It all started this morning when I saw this rug in a post on Design Sponge:

Isn’t it pretty? Once someone posted the source of it (Rugs USA), I went off to find out how much it cost and so on. And then I came across this!

I wasn’t even thinking about getting another area rug until I saw this one. I’m thinking I’d like it in the dining room.  It kind of reminds me of this amazing fabric I saw over the weekend at the Pendleton mill:

 I haven’t purchased this fabric yet, but it could be a good seat covering for the window seat I’m planning to build in the dining room here:

Too much pattern? I’m thinking I might end up toning down the wall color a bit and lightening it up. Last year I painted it Benjamin Moore’s pale avocado, and while I do like the color, I think it might look better white or a light grey.

Proper lighting really makes such a huge difference in a room. The dining room pendant that came with my house had several issues. This light didn’t function well for the space at all.

 

The fixture is likely the original and operated solely by a knob at the bottom of the light, which I could only reach by standing on a chair and leaning over the dining table. The light has seen better days, now covered with layers of stains, paint splatters and dust that is just impossible to scrub off. The brass colored rim is no longer attached and sits lopsided atop the pendant bowl.  On top of all of those issues, only one of the three light sockets work it and provides the only overhead lighting for both the dining room and the adjoining living room.

After months of drooling over Schoolhouse Electric’s Factory No. 9 pendant online, I finally took the plunge and ordered it. A few weeks later they called and let me know it was ready for pick up. The majority of their fixtures are made to order and have a lead time of about three weeks.

I know the website posts the light dimensions online, but I was still surprised by the size of the light! I can barely warp my arms around it, which is pretty much what I want to do whenever I see it. This light is glossy, black and perfect. I ended up ordering it with the houndstooth cord, which is a nice little detail.

Last week I had the light installed, along with a dimmer switch on the wall. I’m obsessed with this light. So pretty!

 

Yesterday marked exactly a year and a half since my husband and I purchased our first home, a 1911 bungalow in Portland, OR. Today I plan to start documenting the renovation process. Here is the before picture: