Prepare yourself...

I really should be packing right now, but instead I'm still perusing the world wide web for a light fixture that will strike my fancy for our new family room

Clearly more important, right???

I'm glad we're on the same page.

The renovations in our new house will be ready this weekend {supposedly...I'll believe it when I see it, ha}!  If you're wondering why I haven't shown you any pictures...well, my friends, there is a reason for that.

You see, this little house need a lot of some work to drastically clean and update bring out her potential.

And that will be a work in progress.

I've been scouring lighting and fixture stores around Charleston, as well as the internet, to try and get everything planned out from afar. That's not easy.

But I've managed to get almost all of those main details done (some steals, some splurges - I'll divulge the details later), except for the lighting in the family room. All of the accessories - window treatments, a couple of new furniture pieces, etc...can wait - but not so much on the blank ceiling where we'll be spending a lot of our time. Plus the wires are all hanging out from where they removed the awful 1980's antique ceiling fan.

Okay, so I'm gonna share some pictures...and like the title clearly states, prepare yourself. You will not believe how much better it already looks, and it has really good bones...beautiful wide-plank hardwoods throughout the whole house, a huge back porch, big back yard, and cute little curb appeal...I'll share all of the pictures once we're done, and do a whole before/after look, but on to the task at hand...
BEFORE

looking in at the family room from the foyer

looking back to the front door/foyer

my SILs checking things out...looking for potential. :)  It's actually a really big room, which is nice.

I know you're jealous of the fab peach marble fireplace, just admit it.

and another angle...the sliding doors go to the back porch, and the doorway goes to the back entryway, kitchen/breakfast area, and the stairs go up right there, too.

the aforementioned fan that we've parted ways with

And that door goes out to the sunroom, which will be a playroom...

When we were there last week, I took a couple of photos with my phone {so excuse the quality}

But here's what the back entryway looks like now, that's the family room ahead

And here's the fab fireplace being covered up! Hallelujah! :) Oh yeah, and beadboard has been put up in the foyer, hallway, and family room, too. Only one coat of paint has been applied so far, and they still have touch-ups to do before the second coat goes on - AND, the color looks disgusting from the photo, but it's the same color as our den now, which we love!

{SW Meadowlark}

Okay, and let me give you a feel of the surrounding rooms - the foyer has the same lantern as the back entry, but smaller (because the front door would hit the bigger one), here's what the OLD kitchen looked like...

but here's the progress that's been made as of last week:

all stainless appliances going in, and range hood instead of microwave (b/c i have a nice big pantry to hide that thing in!)

and this school house pendant I got from Circa Lighting downtown will be replacing that lovely fluorescent one in the middle of the kitchen ceiling {can I just mention that it is extremely hard to find lighting for the center of a kitchen that's not recessed when you don't have an island...sheesh!}

while the painting was being done... {and that light fixture to the far left has been moved to the dining room, just to have something there until I decide what I want...which is not an urgent decision at this point.

And this one will be going up in the breakfast area...minus all the danglies on there...which have already been taken off. I loved the rustic yet elegant look of it, but the dangles were just a bit too much for me, plus I wanted to make it a bit more casual since it's going in the breakfast room vs the dining room. We'll eventually have some sort of round table with four chairs...and we have the Ballard coventry benches ordered to flank the far wall in there so that people can hang out while I cook! :)

Okay, again I get distracted...back to the lighting in this room:

'

which is now painted this color:

Option 1 is a little funky, but could be fun thrown in this room. Oh, and we'll have two couches, with a ottoman in between (eventually) with a separate sitting area right when you walk in to the left, and our tv will be mounted above the mantle. So, I know it's hard to visualize now, I just need your opinions...I can make the room work around the light, ha! :)  Okay, back to option 1:

Alita basketweave pendant - it is 22 inches in diameter, 14 inches tall, just FYI.

Option #2, very similar, the geometric pendant:

Option #3, and still along similar lines, the troy sausalito pendant (25 inches in diameter):

It's a little pricier than my husband would like...but it's a beauty...which also reminds me of this light I just found, and it's not an option, unfortunately, as we won't be staying in this house forever and it's $725...but i love it anyway.

Mmmm {sigh}

Okay, back to the real world...and continuing my love with the look of the drum shade...

Option 4

the trellis linen drumshade pendant from shades of light...and of course I could do a pretty ceiling plaque and cord cover if needed... 16x16inches.

Option #5, the finley large pendant from crate and barrel:

And for a few different looks...

Option #5, greenhouse chandelier from ballard, could be cool...

And option #6, also like this griffin chandy from PB, but then we may get a little overboard on the chandeliers, or is that even possible? ha! I would really love this rope in a coastal house!

Option 7:

something simple like the eldridge pendant, again from ballard {btws, LOVING their carriage house lanterns in the new house!}

Whew, all these decisions are exhausting!!!

{we've been spending a lot of time in the water, hence the diaper attire!}

 Well I hear the little one moving around, waking up from his nap...will you please help me make this waste of my packing time/naptime productive, and tell me what you think??? :)  Y'all were so helpful with the bedding decisions and I totally need you guys. And if I'm missing something fabulous in the lighting department, let a girl know! :)

 Y'all have a good afternoon!