I’ve resigned myself to the fact our kitchen won’t be done for the big Week 8 reveal but, in good news, our Shades of Light chandelier is in and, at the very least, our breakfast nook is coming together.
Here’s the quick overall update: We’re at a complete stall with the kitchen until the countertop gets figured out. As a refresher, our contractor had the idea to move the awkward peninsula flush to the wall, which looks awesome. The problem: it seems to be cost prohibitive to actually attach the countertop because the ends are finished and therefore, despite being the same size, they don’t seam together smoothly. He has one countertop contractor left to take a look and, fingers crossed, he can do it. But, if not, we’re getting new counters. The bright side, of course, is that we hate our countertops, so it’s not the worst scenario!
Now, onto more exciting things.
Starting to Pull the One Room Challenge Vision Together
As a reminder, this was the initial vision for our kitchen renovation. I figure it’s worth bringing this back up since the last two months have been filled mostly with photos of construction zones.
I wanted this space to feel timeless, while also having elements that felt fresh and updated. That meant I chose a classic wood breakfast table, but added in details like acrylic and brass cabinet hardware, a sleek take on a traditional chandelier, and warm bamboo shades.
While we have a dining room table in the front room overlooking the river, this breakfast nook is where we’ll likely eat a lot of meals. When we first bought the house, this area was dark and blocked off from the main room, but we took a wall down and now you look right out at the river. Since it’s two steps from the kitchen, it ends up being the easiest place to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Which is why we wanted it to feel like a styled space, not just an eat-in afterthought.
Lighting in the Breakfast Nook: Shades of Light Chandelier Review
Perhaps the most critical element in making the breakfast nook feel special is the Shades of Light chandelier. We could have used a flush mount fixture, but I wanted something to make an impact. I considered a few options, including the Stiletto 5-Light Chandelier, but decided that the Bella Chandelier was the best option for our design goals and the space.
It has a classic silhouette, but I love the way the arms curve up from the base. It gives it almost a palm tree vibe, despite having completely sleek lines. The fixtures at the end of each of the six arms resemble a tapered candlestick and the shades are a lovely, timeless detail.
For the uninitiated into the world of chandelier sizing, a chandelier should be 1/2 to 3/4 the width of your table, which is likely larger than most of us would be inclined to do. At 31″ wide, this was perfect for our 42″ breakfast table. We hung it roughly 30″ above the height of the table, which meant we didn’t need the bulk of the chain, but I kept two links in because I liked the look. I also kept these on hand should we ever decide to move this chandelier and want it lower.
Was this Shades of Light Chandelier Easy to Install?
I know most manufacturers recommend you hire a professional to install lighting, but we’ve done this more than a few times. We know our DIY limits, but this is one project we know we can tackle.
This is a sizeable chandelier, so I did have to help hold it while Adam worked on the wiring, but overall it only took about an hour start to finish. The trickiest part was actually something we didn’t expect but that, thankfully, was addressed in the directions. After we finished installation, we noticed that the chandelier was hanging crooked — like really crooked. We glanced back at the instructions and saw there was a note indicating that if the chandelier wasn’t hanging correctly, it was most likely due to the arms, which are moveable, being off balance. A few tweaks to the arms and we were in business.
Now, we just need to get the rug in, the plate wall hung, and the entry bench assembled, and our breakfast area will be good to go (if only we could say the same for the kitchen side!).
Thank you to Shades of Light for gifting me with this chandelier for the One Room Challenge! I am so happy to work with a Richmond, VA brand (that’s where I’m from!) and this is such a timeless silhouette.
