Orange Glow

Motivated by a frighteningly short countdown until school starts and Eva’s rapidly approaching arrival (she moved yesterday!), I kicked it into high gear this last week. Small projects turned into big projects, big projects begot more smaller projects, and I wrote enough to-do lists to fuel a bonfire for days.

So the bathroom isn’t quite finished. Not picture worthy, yet. The weather conditions just haven’t been right for spray painting. BUT, amidst my mad dash to finish the bathroom, I actually got a couple things done in the kitchen as well.

For instance, new knobs!

Old on left, new on right.

I know, dramatic. But those old pulls were just so nineties and really put a damper on my fantasy 1960s cooking sessions. And seriously, the shiny chrome makes a big difference, at least to me. Like glitter. No, they aren’t exactly what I wanted, but they were only $1.29 each at Home Depot. $20 for 16 new shiny knobs… can’t beat that.

More importantly, I also installed this glam-ass light:

Yeah, I need to caulk around the new plastic Home Depot medallion and paint the ceiling, but DAMN, I think it’s sexy. I found it at a thrift store in (of course) Brooklyn for $20– talked down from $30, thank you– and put in another few bucks into the new medallion and re-wiring and replacing the crappy old chain. I call it the Orange Glo fixture because at night, everything is bathed in bizarre orange light. Which I think is hilarious.

Sure beats this snoozefest:

Oh, and as an added little bonus, I picked up aluminum switch plates to replace the grungy old beige ones. There are only two switch plates in the whole kitchen, but I can’t express what a relief this is.

As you can see, the toadstools haven’t moved, they still make me giggle.

And just in case there was any question that this is all I’ve been doing for a week, here’s a disgusting progress shot of the bathroom makeover, just for shits and giggles.

And that’s why I was rushing to finish. Because if Eva walked into her new apartment and it looked like this, I really couldn’t blame her if she decided to turn right back around. Luckily, I can accomplish a lot on very little sleep.

About Daniel Kanter

Hi, I'm Daniel, and I love houses! I'm a serial renovator, DIY-er, and dog-cuddler based in Kingston, New York. Follow along as I bring my 1865 Greek Revival back to life and tackle my 30s to varying degrees of success. Welcome!

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Archives: 2010-2022

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18 Comments

  1. 9.5.10
    Fat Cat said:

    Love the orange light ! I am also planning on indulging my retro kitsch polka dot fetish in my kitchen… if only I could get motived to repaint the damn thing…

  2. 9.5.10
    Dee said:

    That new light fixture is superb! The new knobs really do make a difference too. :)

  3. 9.6.10
    Nat said:

    love the new light! :) I totally can relate to how bathroom renos are exhausting. We’ve just finished a tiny 1/2 bathroom at our house and it feel like it took us a month vs just a week of evenings. Good luck with your bathroom and I can’t wait to see the results.

  4. 9.7.10

    Wow, the pendant is perfect for your kitchen. Looks great!

  5. 9.7.10

    love the red lite too. good luck finishing the bathroom, you can do it, superfast!!

  6. 9.7.10
    mish said:

    I love that you wrapped the paint rollers in foil and named them for later use- very clever!

  7. 9.7.10

    nice updates! Love the light especially.

  8. 9.7.10
    Eric said:

    I thought for my second comment to your blog I would commend you again on a great flea find! I’m so jealous over the great things you manage to score. The light looks great so double kudos to you kiddo.

  9. 9.8.10

    I really light the orange fixture, it goes really well with the kitchen. I liked the old knobs better, though. Did you save them for another project? They looked in good shape!

    • 9.8.10

      I did save them, but only really to put them back when we move. They are pretty nice, just not my style.

  10. 9.8.10
    Healeygirl said:

    “Glam Ass Light” You make me laugh. Therefore you have made my work day a little brighter.

  11. 9.9.10
    AT said:

    i’m loving the orange glow.
    the toadstools make me giggle too :)

  12. 1.24.11
    Emily said:

    Funny or sad: the snoozefest light is the same one in my kitchen. And I think we have a couple others around the house.

    Ugh. Least of my worries, though.