A gift for you!

Just popping in to wish you a wonderful weekend and to let you know there's a sale going on at
www.lovethedecor.com  Save 20% off your purchase now through May 10th.
Enter code:  HOME20.
A great time to treat yourself to a Mothers' Day gift or a "just because" gift. Here's a taste of what you can find there.

So, you have decided to purchase a chandelier,  you walk the aisles of your favorite lighting store and get confused... will it be too big? too small? is it the right style for my home? What color should I get? So many choices.

Finding the right chandelier Should not be so intimidating. 

Here are a few guidlines that should help. Remember they are just guidelines but really do help you get a sense for what you need. 

First look at all of the other lighting in the home, especially the lighting that will be near the new chandelier. Is it antique brown? bronze? aged bronze? Use existing lighting as the model for the finish and style for your new one. If you are going to replace lighting soon, then you have many more options. Go with a finish you like and build from there for the rest of the home’s lighting.

Finding the right size is crucial, you don’t want to put in one that is too small and have it look like an after thought. Nor do you want one so big it overwhelms the room. So here are some suggestions:

Measure the size of the room or area (entryway etc) 

~If the room is smaller than 10' by 10', a 17" to 20" diameter chandelier is recommended

~If the room is about 12' x 12', a 26" or 27" chandelier is best

          ~If the room is about 14' x 14', choose a 24" to 36" chandelier.

For an entry way or hall, the chandelier should hang at least 6-1/2 – 7 feet above the floor to allow people to walk comfortably beneath it. 

If your room has particularly high ceilings, you may need to hang your chandelier even higher to maintain harmony with the dimensions of the area

If the chandelier will be hanging in a dining room, measure the height and width of the table you plan to hang your new light fixture over.

 A dining room chandelier hung over a table should measure about 12 inches narrower than the dining table and have at least 48 inches of space from each of the room walls or edges.

A chandelier should hang about 30-36” from the surface of the table to insure no bumped heads, and to allow plenty of space for table centerpieces, and food. 

This height also provides the best illumination. If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet, be sure to mount the chandelier an additional 3 inches higher for each foot of ceiling. 

I highly recommend a dimmer switch especially in the dining room to create ambiance for dinner parties etc. It gives you the ability to make it brighter or darker depending on different tasks.

Remember these are just guidelines, many times the sales people in a lighting store are very helpful. Our local Lowes   has wonderful help in the lighting department. (no I am not getting paid to say that : )  Don't be afraid to ask questions. 

You are the customer and you deserve to be helped. Happy chandelier shopping.

Chandelier

       This had been the lighting in my formal dining room since our house was built 13yrs ago.

   I remember being mad about not having a chandelier, thinking that eventually we would put one in.      Time went on (and on and on) Life was busy and it became one of those things you just don't notice unless company comes. Spending more time at home the last few years has me in the mood to redo and get things done. Funny how that happens. Anyway long story short . Guess what I got for my Anniversary last week? Yep this little beauty. 

 Because I couldn't just hang the chandy all by itself I had to have a medallion too. Since hubby was feeling extremely generous (it was our 28th anniversary after all) I picked one up.  

I started with this:

                                                                   

                                                              
 and turned it into this

I will give you the how too later in the week

Tomorrow I will be posting How To info for finding the right chandelier including hanging tips etc so  Please come back

I am linking up with Marla at Always Nesting woo hoo

party because I finally have a chandelier WOOHOO!!

Turning a House into a Home doesn't need to be Expensive

Just wanted to Thank everyone for your sweet comments about our new grandbaby Ezra. He is a sweetie. I am so behind in all of your posts and have a busy week ahead so I may take awhile to get to all of you. Because of the time issue I am doing a repost from last summer.  I felt it was worth a replay since I get questions about this sort of thing often and beacause, frankly, I'm exhausted
 (having a grandbaby is hard work  : )

Turning your house into a home doesn't need to involve a lot of money. Often times just a few small changes can make the difference. We get into a rut by thinking a certain way. The biggest thing to remember is just because "it" has always been that way doesn't mean it has to stay that way. Try placing sofas and love seats on angles and get them away from the walls. Use your end tables side by side as a coffee table. Stir things up a bit. Many times I will take all of the accessories out of a room and start over. Try taking them out of two rooms and mix it up even more. Emptying the room or rooms and beginning again gives you a fresh perspective. Maybe you love the furniture arrangement, but the room just feels blah, try to bring in a brand new color by adding it in three places in the room. For example if the room is mostly browns and greens, add a punch of red. You can do this by repainting an accessory you already have, (there are some wonderful spray paints out there) finding pillows or a throw at a discount store, or repainting just one wall. remember it is best to add the "new" color in at least 3 places in the room to create continuity and flow.

I think you are starting to get the picture. Speaking of pictures, the most common mistake I see in homes is that pictures are hung way too high. This makes the room feel disjointed and takes away from the flow of the room. A good rule of thumb when hanging art is to pretend it is a mirror and you are looking into the mirror. If you cannot get a good view of yourself in the"mirror" it is too high.
Don't forget about lighting in your room. We all know that lighting can add to the ambiance of your room, so be sure that you use soft light and not harsh glaring light.
Do not be afraid to experiment and bring a friend over for a fresh set of eyes. Often times a friend will notice something that we could change, that we have not even noticed in our day to day living.
If you try to think outside the box a bit you can create the home you have always wanted. Remember, you are limited only by your creativity and imagination. Do not be afraid of change. Often times in all areas of my life not just in decorating, change is good!!

Thoughts

As I drive away to go back home and leave baby Ezra in the very capable hands of his mommy and daddy, I have tears streaming down my face. ( really I'm sobbing like a baby) I could stay here with them forever. Yet, I have the rest of the family and other responsibilities at home waiting for me to come and take care of them now. I just find it so hard to leave and I don't ever want to let go of this sweet baby. I want to hold on to him forever!! It struck me, that this is how it is with God, once he has a hold of us he never wants to let us go.  Isn't that a great picture. He will never leave us or let go of us. He just keeps holding on wanting to stay with us forever. Happy Sunday. May you feel the Lord holding onto you today!!

I'm pretty sure he is saying "grandma, do you really have to go home today"