Tag / lights

by Molly James-Lundak

it’s lit.

it’s lit (Urban Dictionary)
when something fun is happening or something exciting is happening and you and your friends are turnt up.
Yep. This house is lit. No, really.
The 25 boxes in our living room (great for fort making BTW), are now gracing our walls and ceilings with their own distinct personalities.
IMG_1682
Some are floating orbs of joy that glow like a bright full moon or a moody sunset.
Luna, Schoolhouse Electric
Bistro Globe Milk Glass, RH
Turned down low
Others are work hard, play hard. Like the mullet of lighting (you know, business up top, party in the back). Stripped to the bare essentials, but winking at  you as if to say, “go ahead, let’s get this party going.”
Vintage Barn, RH
Odyssey 2, Schoolhouse Electric
Brass City 7 Chandelier, Schoolhouse Electric
Forget global warming. I love these lights so much I am never turning them off. Like Old Man Parker’s leg lamp, I’m going to burn them brightly for all the neighbors to see.
It’s the middle of January. It’s Chicago. And if you’ve been here in the dead of winter, you know that light can turn this…
 Sad_Face_Emoji_grande
into this…
smiling-face-with-smiling-eyes
So, thank you Humphrey Davy and Joseph Swan for inventing the light bulb. (Sorry, Thomas Edison.) And forget the college fund; that money is going to the electric company.
As my friend and design kindred spirit Annie Dwyer says, “lighting is the jewelry of the home.” So, skip Tiffany’s. Please buy my anniversary gift at Schoolhouse Electric.

 

by Molly James-Lundak

decisions. decisions. decisions.

Hick’s law is the time it takes for a person to make a decision based on the number of possible choices you have. Increasing the number of choices will increase the decision time. It’s also why busy leaders like Steve Jobs and Barack Obama chose to wear the same outfit every day. Why waste brainpower on choosing an outfit each morning? Save the decision-making for which features to have on the next iPhone or how to get healthcare reform passed.

It’s not the same as being a major world leader, but when you’re building or remodeling a house, decision fatigue is real. A new set of decisions come at you each day. Some major and some that seem like minutia. How far apart do you want the kitchen light pendants? Which lights should be on each switch? Do you want oil rub bronzed or chrome hinges? It’s easy to get overwhelmed.

But it’s also exhilarating when each decision is made. When you’ve found the perfect _______________ (light, tile, wallpaper). Seeing it all come together is like planning a great dinner menu or putting on a killer outfit. Just slightly more permanent (and expensive and stomach churning).

We’re now at the point when most of the big design decisions have been made. Tile is picked and ordered. Bath fixtures are waiting to be shipped. Boxes of lights are stacking up in the garage. Kitchen cabinets are being built.

Since I can’t wait to see it all in place, I might as well give you a preview. So, here are just a few of my favorite picks so far.

Powder Room Sink 

Antique Style High Back Farm Sink Cast Iron Porcelain Wall Sink, Navy, 24"
Powder Room Wallpaper (Amy Wilder’s prints are fabulous)
wallpaper_indian_summer_heather_1024x1024
Master Bath Floor (Cement!)
023f9a839a8dc72251dc14ff359b15df
Master Bedroom Light
prod6430181_E76143855_F_V1
Kitchen Backsplash (and the first item I picked for the house over a year ago)f6dfa4ac94819605e69fb3fe98165816

Kitchen Island Lights (I’m in love with Schoolhouse Electric)
114950_2572_6e60bd92-6f36-4a5f-a6da-c2ce62b6e22f_1024x1024
It’s a great feeling to have all the major decisions checked off the list. Like finishing your Christmas shopping before December 1. Now it’s time to turn the creative juices off for awhile, while we summon all the patience we can muster.