Dude, things just got real in the foyer.
We found this light at the local lighting outlet here in Richmond called The Decorating Outlet for $135 (down from $455 at Shades of Light, just because it had been returned). I had always pictured something big and architectural in there – most likely in an oil-rubbed bronze finish because there are a bunch of ORB doorknobs going on in the foyer and I thought it would look nice. Thankfully John was game too since the guy’s down with geometry and shapes and stuff. UPDATE: Here’s an incredibly similar moravian star pendant on Amazon since the Shades of Light version is currently out of stock.
Boom. The foyer is now my favorite room ever in the history of rooms. I want to sleep in there and eat in there and braid its hair and tell it all of my secrets.
In keeping it real news, it took us forever to hang. Like the longest it has ever taken two adults to hang a single light fixture. Someone call the Guinness Book Of World Records, for real.
That’s the only shot I got of the process (snapped one minute into things, before this turned into the longest lighting installation known to man) but picture both of us on different ladders next to each other trading off on holding the weight of the light and messing with wires. The hanging hang-up (har-har) had to do with being sure to hang it high enough for my tall hubby to have clearance under it, while still being sure the canopy would thread (if we made it too short, the canopy had nothing to catch on, and if we made it too long, John would graze his head on it). Ten hours later – ok, that’s a slight exaggeration – we’re high fiving under it while holding one arm up with the other one because they were so tired.
I also hung some art and a mirror (the mirror’s heavy so it got 2″ anchors and screws while the art just got a few nails each). This mirror used to hang in our guest room at the last house (from Joss & Main a while back).
Gotta love when a detail shot reminds you to go dust the mirror.
I hung an Ikea Ribba frame with some linen-ish fabric and a favorite instagram picture next to the coat closet door.
Eight of these were over the sofa in our last house, so I let John pick the one he liked best for the foyer. Turns out it’s me in a bathing suit. Men.
I also hung our favorite swimmer girl next to the door (that’s a print we bought for our last house’s kitchen).
We also have two favorite paintings by our friend Lesli (one of Burger and one of John’s Granny’s house) that we hung next to the bathroom door.
And with that, the foyer makes every other room in our house look a whole lot worse by comparison (why do pretty rooms do that to the other ones nearby?!). But we can’t even stay mad. Oh foyer, thank you for making me see stars. Literally. You are the Hershey’s bar to my s’more. I can hardly remember when you looked like this…
Love you. Mean it.
UPDATE: We’ve finally transitioned our entire house to LED lights (they save tons of energy & money, and they’re a lazy person’s best friend because you never have to change them). For anyone wondering, these are our favorite interior LEDs. Their glow is warm & natural (not weird/blue like some of the others we’ve tried) and they use around 90% less energy.
* This post contains affiliate links
Nikki says
The slate looks so much nicer with the new colors – I love it and hope you are able to repair/keep it! The foyer is gorgeous!
Nicole Y. says
Do you guys have paintings of house #1 and #2? That’d be really cute if you hung them in a row somewhere in the house? Or do you still have keys to each of the houses to add to the frame of keys? I’ve always wanted to do that but we always had to return our key upon move out.
YoungHouseLove says
I’ve been meaning to add to the key collection! And I love the idea of house paintings for each house. We only have one of our first house and that one of John’s Granny’s house, so I’ll have to get one of our second house too. Maybe I’ll wait on this house’s until we have some better landscaping, haha!
xo
s
Terresa says
yes, yes, YES!!!!! (Channeling Meg Ryan). Wow that’s fab! Another commenter was hating on your slate tile floor but I really think it’s working, especially if the grout can be refreshed.
Can we possibly have a pic of John under the fixture??
YoungHouseLove says
I knew someone would ask for that! It’s about 6’3″ from the floor and he’s 6′ (I think he’s 6’1″ but he says he’s 6 even) so just picture two to three inches of clearance ;)
xo
s
a says
How high are your ceilings? This fixture has been on my wishlist for my foyer for a while now (since seeing a similar Moravian star in one of your house crashing tours with the awesome wallpaper). My husband is 6’3″ and our home is very similar in style to yours, however ours was built in 1915. He’d kill me if insist on getting it and then he’s forever smacking his head on it.
a says
P.S. Either way, thanks for mentioning the height issue. At 5’3″ I have a tendency to totally forget that consideration.
