Last weekend, General Dad came over to help put up MY NEW CHANDY!!!!! I have been eyeing this linear guy for a while now and a few months ago I finally made the purchase! I snagged him at 15% off and I picked him up in-store so I saved on shipping-- go me! This guy was purchased at ZGallerie and I couldn't be happier with my purchase!
So--- where do I want this little stunner to go? The kitchen, over the island. Duh. It's always seemed a little bit naked if you asked me... but I knew it would be a big ordeal to add a light fixture and another light switch to our kitchen... so I put it on hold.
Another issue with that linear chandy guy is that it really needed to go with this Pottery Barn beauty that I've had for years... I love her and refuse to part with her... so---- spray paint.
Here goes nothin'--- anyone else know how scary it is to spray paint a brand new, perfectly beautiful chandy??? The feeling is unsettling to say the least... especially after General Dad shared his worry about the paint sticking to such a high gloss, chrome surface.
At the end of the day, chrome just doesn't work in my kitchen, so I taped this sucker up and crossed my fingers....
And sprayed. Eeeeek!
I must say, I was super surprised with how well it took the paint. I did several thin coats with the black, matte spray paint and am very happy with the outcome!
And now, for the technical part.... thank God for General Dad. (sorry in advance for this tutorial explanation of events)
Here's what we did.... we found and measured where we needed the new light over the island then took a wire hanger, straightened it out and shoved it through the ceiling. Then General Dad and myself ran upstairs to the attic to see where it was!
Ta-da! I personally thought the little flag it created was hilarious.
These are my feet... I learned after the first time I went up there shoe-less that it was a stupid idea. Don't do this in your abode peeps.... just don't.
A week or two later, General Dad came back over with all the tools we would need to get this chandy-show on the road. He gave me this little saw and told me to cut out the hole for the light. This was messy. I should have worn protective goggles or sunglasses or something, but I didn't.
And this is what it looked like after!
These were the sheet rock saws I used... General Dad wasn't super impressed with my speed, but I am sure he was proud that I started and finished the hole on my own! I ended up preferring the longer, bendy saw.
Then General Dad went to the light switch panel that was already in the kitchen and took out the blue box-- I know there's a special term for the blue box, but let's face it... we all know what I'm talking about when I say "blue box." King loved this. He stayed very close to General Dad all day and every time he bent over to get a tool King would lick the top of his head... hilarious I tell you.
Once the blue box was removed, it was time to label all the wiring so we knew what we were working with, and extend the hole so that another switch could be added to the panel.
After that, General Dad went to the attic to add this light socket thing... no clue what the term for this thing is... but it holds all the wires and allows power to run through the hole in the wall. There's a bar that holds the black box for the wiring and it screwed into the 2x4 beams so that it was stable.
Then General Dad went up and stretched the new wiring from the new opening in the ceiling to the switch panel... I waited downstairs to fish the wire through the hole on the wall. Then General Dad hammered down the wiring in the attic so that it wasn't just flailing up there...
New blue box time!
Then General Dad left and Mister Husband stepped in... time to hang that thang!
These were the only directions that came with the fixture... thanks for that ZGallerie. What a load of help.
Mister Husband knows what's up though, so he hung that stinker regardless of the skank instructions.
Hanging the two wires to balance the darn chandy was really tedious, but after a whole lot of leveling and trial and error, he was hung!
Here are a few glamour shots for ya...
I think the two light fixtures are great together. They're different enough in shape so that they don't look matchy-matchy, but the finishes and crystals tie them together so that they don't clash.
Yes, I stood on my counter to get this shot!
Some of you may notice the new orange-y rug in the kitchen... I got this little guy from Overstock so that he would work nicely with the new beautiful flowery rug in the living room!
And I have yet to share these pretty things with you as well! I finally hung the platter that Super Mom got me for Christmas- and the painting that Super Mom did of my Great Grandmothers house in Madison, Wisconsin. The top print of the cocker spaniels is a little prize that I won on Ebay... I had to pay for it, but I feel like Ebay makes you a winner instead of just a buyer!
Here's a view from my living room looking into the kitchen... what do you think?
Can you spot me in the mirror?
General Dad put dimmer switches on ALL of the lighting in the kitchen and let me tell you, it's so much prettier in there! The lighting that we gained over the island is really amazing-- I'm not sure how we functioned without it!
So, what did all of you abode lovers think of my chandy show? I think I'm loving it. Have a great Monday!
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