Thank you National Builder Supply for sponsoring this post.
Well, we are slowly making the rounds through the house and putting some living touches on all of the rooms. I know that sounds strange, since we’ve been here for 5 months, but there are some rooms that we use less than others. Especially since I moved in pregnant, and then had Roman – you can imagine I haven’t spent a lot of time in the downstairs living room.
And it showed. Haha.
I think my husband is making a play for a little bit of “man cave” downstairs… but even if that does end up being his retreat space, I’d still like for it to look nice. It was a pretty utilitarian space when we moved in – white walls, white track lighting. This is a photo I took when we came for our first showing.
Nothing fancy (but hey – at least it was finished)!
We moved our old living room furniture in (we bought a new set for the upstairs living room) and while it will eventually need an upgrade (having already survived a dog and a toddler) – it works well for a secondary living space. We used leftover paint from the condo to warm it up a little while still keeping it light and neutral, but the one thing that HAD to go was that harsh track lighting.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with National Builder Supply on the lighting project. I’m a DIY-er, after all… and replacing light fixtures is one of the easiest upgrades to make! If it’s already wired for lighting (for example – if there’s an existing fixture there) it’s just a matter of taking the old one off, disconnecting the old wires, connecting the new ones, and mounting the new fixture. I ordered a pair of Progress Lighting Modular Two Light Flushmounts in the bronze finish to bring the brown tones in the room to more places. It’s a beautiful and simple design, and I picked flush-mounted lighting to make the low ceilings feel a little higher.
Yes, I did it myself. With my handsome assistant, of course. ;)
Just be sure your lights are off – I go one step further and turn the breaker off. (We have a toddler – you never know when a switch is about to look really interesting.) That also means this is a job for while it’s light outside so you can see what you are doing.
A few wires, caps, and screws later – our downstairs lighting was made over in less than an hour! These fixtures are nice and bright (meaning less emphasis on the “cave” part of man cave) and the fluorescent bulbs make our energy bill happy. I loved shopping National Builder Supply’s website for lighting, because I could narrow down my search preferences and see suggestions similar to what I was viewing. This was the perfect way to browse a huge selection, without being overwhelmed by lighting that we knew wasn’t our style. I shop online anytime it’s possible – now that we have TWO littles to bring along with us, it’s so much easier to make our big decisions at home, after hours or during naptime.
We haven’t shopped for accent pieces for the room yet (a pair of end tables are next on the list!) but the paint and the lighting made it a whole new room – it feels lived in, now. My husband is trying to talk me into a movie-poster theme… maybe. ; ) For now, we just have some simple artwork hung from the old living room, and the canvas from our wedding. (And I am letting the Star Wars vehicles go right now under the “choose your battles” philosophy.)
Because the room is long and skinny, we filled in the corner with our old pub table and chairs. Downstairs is an ideal space for having people over for the game, so it’s a great way to have a food-ready area without actually constructing any kitchen-type space. (And when we finally choose a color theme, it’s also easy to re-cover the seats with coordinating fabric!)
It’s SO nice to finally feel happy with the room. I can’t wait until carpet is in the budget, too – but these were some small changes we could make all on our own to make our space more welcoming!
I was provided with free product from National Builder Supply to facilitate a review of their product line and their service, but the opinions, projects, and ideas in this post are my own.
Love the room and the lighting. I vote for the Movie Poster theme!!! I love that idea! I’d have Harry Potter, Firefly, and Doctor Who posters everywhere.
Love the new lighting! I’ve been working (on and off) on redoing my dining room for almost a year – so I think you are far ahead of the game! What a fun space!
Adrianne, those flush mounted lights are really pretty and look sooooo much better that the track lights! It’s amazing how much they warm up your space. So glad you showed them because I’m looking for something similar and it’s nice to know that you can just order them online!
The new lights make a huge difference- they look wonderful. I hate track lighting! :) I also hate the big bulb fixtures in our jack & jill bathroom- ack, TWO of them!
Wow, what a great choice for your space! Such an improvement! We moved into our new home in July and I’m sad to say that every light fixture needs replacing! The first on our list, the panty light, I’ll have to go check their website, thanks for sharing!
Adrianne, this space is amazing. I absolutely LOVE the light fixture that you selected….it really adds a lot of personality to the room. I can’t wait to see what color you chose for the room and the new seats for your chairs! :)
Love the lighting you chose! Those are great pieces. The basement looks great! I just can’t imagine why you didn’t try to keep the lovely green sofa from the previous owners… ;)
Oh, and we moved into our home last June and STILL have rooms to finish. It just goes that way sometimes.
Nice!! Things are really coming along! Great lighting!
Love the lighting! Your basement looks great!
This looks like it made a real difference!
Wow, great room for your better half! We are huge Colts fans as well!!! Awesome. Colts all the way :-)
Movie Poster would be SO fun! Love the fixtures you chose- your style is always awesome. And honestly, I wouldn’t have thought replacing lights to be a simple ordeal, but you really make it sound like it’s something even I could handle!
Good lighting is so important! I have to say that is the one thing I am still unhappy about with my house and it is new construction!
What a difference that light made! Your basement is really coming along!
What a difference a small change makes! Those are my favorite kinds of projects…
I love the modern, masculine look of the light fixtures you chose. I think they’re perfect for the not so cave man cave. :)
The lighting rocks! The man cave looks nice. :)
Great choice, Adrianne! I love how bright it is in there! We have some of that track lighting lurking around… I long to get rid of it!
Oh I LOVE the lighting you chose!! It looks so much brighter and welcoming. :) I love seeing the improvements and changes you are making in the house!
Nice room! And I love your lighting choice. I would have said you should take that for your craft area, but I get the feeling that this space might eventually become a play area chock full of toys. :-)
I must admit, I actually like track lighting, but only in certain types of rooms, just sayin! Anyway your new lighting choice is really sharp. Having lamps around the room adds softness and ambiance, but when you really need to see something, you need that overhead lighting. I’m off to check out their other lighting options, as I got a very scary basement update in the works. Love your new lighting ~ Amy
Love the lights–nothing makes me crazier than not having the right light! Way better than track lighting!
Love your new light! And your wedding picture in the background is adorable! :)
I LOVE your new lights!!!
Wow, those lights make a big difference! I love their modern look and how they’re still close to the ceiling so you don’t have to worry about bumping your head down there. ;)