YoungHouseLove says
John’s around 6’1″ and our ceilings are about 8’2″ and it was a tight squeeze. So I would say a true 8′ ceiling with a taller hubby might spell disaster. So sorry A!
xo
s
a says
Last night I got home and measured and my ceiling is a little over 8’6″ tall so my hubby should be able to clear the fixture, but as I had the tape out I realized my front door was 7′ tall, so the door won’t. :( Oh well, better that I found out now before taking the plunge and purchasing it.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! That’s a nice bonus about having 8’6″ ceilings though!
xo
s
Tara says
Love love love the fixture:) one day ill get to have one
Melinda @ lovemelinda says
Love it! It’s been so fun to see the transformation!
Heidi P. says
Soooooooooooooooo jealous/in love with your star!!!!!! Ever since you put some up for Christmas one year, I’ve been pining for one!
That is one beautimous foy-ay.
p.s. Love that instagram of Clara at the blue, ivy-covered door!
Michelle says
It’s amazing how much bigger it looks in there, looks fabulous.
etna parker says
You have done an amazing job! Love the white accessories against the dark wood…actually LOVE everything about your newly revamped foyer. {Is your star light on a dimmer switch?…I’m a fanatic about dimmer switches.} ;)
YoungHouseLove says
It’s not yet, but I have thought that would be fun! So it could do a low-smoulder thing at night and totally steal my heart.
xo
s
Lisa says
Love the light fixture! Have you thought about maybe repainting the spindles and blue trim running up the stairs the same color as the door to tie them together?
YoungHouseLove says
I think I like the door (and some of the art) to be the pop of color, so white spindles with perhaps an ebony colored top rail is what I’m leaning towards for now!
xo
s
Angela, blue i style says
I just love that light! And I love all the color you have added to the space. All the time I hear people say that they are opposed to using a particular color in decorating – and I think it’s because they envision some other room with that color that they disliked. But your before and after photos are proof positive that there is no need to rule out a whole color – it’s just about picking the right shade and using it well. I think a lot of people would have seen the original room with all its blue trim and been afraid to bring blue back into the space. But you guys are pros at using color the right way and all of your blue accents are so fresh and pretty!
Jenny says
Awesome! But you MUST remove that carpet on the stairs NOW! I can practically smell it and feel how sticky it is! :)
Crystal says
Loving the foyer improvements so far.
I’m not sure I’d paint the ceiling a darker color though. I would think that it would make the ceiling feel lower, and right now it looks nice airy. But whatever you do I’m sure it will be lovely.
Julianne says
Stunning! I can’t believe how much more spacious, light and airy it looks. I know you guys removed some doors, but was wondering…it looks like the door on the left of frame now opens inwards from the opposite side? If so, that’s an awesome trick to consider for space saving!!
YoungHouseLove says
The dark wood doors were actually removed completely (they used to block off the kitchen from the foyer) so the doors behind them (to the closet and the bathroom) are no longer obscured by them. That’s why it looks like they swing a different way (they’re just not covered anymore by the extra set of doors that we didn’t need).
xo
s
Julianne says
Ahhh…got it. The camera angle made the left one look like it was further up (to me), but I can see now that it’s part of the old removed set. Thanks & awesome job!
Penny Smith says
OK, IT. LOOKS. FABULOUS! Now… I am on a Macbook too… does the door paint translate “brighter” than in real life? Because I am SERIOUSLY loving that color!! I am thinking about using it myself!
YoungHouseLove says
It seems to translate pretty close to real life in this shot (it was a lot harder to capture outside for some reason, I think because the blue sky was reflecting so it kept looking pure blue and there are definitely some green undertones going on too). I’d grab a swatch from the store and just hold it up to see what you think (it’s BM’s Blue Lake).
xo
s
Penny Smith says
OK-I am so sorry I asked the same question about the sunroom/porch. Oops!! Thanks for letting me know the color!! I am definitely going to check it out!
YoungHouseLove says
No worries! Good luck Penny!
xo
s
Michelle B. says
Have you ever considered painting the stair spindles the same color as the door? I think it would look really nice and unique.
YoungHouseLove says
I think for now I like the door being the dominant character in here (with some other pops in the light) but you never know where we’ll end up!
xo
s
sarah @makingitmyhome.blogspot.com says
i love oil rubbed bronze as well! especially when I get to spray paint something outdated using the oil rubbed bronze spray paint and instantly upgrade!
Marie says
Ha! Hopefully, while you’re eating and sleeping and braiding its hair your foyer will share her insecurity about the blue stair rails ;) just kidding…Looks awesome!
Shanna Gilbert says
What an improvement! Everything looks so clean and new! I love the new light fixture!
Kathleen says
Wow this is a great transformation! Love the door colour and the brightness of it all. Very welcoming!
Lynn says
Your foyer is indeed gorgeous! Don’t blame you for wanting to sleep there and everything else. Love all the changes you have made. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Jess says
First of all, you are a freaking RIOT!! LOVE reading pretty much everything you write.
Second of all … Oh my goshhhh I totally love love love that light in your foyer! Or in mine. Or anywhere that has lights. Guh. So awesome!
Maggie says
Hi! The star looks lovely! I’m curious why you chose to get the light from an outlet, even if shades of light is ones of your sponsors, and when you did a lighting collection with them. I know it was significantly less expensive at the outlet– but maybe you could explain to us how you work with sponsors, and your business relationship with them- I’m sure it would be a welcome post for people trying to monetize their own blogs!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question, Maggie! The outlet is actually run by Shades of Light, so it’s where they sell their returned pieces at a nice discount since they’ve been opened or slightly damaged. We loved this outlet far before we knew it was run by Shades of Light or before Shades of Light was a sponsor of ours, and we shop at Ikea, Target, and thrift stores often even though they’re not sponsors. We’re so thankful for our sponsors’ support, but we like keeping ads relegated to the sidebar and all the content stuff just about what we love and pay for with our own loot. So we make it clear to sponsors that they’re only paying for placement on our sidebar and not any in-post mentions at all. If those happen it’s just because we see something we love at their store and buy it/blog about it just like we would at any other store – but there’s no special treatment. We like to buy stuff because we truly want it in our house, not because we’re being paid or pressured to spotlight something – so that’s why we have a no-freebie and a no-sponsored-posts policy. We also think it helps readers know that if we’re waxing poetic about something, there’s nothing in it for us other than the fact that we bought it and we love it.
xo
s
Kristin says
Curses…our foyer is the 2nd most recently painted “room” in our house, and now I’m standing in it, judging. I am at least going to frame some new art in a deep frame so that I can hang it over the control panel for the alarm system we don’t use!
Kara says
Love the improvements! Looks Great!
GreenInOC says
Out loud exclamation of “WOW”!!!
The light fixture with the door color is SOOOO good!
Chris says
Oh.Em.Gee. I just…I have no words. Come to my house. I’m only right down 64 in Hampton……
YoungHouseLove says
On the way! …. Ding dong!
xo
s
Justin says
I love the direction this house is going. We actually bought a similar light fixture for our entry way after seeing one of your house crashes awhile back. Ours is from Pottery Barn. It’s a little bit smaller (judging from the pictures), but we don’t have the massive entry way that you do!
I love the whimsical aspect it adds to our house without being too weird.
Maggie says
Love it! Just did a very similar (but slightly smaller) pendant in a design client’s foyer and hallway. We got them from Pottery Barn, and they’re about $150, I think? Just in case anyone wants to check ’em out!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Maggie!
xo
s
Marcy says
The light looks AMAZING! I Love it!!!
erin says
ohh our dining room light took like 3 days to install because it was a rectangle shape and our junction box was lopsided and not perpendicular to the room. PAIN in the ass! i thought it’d take us like an hour. ridiculous! but i love our dining room light now!
and that’s a pretty bold way to go for your foyer, and it works so well, I am so digging that blue! and the mirror is pretty cool!
Sarah @ 702 Park Project says
Love the new light, and all the artwork looks great in there! Are you planning to do anything with the old fixture? I could see some possibility with some spray paint!
YoungHouseLove says
A few folks have asked if we’d sell it to them, so maybe we’ll craigslist it! I was planning to keep it and spray it for a possible other room but I’m not sure where it could go (might look odd in a bathroom and so few other rooms have ceiling lights here, haha!).
xo
s
Hannah says
WOW! love the light! and what a difference in how the foyer looks now..compared to when you moved in. i’m obsessed with a great before and after! :)
Hanna says
Sooooo pretty! Moravian stars are my favorite – I am determined to have one in my houe some day.
