is so much construction going on that contractors can pick and choose their jobs.

What did happen today was that the electrician installed the last of the light fixtures, which is exciting because they are a home item that is both decorative and functional. They set the tone for a room and even for the feel of an entire house. They also tie together elements within in a house. For us, with a midcentury home, we went with fir as the wood because it was so popular at the time but updated it a bit with brushed metals as a contemporary accent. The first place this shows is in the handrail which replaced the half wall.

It made sense then to pick up some of these elements in the various light fixtures in the living areas. In the dining room we kept it simple so as not to obstruct the view to the fireplace from the kitchen.

Brushed nickel and cables

The kitchen was one area we felt needed a pop of color so even though most of the lighting is recessed we added a pendant light over the sink.

It might have been nice to go a little longer on the cable but with a husband who is 6'3" that's not possible!

Finally, my favorite light in the house. Mr. G picked it out so all the credit goes to him. With the lower ceilings in this house (8') the stairs to the basement is the only place we can have a light with any kind of length and this one is perfect. 

I had to include two photos because no matter what angle you look at it from this light looks amazing. It perfectly suits the time period and style of the house.

*A special thank you to our electrician, DJ, who stood on a ladder leaning over the railing while I decided when it was centered. I don't know how he kept from falling over!