Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Hanging A Moravian Star Light In The Foyer

Dude, things just got real in the foyer.

Foyer7

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. 

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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.

Foyer Light Install

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).

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Gotta love when a detail shot reminds you to go dust the mirror.

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I hung an Ikea Ribba frame with some linen-ish fabric and a favorite instagram picture next to the coat closet door.

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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.

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I also hung our favorite swimmer girl next to the door (that’s a print we bought for our last house’s kitchen).

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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.

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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…

Foyer Before1

Love you. Mean it.

Foyer1

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

Comments

  1. Colettee says

    I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but your foyer is looking so clean and fresh now that it makes the floor look kinda dark and dingy.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yeah, I have waged war on this floor! Hoping to either clean it up and save it or we’ll have to replace it, but we love to work with what we have when we can.

      xo
      s

  2. Stacey says

    Beautiful! Question…do you have any type of covering on the sidelights of the front door (I.e. frosting ??)…we have the same setup, but with dingy sheers covering the sidelights. I want to remove them, but my hubby is worried about privacy…any suggestions??

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ours are just clear glass since we’re set back from the street a ways so we don’t really feel like we’re living in a fish bowl. But Home Depot sells nice frosted film that we’ve used in bathroom windows for a clean look if that helps.

      xo
      s

  3. Wendy says

    What a beautiful job you have done on this foyer! The comment about the slate? My first thought was how the makeover took the bossy slate out of the equation.
    The light is spectacular:) I have the light in my sun room that is sold at home depot and it is for sure smaller, which suits my small house perfectly..but I love the look of the larger star.
    Love reading about your projects!

    Reply

  4. Lisa B says

    I LOVE the light. I’ve said it before, but I love all the before and after’s even if it is little projects. We’re looking at a 50’s executive home in need of some updating and I found myself wondering what you two would do with it. Like seriously…if we buy it, I’m sending you guys pictures and I would love some crazy awesome pinterest ideas. I would do them like a checklist because I just don’t have the vision.

    Reply

  5. Stacey says

    Looks fantastic! What a great transformation! It has the perfect amount of balance between updated modern and still slightly traditional. Foyers always set the stage when people come in and gives a glimpse of “what’s to come.” (no pressure of course :)

    Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the house comes together and continues to WOW us all! Sometimes I wonder if the previous owners know of your blog, see the changes, and think, “I wish we had thought of that.” (he he )

    Great, great job!!

    Reply

  6. Megan says

    Something on your site (one of the ads?) keeps setting off my virus protection’s hazardous website notification. It’s listed as intagme.com

    Reply

    • Megan says

      No problem! When I came back to see today’s post, I noticed that it’s actually the instagram feed! Avast has blocked anything from showing in that box. I don’t think I’ve updated my virus stuff lately and it never used to happen (started in last couple of days?), but it might actually be my end (… or Avast’s end, I suppose).

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So strange! Thanks for the tip Megan. I wonder why that IG plug-in is conflicting with Avast? Sometimes these virus things work themselves out after a few days (they realize it’s not anything weird and miraculously let it through).

      xo,
      s

  8. Jennifer says

    I love love the new light!! I have always wanted one in my foyer I need one about med.size. I also painted the back of my front door after your post and I love it, my home is brick with burnt orange shutters and a yellow front door (slice) so now the back of the door is yellow!! I did get a new rug in the foyer to bring it together at Marshalls that is blues and yellows :)

    Reply

  9. SassafrasNA says

    KaWWWoooooWWWser!!! Let.There.Be.Light. …and it’s a star no less!!!

    I was wondering about your ceiling, whether you had or were going to paint it…and I vote a bright brilliant TITANIUM white to set this place on far’!!!

    Normally I’d be a more intense color kinda girl, but I vote WHITE. I’m in lust w/your foyer, which means I’m pea green.

    Reply

  11. Anne Whitehouse says

    The idea about painting the ceiling darker is a great idea. I do interior suggesting decorating…more as a ministry, (so people will love to go home)…I moved into a “new to us” house last year, and did the walls gray, but so light they look white with a tint, and did the ceiling darker gray, and honestly it’s fabulous. I thought I’d try it out on our home before suggesting it to someone else. Subtle drama…Love the foyer!

    Reply

  18. georgia says

    looks better and better every time! i love how you guys do each area in stages, always coming back to it instead of doing everything at once and then staging the big reveal all at once. i like to see the progress over time. every time i see the entry project {since everything was painted out white and dark…is it black?… hardware was put on the doors}, i can’t help but think that the stair rails would look so good painted out black, too! i’m sure whatever guys choose to do, it will look as great as everything else.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s so funny because I’m debating doing an ebony railing on those steps with white stair rails! So I like the idea of working something dark in there to tie into the doorknobs and the new fixture too!

      xo
      s

  19. Pam says

    The foyer looks so light and welcoming! Love it! I recently subscribed to your blog and like to get inspired by them in the mornings. Haven’t torn a ceiling down yet, but my smaller projects look so much more do-able in comparison!

    Reply

  20. Trude says

    It turned out absolutely beautiful! No surprise you’re in love with that room. :) Love that with all the glass the fixture is a great eye catcher without blocking light or anything.

