We finally got to realize our dream of being homeowners in the Raleigh area in 2021. A dream that started in 2004 and has seen us navigate various business visas before being awarded Green Cards in 2020, allowing us to live here permanently and get home financing!
If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that we love living in Raleigh, and even with all the crazy growth of the area, are content here (for now).
Not sure if our current house is our forever home in Raleigh, and when our kids finish schooling and leave the nest, who knows if we’ll move to a different property but we’re very grateful for what we currently have!
However, even though our house is currently very live-able, there are several updates on our wish list. Those include remodeling our kitchen and bathrooms, fitting out our unfinished attic, finishing off the hardwood floors, a bigger back deck, new landscaping, and several other cosmetic updates.
Thanks to a partnership with Butler Lighting, a family-owned company since 1948 based in Greensboro and High Point, North Carolina, we have just completed our first project and updated some ceiling lights and ceiling fans.
Our pre-existing kitchen, dining room and breakfast nook area lights were not to our style, and the lighting was poor. We do have nice natural light into our dining and breakfast nook area, but our kitchen is centered in the house with no windows so is naturally a dark space.
And our living room and back patio ceiling fans needed to be modernized – I don’t know about you, but the first thing I dislike about ceiling fans is having pull chains that hang down, they definitely had to go!
Below I’m sharing before and after updates so you can get an idea of what we had, and what we now have. Hopefully you’ll get some inspiration for your own lighting shake up.
By the way, if you are looking to buy a home in the Raleigh area and are looking for a trusted real estate agent, we can help you with that, fill in this form.
Dining Room Light
Before / After
Before
We were not particularly fond of the rather bulky, gold chandelier hanging in our dining room. Nor did we like the large and decorative ceiling medallion it hung from. I understand gold-colored fixtures have made a resurgence in design, but it’s not for us currently and with a view to our future furniture and wall paint desires.
After
We updated to this Pewter, Nickel, and Silver LED Pendant. This Mid Chandelier with a ring halo is part of the Recovery Collection by George Kovacs and we like its more minimalist, sleek and contemporary modern design.
Details:
- Finish: Pewter, Nickel, Silver
- Number Of Bulbs:1
- Canopy Dimensions:6″x1.63″
- Height: 2.25
- Width: 31.5
- Bulbs Included? Yes
- Material: ALUMINUM / ACRYLIC
- Light Source: LED
- Dimmable? Yes
- Buy this product here.
Breakfast Nook Light
Before / After
Before
Similar to our previous dining room light, when we bought the house, we weren’t too fussed with this classic designed Chandelier with glass shades hanging by a chain over our breakfast nook area.
After
We updated to this 10 Light Chrome Chandelier from the Z-Lite Ascension Collection. Again, we were looking for a more sleek, modern and contemporary light fixture for this space and really like the chrome finish.
The slender adjustable arms are able to be angled to create an abstract silhouette, and this light would suit a flat or sloping ceiling.
Details:
- Number Of Bulbs:10
- Dimmable? Yes
- Finish: Chrome
- Material: Steel
- Width: 23.25
- Height: 10.5
- Buy this product here.
Kitchen Light
Before / After
Before
We had this long, 6 bulb track light which wasn’t particularly attractive to us. But the most annoying thing with this light, once a bulb had blown, for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to unscrew and replace a single bulb. In the end we were down to two working bulbs and a very dark kitchen!
After
I much prefer our new minimalist 6 light Flush Mount of Polished Nickel. This Axel flush-mount features three adjustable crossing arms mounted on a circular base so we can direct light in any direction.
The official description mentions the absence of shades says industrial, yet the design says penthouse. The smooth steel hardware is finished in reflective polished nickel, adding to the art deco flair.
Details:
- Width: 17.1
- Height:16.6
- Finish:Polished Nickel
- Style: Mid-century modern
- Dimmable? Yes
- Shop this product here.
Living Room Ceiling Fan
Before / After
Before
Probably the first thing I wanted to change when we moved in was our ceiling fans. I can’t stand fans that have ugly pull chains hanging down, and the only way to operate the fan speed is by pulling on the chain – half the time you don’t know what speed you are on and go click-click a hundred times!
I also didn’t like how bulky our previous fan was, with the light shades hanging below the blades. Just a very dated looking fan!
You can’t see it in these photos because I looped the chains over the blade, but when sitting on my kitchen stool at the counter, the chain would hand down in front of the TV screen – super annoying!
After
We updated to this 52″ Pewter, Nickel, Silver Ceiling Fan from the Expo Collection by Quorum. Note: This fan also initially came with pull chains as the product description wasn’t clear, but Butler we are able to send me a controller that fits inside the fan and a wall mounted remote control my electrician could switch out.
If you detest pull-chain ceiling fans like me, make sure you double the product description or contact the check manufacturer of the particular model.
Details:
- Blade Span: 52″
- Height:13.25
- Style: Contemporary Modern
- Finish:Pewter, Nickel, Silver
- Blade Finish: Silver/Weathered Gray
- Buy this product here.
Patio Ceiling Fan
Before / After
Before:
Similar to our living room ceiling fan, our back screened in patio ceiling fan was a pull chain design. And bulky and dated.
Again, it had lamp shades hanging below the blades, and the pull chains would dangle down in front of my outdoor TV screen if you were sitting in a particular area of our patio.
After:
We updated to this 52″ Pewter, Nickel, Silver Patio Fan. It’s the Breeze Patio Collection by Quorum. The sleeker, more modern design compliments our patio better, and again Butler was able to update it with a wall mounted remote control so I could remove the pull chains!
Details:
- Height:16.55
- Width: 52
- Fan Downrod: 4.00″/6.00″
- Finish: Pewter, Nickel, Silver
- Style: Transitional
- Buy this product. Shop all ceiling fans.
Over the years we have prioritized spending money on travel and creating memories. We still plan to do that, but are looking forward to putting more priority into updating our house to the stle that suits our personality more, and with a view to increasing its value and our equity.
Whether it be interior or exterior lights or fans, if you’re looking for an authorized American retailer based in North Carolina and family owned, consider Butler Lighting for your next purchase no matter the room in your house!
