3rd Floor Lighting Selections

Having the electrician run all new wiring to the 3rd floor was one of the most exciting parts of this renovation.  Not glamorous and not cheap, but totally amazing nevertheless.  When we bought the house, the walls on this level were crumbling, the wiring was all the original 19th century knob & tube, and it was freezing from a lack of insulation.  I'm happy to say that today, this space is beautiful and warm and we have LIGHT.  And, power outlets.  And, dimmers.  And enough electricity to power a television, plenty of chargers, lamps, and even a vacuum without blowing a fuse.  I'm so happy.  :)

The ceilings in the bedrooms are a little bit low (just under 8 feet).  So, we decided against ceiling fixtures in these spaces and went with recessed cans instead.  I realize that recessed cans aren't EXACTLY historically accurate when we're talking about an 1890s home, but I'm happy we made the choice to use cans.  Very happy, in fact.  They're so discreet and I adore the low profile look.  And, they cast the most GORGEOUS light.  

I chose the 3" LED Recessed Gimbals (which are dimmable) by Lithonia.  They're so tiny and simple, you hardly notice them.  And the light they give off is beyond beautiful.  We used three in the large bedrooms, two in the smaller bedroom, and one in each closet.  Together with ambient lighting (table lamps, etc), they will provide lovely light to each space.  For recessed cans, they're pretty cool.  They claim to use hardly any electricity and you won't have to change the bulb for about 25 years.  All of that is just a bonus because what really matters to me is how pretty they make the space look.  :)  SO, if you're looking at recessed fixtures for your renovation, I highly recommend these.  The Robsons give them two thumbs up.

 

my 3rd floor hallway inspiration board -- 

very simple, very bright, still feeling historically significant

In the center hallway, we wanted to stick with a more traditional/historical lighting plan: one central fixture outside the bedrooms, and one pendant over the stairs.  We also added a pair of sconces to create additional light in the stairway.  We had everything set on dimmers (I'm obsessed), and we wanted these fixtures to feel like they belonged with our 1890s home.  So, they couldn't feel too modern...

First, we decided on the pair of sconces for the stairway:

 

The "Vendome" Double Wall Sconce in Antique Brass by Visual Comfort

We both love this simple sconce, so it was a done deal.

Next, we looked at a series of pendants/chandeliers that would coordinate with the sconces.  Something casual?  Or, something a bit more fancy?  Here's what we considered...

top row: Milton Milk Glass Pendant, Large Hicks Pendant, Small Cornice Lantern

bottom row: Paris Flea Market Chandelier, Large Alabaster Globe Pendant, Westport Chandelier

 

For the hallway fixture (that would sit between the bedroom doors), we selected these options...

 

top row: Large Basil Flush Mount,  Club Square Flush Mount, Star Flush Mount Ceiling Fixture

bottom row: Audrey Flush Mount Ceiling Fixture, Large Randolph Crystal Flush Mount,  Enrique Gilded Flush Mount

This is the 3rd floor after all, so the fixtures didn't need to be that fancy...  But, we didn't want it to feel boring either.  My husband has a clear opinion when it comes to lighting, and I appreciate his perspective.  So, we had to work together on this one.  We matched up EVERY suitable combination (something fancy with something casual, etc, etc), and in the end, we decided to go with this grouping...

We love this group!  The "Vendome" sconces arrived this week and will be installed this weekend, but here is what the hall is looking like now (sans sconces)...

more updates to come...

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