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Showing posts with label lighting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lighting. Show all posts

Thursday, August 30, 2012

CALLING FOR INSPECTION

    The house is rewired and the remaining interior lighting fixtures are hung.  It is time to call for inspection.  We have an eclectic mix fixtures.  Does anyone have a favorite?

In the kitchen

2nd floor hallway

3rd floor stairwell

Vintage fixture in master bath over tub

Screened porch - vintage fixture
Library lights to shine on shelves

Vintage fixture in entry

Dining room - hand forged pewter fixture

Butler's pantry

Octopus light in back stairwell

Back bath

Vintage fixture in upstairs hall

Master bath sconce

Master bedroom - bedside sconce

Vintage fixture - stair landing

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

BEAM ME UP





  



                   My husband was (is) a child of the 60's and 70's. 

                                          All things 'space' captured his imagination.


          The toys....                     


                   

                                    The TV shows....               

              

The reading material...       Silver Surfer comics 1970 
             

At 2 years old, our first child  would curl up next to his daddy and listen to adventures of Spaceman Spiff.
                                                                                                   


I would often (and sometimes still do) catch the two 'boys' watching cartoons together.....

   

So, it should have been no surprise that when we made a trip to Chicago a year ago, 
we came back with this...

A light for Wallace's music room

BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY!




Wednesday, July 18, 2012

THERE HE GOES AGAIN....

    It was just a few days ago that I mentioned Kyle.  In addition to creating his own funky artwork, 
Kyle works at Paul's Place restoring and often resurrecting antique light fixtures.

We purchased this gas fixture several months ago from Paul's Place.

Kyle converted this early gas fixture to electric, maintaining the original features.  (Originally the house lighting was fueled by gas.  Several of the original house fixtures had been converted years ago but the front fixture was a small  Arts and Crafts lantern).



 Since the gas fixture was missing a canopy, Kyle took a paint laden canopy from another fixture,  
cleaned it up, gave it color and created patina to compliment the fixture, 





and VOILA !

    The electrician is scheduled to return tomorrow to hang more light fixtures.  Check back to see this beautiful fixture in its new home on my front porch.


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

THIS LITTLE LIGHT O' MINE

    With the weather being as hot as it has been, we spent a full day in the AC working on rewiring antique light fixtures.

Work surface
                                                                           
Original brass sconces will return to their places over 2 mantles

Even some of the original glass has survived the years

While the fixtures are still dirty and require some spit and polish, they all are rewired with up-to-date wiring instead of the deteriorated cloth-covered wire used with the old knob and tube wiring.

One particular fixture has given me a supreme challenge.  It is the small chandelier I purchased and cleaned up.  It was missing all it's wiring so we (Donnie and I) were working from scratch on this one.



Each of the 5 arms got individual wires

The candle fitting is re-attached

Wire is split and stripped  

Exposed copper is twisted and soldered

One of the arms gave me the devil.  The tail and the covered wire got stuck inside and broke off.  Nothing I did worked to remove the wire.

(Here is where I search for someone to salvage the project.)

The man of the hour (or actually 2 hours) is Kyle out at Reverie . studio.  Kyle is an artist and an electrical magician in my book.  He not only extracted the knotted up mess I created inside the small chandelier arm but also wired it for me.  I cannot sing enough praises!

This is not the first time Kyle has rescued us during this Hawthorne house project.  Several months ago when the drywall guys STOOD ON MY MANTLE and sent it crashing to the floor, Kyle took our damaged mantle, made a mold of the decorative corbel and used it to repair the damaged corbel.

The surrounding area is a mess but the mantle has been repaired to its original condition....Thanks to Kyle!

Go visit Kyle and the rest of the local artists out at Reverie.  There are loads of great works to add to anyone's eclectic collection.

I purchased this painting when I was out at Reverie!