My Upstairs Residential Lighting – Everything I Used (Parts 1 & 2)

Hi Everyone,

Today we are going to look at the rest of the lighting upstairs. If you’ve already read part 1, please click the link below to read part 2. If you’re here for the first time, or wish to review, please begin from the top.

 

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Hi Everyone,

Today, we’re going to begin a post that will delve into the details of all the residential lighting and fixtures I used in my newly renovated historical Boston condo. I will review all the fixtures and also share what I would have done differently, if anything.

However, I was doing better with my back and hip, but over the weekend, just when I let up on the Tylenol, it decided to come back full force on Monday. The upshot is that this afternoon, I was able to go to a walk-in, crawl-in orthopedic clinic affiliated with Mass General in Brighton, a neighborhood located north of Brookline, a different city.

 

I had X-rays and they found a bit of arthritis, and get this, I have mild scoliosis.

 

Huh?

I’ve had my spine x-rayed before, and no one ever told me that. The PA said my sacroiliac looks good, and he thinks it’s a muscular issue. I will start physical therapy (PT) next Tuesday.

So, this post will be in installments. Believe it or not, I began this post last Monday.

 

Laurel, for the love of God, why are you not resting?

 

I am resting, but not posting makes me anxious because it means a loss of needed income. In any case, I have rested. Well, that is… if spending hours figuring out who killed JonBenet Ramsey constitutes “rest.” Let’s just say it’s become a bit of a hobby of mine.

 

Do you mean JonBenet Ramsey, the beautiful little girl who was ‘kidnapped’ in her own home and strangled to death? Didn’t that happen nearly 30 years ago?

 

Yes, it did, and I remember it vividly. JonBenet was born the same summer as my Cale, who incidentally is THIRTY-FIVE today. (June 18th)

I know. How did that happen?

Above is Cale five years ago when we were in Northampton, MA, having a big 30th birthday celebration where he was living.

I didn’t know it then, but six months later, I would be packing to move to my new home in Boston.

 

So, have you figured out who killed JonBenet Ramsey?

 

Yes, I think so.

However, unless you’d really like to debate that topic, let’s return to our discussion of residential lighting. Okay?

 

I bet you think it was her brother Burke, right?

 

Sorry, but the answer is absolutely NO WAY did Burke kill his little sister.

 

But, Laurel, the pineapple! 

 

Sorry. Irrelevant.

Please, let’s move on.

 

Wait, you’re not going to tell us who you think killed JonBenet Ramsey?

 

Sorry, no.

 

Oh, come on, Laurel. You can’t leave us hanging like that.

 

Well, I can, but I believe the late, brilliant Dr. Cyril Wecht, a forensic pathologist and a lawyer, explains what happened in his book, “Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?”

 

So, there. I told you without telling you.

 

 

 

Do I think justice will ever be served for the murder of this beautiful little girl who would be turning 35 in August?

Exceedingly unlikely. At least not in our earthly lifetime. For whatever reason, this individual appears to be above the law. So be it.

 

***

 

Okay, let’s begin upstairs! I think we’ll stick to the kitchen and entry for today as we take a close look at my residential lighting throughout my Boston home.

 

I took these images last Monday and Tuesday in the late afternoon and early evening, and it was a gray day; not the best lighting situation, but I think it’s interesting to look at things in different lighting. Sometimes the camera sees things incorrectly. That might be due to the LED lights.

Below are two similar images of the kitchen. I couldn’t decide, so you get both.

 

[Please note that there will be a widget at the bottom that has all linkable fixtures. For more information, click on the image.]

 

 

Knowing that I would have a good-sized hanging fixture in the middle of the living room, I decided it would be best to do two identical semi-flushmounts for the kitchen and entry ceiling lights.

This is a stylized schoolhouse fixture and vintage milk glass. The diameter is 12″, but distortion makes it look smaller than that. I got them on Etsy.

 

The sconce is the Katie Acorn sconce from Visual Comfort.

 

Please note that many of the Visual Comfort fixtures can be found on One Kings Lane. If you use the promo code: 20OFF, you can get 20% off on just about everything on OKL!

 

In many ways, the upstairs acts very much like an open concept. While there are walls, the entry and kitchen are both open to the living room, which in turn is open to the den, stairwell, and vestibule (the small area located in front of the bathroom).

The upstairs is just shy of 800 square feet, which is the same size as my one-bedroom apartment in Bronxville. However, that apartment was far less open in its layout.

Please, no complaints about the microwave and the fact that the cabinet isn’t styled to your liking, etc. They are low on the triage list. However, I have scheduled my window cleaning for July 3rd!  And tomorrow, a tech from Verizon is coming over to hopefully fix my TV.

 

One of the biggest debates for me was whether to install recessed ceiling lights, also known as high-hats, in the kitchen.

 

Ultimately, I determined that with one ceiling fixture, one sconce, one or two table lamps, range lighting, hood lighting, a glass cabinet light, and LED strip lights, I would have ample lighting for my 90-square-foot kitchen (excluding cabinetry).

 

And, I was right. I never turn everything all the way up.

I’m not saying you can’t have recessed lighting in a kitchen; however, please consider other forms of lighting, especially table lamps and sconces. I’ve always loved how Nancy Keyes used two vintage lamps in this kitchen, as well as her own, which you can see here!

Below are the two lamps I got from Stenella Antiques on Etsy.

 

 

While there are supposed to be two lamps in the kitchen, I have one of them in my bedroom. It looks great in both rooms, but I really love it in the kitchen. However, I need to find two lamps for the bedroom. I’m not in a rush for that.

 

In retrospect, is there anything I would change?