Mandy says
NEED. THAT. LIGHT. NOW.
I actually *gasped* when I saw the first picture.
Totally, completely fabulous! Thanks for the new Pin! :)
Mandy says
Also, question … how tall are the ceilings in your foyer? Wondering if I can make something like that work in my 8′ ranch. (Maybe not, since Hubs is 6’2″, but worth a shot!
YoungHouseLove says
They’re a little taller than 8′ I think – like 8’2″ – it juussst barely worked for tall John (he’s 6’1″ but swears he’s 6′) so it might be tight in a true 8′ foyer with a 6’2″ guy!
xo
s
Staci says
You guys are my idols, fo’ sho’. I love the foyer transformation, the light fixture, finishing touches. Thank you so much for continual inspiration!!!- Staci
Anu says
Love the light fixture! We have a similar light in our foyer that we also used in our previous home. We scored ours for $1! You can see it here: http://www.nalleshouse.com/2013/08/folding-chair-makeover.html
YoungHouseLove says
Such a deal! I love that space!
xo
s
Chris says
Oh.Em.Gee. I have…no words. Come do my house. I’m just down 64 in Hampton…….
Sue Taylor says
Beautiful!! So what is your favorite trim paint to cover dark paint with white?
YoungHouseLove says
I like a good stainblocking primer (2 coats) followed by semi-gloss Simply White by Benjamin Moore. Ours took 3 coats in some spots over two coats of primer. Ack!
xo
s
Katie M. says
I have that exact light!(Except mine is smaller.) I got it at a garage sale for $3.00!!!! I couldn’t believe it when I heard the price. We had to replace the electric cord but that only cost $2.00. I pretty much feel like it was the deal of the century for me. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s totally the deal of the millennium!
xo
s
Stefanie says
After reading the third insert to this post, I really wished it was John writing it – just picturing John at his own foyer slumber party braiding hair made me giggle. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Somehow I think he’d say things like “I want to grill up a steak in there while reading Runner’s World and Wired” – haha!
xo
s
robyns says
I LURVE!!! it. Hit the road old foyer light!
Kim says
Oh my gosh, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Love the light and love all the artwork. The foyer looks A-MAZING! You guys are getting me so excited to move into my new house (on Saturday!!) and start project-ing!
Lisa says
I LOVE Moravian star lights! There’s a unit on the first floor of our co-op in NYC that the owners gutted a while back — you can see their dining room from the basement-level courtyard where we take our son to scooter and shoot hoops, and they have a Moravian star over their round dining table. Someday, we will have a foyer or dining room where we can do the same…
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds so pretty!
xo
s
Anna says
It looks so awesome! Love the light colors and the light! Can you give tips on how you decide where to hang the pictures and mirror? How do you decide whether or not to center things or be off-center, etc?
YoungHouseLove says
Our method is usually a “you hold this up John, and then I’ll step back and choose what looks best, and then I’ll mark the wall and drill things in and you can be on your merry way.” Haha! Occasionally I’ll hang something, step back, and immediately want it higher or lower or more centered so sometimes there’s an extra hole hiding behind something but no one’s really the wiser and it’s not too hard to spackle something if it shows so I try to just find the right spot even if it’s means an extra hole :)
xo
s
Callye Lawrence says
Oh Em Geez. Love it!
Pri says
I missed a picture with the light on ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I’ll have to take one of those for you guys when it’s all a-glow!
xo
s
Whitney Dupuis says
Wow. I mean, wow.
Seriously, I am in love with everything. That door! That swimming print (still)! That light! That paint! That…well, you get the idea. I want to be invited to that slumber party. I am good at braiding hair.
YoungHouseLove says
Come on over. Can you french braid? That’s the secret handshake of this sleepover. Also, friendship bracelet making works.
xo
s
Stephanie says
It’s just amazing to me how much better the flooring looks now that everything else has been beautified. Gorgeous!!
Cristy says
You guys are CRUISING! it looks fantastaic!! :)
Elizabeth says
That is an amazing transformation! I love it so much that I half want to drive across the country and invite myself over to gaze lovingly at the whole space! i guess I’ll settle for the gorgeous pics!