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    Melissa @ Mommy Living the Life of Riley
  • 13 years ago
    • Categories: My Ramblings...

My Kitchen BEFORE & AFTER ~ What a difference the lighting can make!

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I love dabbling with interior design and decorating!  It's definitely a passion of mine and if I had more training and money that I didn't care about losing, it would be my dream to have my own interior decorating company!  Every since I was a child, I've poured through home decor magazines, analyzing why some things worked and others did not.  So, I was THRILLED when my husband and I finally moved into our first house!  I couldn't believe that I finally had a blank slate with which to try out all of my interior design "know-how".  We've renovated almost every room in our house, except the kitchen, living room, guest room and backyard area.  The kitchen is actually partially completed and what I'd like to talk about today is something that most people overlook, yet can make a HUGE difference in the look and feel of a room...LIGHTING!

When we first moved into our house, I absolutely loved the kitchen!  It has a huge island and an adjoining breakfast nook, so the space is massive!  There are also a ton of cabinets which I have already filled with plenty of gadgets and appliances.  The one thing that I thought was a total eyesore though, was the large fluorescent lighting above the island.  Fluorescent lights are so cold and uninviting and I hated the patterned screens that were used up there as well.  Take a look and tell me what you think:

Instead of the "office-like" fluorescent lighting, I longed to install recessed lighting.  Then, I could have the fluorescent lighting ripped out and a large pot rack installed instead, which would provide even more storage in this kitchen and allow my cabinets to be used for other things.  Recessed lighting was definitely the way to go, in my opinion!  The cold, harsh light of the fluorescent bulbs was now replaced with warm, inviting light.  Since I had already painted the kitchen walls a copper/brown marble faux-finish to inspire a warm Tuscan look, the recessed lighting coupled nicely and complemented our Italian-themed kitchen.  Take a look and see if you agree:

So, there you have it...lighting is a definite way to set the stage for your beautiful home decor and should always be considered a top priority in interior decorating.  Too often, the lighting of a room is not taken into consideration, but trust me, it can make all the difference in the world on how well your new design works!

 

 

 

Melissa @ Mommy Living the Life of Riley: I'm a former 7th grade Science teacher turned stay-at-home mom that lives in Houston, Texas. I am married to my college sweetheart and have a beautiful daughter named Riley, that definitely keeps me on my toes! I am also involved in starting a small business which would both manufacture and sell an invention that I've patented, called Toothpaste 2 Go. I love interacting with my readers and hope to learn as much about you as you learn about me!

View Comments (15)

    • Hi Cher! Thanks so much for stopping by and for the very nice review on Link Referral! I'm heading on over to your blog now...have a great night!

  • Thanks for following me! I looooooooooooooove what you've done with the kitchen. I wish we could do that to our house but we move too much to be able to change our homes like that. I'll live vicariously through you :)

    Happy belated FF to you too!!

    • Hi Michelle! Thanks so much for following me back and for your kind comments about our kitchen! I laughed out loud at the living vicariously part! :) Hope you'll drop by again soon...have a great day!

  • following you back from FF and Aloha friday, sorry i'm late. LOVE LOVE LOVE the new look!!! It's amazing the difference the choice of lighting can make! It looks great!

    • Hi Brooke! Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm so happy that you like our kitchen renovations too! I hope you have a great day! See you around the blogosphere soon!

  • My hubby has a recessed lighting obsession lol. He would change out all the lights in the house and put recessed lighting in if we had the extra bucks to spare but we don't so he has to stare at our ugly lights till we do haha. That was such a beautiful change that you guys made. Lights can really make all he difference in a room. Too bad all to often they are overlooked.
    .-= luvtoeat.wordpress.com/´s last blog ..Brunch at The Kitchen Buffet and Bistro =-.

  • Hi Melissa-
    Found your blog through FF and I just wanted to tell you that you did a FABULOUS job with the lighting and the rack. As a Licensed Interior Designer (which I practiced in my past life = before kids..lol) I know that the proper lighting is CRUCIAL for any good decor but even more so in a task oriented space such as a kitchen. GREAT JOB!!

    Lisa Verde
    Handmade Jewelry Haven

    • Hi Lisa,

      THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR VERY NICE COMPLIMENTS! I even had to read what you wrote to my husband! Coming from an interior designer means so much since I just dabble in it as a hobby. Thanks again for stopping by and hope to talk with you again soon!

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