 

Yes, remember how I was fiddle-farting with vintage fixtures and not one, but two came broken from eBay? Then, I got a third glass fixture and hanger, which I didn’t end up using.

 

However, I eventually found the fixture I had wanted in the first place, and there were two of them.  A better view of the two ceiling fixtures is the one on the left. However, I love all of these vintage pieces.

 

Still, the piece I got needed a new fitter as I wanted a semi-flush mount, not a pendant.

 

In the end, I’m super happy with the vintage semi-flushmount milk glass fixtures, and all of the lighting, for that matter.

 

 

Above, is an example of how the camera made the kitchen too yellow and removed the orange from the entry lampshade. I can’t wait for the tapestry repro to get installed, but it might take several more weeks. It looks amazing from the living room and will be even better when it’s up for real.

As for the lighting, I love how all of the pieces work together. Next time, we will review the remaining upstairs fixtures. And then, we’ll go downstairs.

 

Below is a widget with all the fixtures I used, as well as a couple I could have used for the ceiling pieces in the kitchen and entry.

 

 

Okay, we’ll continue the review of my residential lighting on Sunday!

In the meantime, I’m still working on the entry wall covering, and David should have the revised print for the living room back to me in a week or two.

Please also enjoy this post from March 2022, when you can see me struggling over my kitchen lighting plan.

There are also numerous terrific lighting ideas in this post.

xo,

 

 

*********************************************************

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Hi Everyone,

Happy official start to summer!

I understand that a significant portion of the country will be subjected to scorching temperatures. So, please stay safe.

Today, we will finish the upstairs residential lighting.

Before I begin, while most of you are wonderfully kind and supportive, occasionally, there are a few who are not. Those comments are removed. It’s rare, but I’d rather not read them at all.

 

Please be kind to everyone. Don’t be jealous. Everything is on loan.

 

Nothing is ever perfect.

Everything is much better.

I am mostly thrilled with everything, and it’s okay if you’re not.

 

However, please note that what you see in the photos may not always accurately represent reality.

 

When photographing, I usually need to use a wide-angle setting to capture elements that are high up. That’s not a function of photography skills. It’s a function of wanting to show you what is there, and what is there is not the same as what the eye sees. Thus, there’s distortion in some of the shots.

Elements in the middle and at the back appear smaller than they actually are. Elements on the edges look larger and are flattened out.

 

The reality is that one doesn’t usually notice the light fixtures that are above eye level. I mean, not at all.

 

 

Looking above, this view is at most what the human eye can see.

 

Not this, below.

Someone complained about the size of the chandelier and the depth of the sofa.

I’ve written about them ad nauseam, and I’m exceedingly happy with them. However, there’s considerable distortion in the image above.

 

There is also distortion in the above photo. The chandeliers are both perfectly level.

Above, the sconce on the right seems a bit too small. That’s distortion again. See? Sometimes the sofa appears foreshortened, as shown in the image above. And sometimes it’s super stretched out.

 

The coffee table is also stretched out.

 

Do you want to know what makes me happy?

 

It’s when I get things accomplished, which is often difficult for me.

I finally got my TV fixed. Well, fixed so that it turns on. The surround sound isn’t working. For that, I need an AV person. However, Verizon came out and at least got the TV working.

 

Okay, let’s finish the fixtures.

Some pieces, like the tole lamps in front of the windows, I’ve had for a long time.

 

 

The Anglo-Indian sconces I won at an auction in October 2023.

Here’s when they were installed, one year after I brought them home.

 

I desperately wanted to get rid of the track lighting on three of the walls, but needed light up high to help illuminate the art and dark corners.

 

The 18″ Cabinet Maker’s picture lights were a beautiful solution!

In retrospect, while the LED bulbs are okay, they’re not great.

Finally, in the living room are the fabulous Alabaster chandeliers from Brass Light Gallery are truly magnificent, and I was greatly relieved that I did not order the 30″ size. These are 24″ and IN the room, they are hunky and feel just right when juxtaposed with the antique fireplace mantel.

If you recall, I purchased a 30″ tray. As soon as I took it out of the box, I realized that the 30″ size would be too big in the living room, and cartoonishly big in the den.

The reality is that the den ceiling is a bit too high for the size of the room. Incidentally, above, you can see the distortion of the dining chair seat and the lamp table on the far left very clearly. The den appears to be at least 15 feet across to the opposite wall, but it’s actually only 10 feet.

I’m so glad the Chinese Chippendale coffee table works so beautifully in the den.

 

 

This room needs more work. However, I’m so happy to have the wainscoting, new doors, and lovely teal paint.

In this room, we left the recessed lighting as is. It’s not that I didn’t want it changed, but it would have been very expensive, and I don’t think it’s worth it. Still, the room could use one or two more lights.

 

In addition, my electrician asked if I wanted more outlets in the den, and I should’ve said yes.

 

However, I’m making do with what I have.

There are two more recessed lights. One is located in the vestibule (below) and the other is in the bathroom. I hate them both, but I needed the light.

See what I mean? What appears to be a second light is actually some sort of odd reflection. What should I have done instead? A chest with a lamp would be nice in that shallow area where the ugly cabinet was. I’m still looking. The piece I bought for that spot is downstairs in my bedroom, and I’m very happy with it there.

 

I can’t wait to have the tapestry installed in the entry, but it’s still going to be a while.

 

 

Above is the view from the den of the living room, on a bright, sunny afternoon today.

Okay, that’s it for the upstairs lighting. I’m very pleased with how it turned out, and most importantly, the lighting is warm and beautiful.

 

xo,

 

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