    Reply

  21. Trish says

    Looks fantastic! Love it!!

    I’m totally plagiaring you with this line, though:

    I want to sleep in there and eat in there and braid its hair and tell it all of my secrets.

    Reply

  25. Marty says

    It’s a Morovian light! I plan on putting on in my entry-way too next year when my house is finally finished. I grew up with one as a front porch light in N Vt., love them! The price you paid is what you can fund them on-line for.

    I love of course what you’ve done with your new dugs so far! Beautiful!

    Reply

  26. Dani says

    Holy cow. That living room is amazeballs.

    I also have a deer cushion and cuckoo clock obsession. Love your work.

    Reply

  28. Heidi says

    Love,love, love the light! Actually, I love your whole house and would love to find one like it (I’d even take the blue trim!) around here some day, but so far, no luck!

    Reply

  31. Laurel says

    Hey guys! Have you guys considered other colors rather than just a shade darker tan the walls?

    I saw this pic on pinterest the other day:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/77194581086022494/

    It totally blew my mind. The idea of a dark ceiling in a light space is now totally appealing. I want it somewhere in my own house! I’m obsessed with the idea, so when I saw you were considering it as well I thought I’d share my inspiration. :) The contrast and color are obviously not something that work well in your space, but maybe a few shades darker than the color of your walls would work as well?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s gorgeous! I think I worry that something that dark might make our standard height ceilings feel a bit too low, but I love it for an extra tall room like that one. So amazing.

      xo
      s

  32. Aria says

    Love the transformation! Is this your first space to feel “finished”? We moved roughly the same time you did and it feels fabulous to have a couple areas “finished” (although I’m sure they will evolve later). I just wish they were a central spot like our foyer and not hidden spots like our kids’ bathroom! Love the color scheme, too!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, it’s definitely the one room that feels freshened the most, and we love that it’s front and center! The only slightly hilarious thing is that three rooms with blue trim or wallpaper or dark paneling are connected to the foyer on all sides, along with blue stair railings and old carpet, so if the eye travels past the pretty stuff there’s a bit of “harsh reality” going on. Haha!

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Isn’t that funny?! We always link to other bloggers if we’re drawing inspiration from their space (like we’ve done for our sunroom project or our whitewashing post) so I promise there would have been a big ol’ link if we were modeling our foyer after Crystal’s (we love sharing the love). I bet she and I have just been ogling the same magazines with neutral walls and moravian stars (they’re pretty hot these days along with blue doors). I love that we’re long lost foyer twinsies though!

      xo,
      s

      Update: check out this one that just popped up on Milk & Honey home!

  35. Melissa says

    Hello! Sorry if this question was already asked, but, where did you get the large wicker/woven basket that’s under the console table?

    Reply

  37. Brittany K. says

    fell in love with your light fixture!! i have been ‘jonesing’ for one ever since i saw this post. like i think its all ive talked about for months. finally found one that wouldnt cause my hubby and i to be forced to eat ramon for the next month! Amazon has them for $129 and pottery barn has one for $149. not sure what the dimensions are compared to yours though.

    Reply

  38. Michelle says

    LOVE the transformation! Is your light 18″? Also, I have a double front door – what are your thoughts on painting a double door a bright/bold color? It seems like most accent doors are a single door.

    Reply

  40. Mary Beth says

    Most of the Moravian star fixtures only take one 60 watt bulb. I really want one in my “parlor” area but am unsure if it will cast enough light. What is your opinion?

    Reply

  41. Lauri Hines says

    I’m obsessed with your entry way, just bought a big fixer-upper home and want to replicate your look. My biggest concern is the Moravian light. I don’t want to spend $400+ to replicate but am very nervous to buy another one and not be happy with it. Shades of light has a less expensive one for interior (I think the one you purchased was the exterior light) – is your’s frosted? What kind of light bulb do you use? What are your thoughts between the shape of the interior vs. exterior star light? Thanks so much! Also stealing your staircase, some paint colors, pink ceiling, polka dot curtains, list goes on – love everything, thanks so much!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ours isn’t frosted (you can see the bulb through it, although it’s sort of seeded looking). We just use a regular “soft white” bulb inside and it seems to work. I didn’t know ours was the outdoor one – it works just like an indoor one so I’d imagine both would be great!

      xo
      s

  42. Rebecca Cote says

    How high are your ceilings? I’m trying to decide on a foyer light for our new house. We have 9ft ceilings and the light I like is 25.75″ tall without any chain (I’d like a few links!). Do you think that would hang too low?? I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We have 8′ standard height ceilings. I think for a 9′ ceiling that size would be great! You can measure from the floor with 25″ of drop (and add some for chain) to be sure it leaves room for tall people to walk, just to be sure!

      xo
      s

  43. Megan says

    I was wondering if the glass of moravian star is frosted or clear…hard to tell in picture. I am wanting to add in our foyer and can’t decide. And love your website/blog! Thanks!

    Reply

    • Megan says

      nevermind…just read earlier response to another inquiry and got my answer. I found a great website that has them frosted, clear or seedy for $149. I wasn’t sure how the seedy would look and I guess yours is?

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