Part two: Hardware and a few light fixtures

The hardware is installed! One more step complete until we reach the final goal. The project is definitely taking longer than most kitchens, but doing it all ourselves and with our busy schedules we knew it was going to be an ongoing, lengthy experience. Just to have these handles installed is a huge excitement in our life. I can open my drawers without a fight! Hooray!

We found these great handles from Amazon. I was very skeptical at first, even though I absolutely love Amazon and am a current Prime member, ordering kitchen hardware felt odd. My husband, Glenn, talked me into it and now I can’t believe it took me so long to agree. The handles are from Cosmas, and can be purchased here and here, as there were two sizes that we used. The smaller handles have 3″ hole centers, with a 5-3/8″ overall length, while the larger handles have 7-1/2″ hole centers and a 10″ overall length.

Installing them was simple for Glenn to do, since he just had to create a template with a scrap piece of paneling to use throughout the process.

Now to conquer the lighting. Our goal is to install under cabinet lighting in the next few weeks. Right now, we are focusing on the three pendant lights above our island, and the wall light above our sink. The photo below shows the two lights we chose. Number one is from Menards, where we purchased three fixtures for above the island. There was only a single hole in the wood ceiling from the previous track lighting, and therefore we needed to stick with track pendant lighting to keep things simple and avoid re-wiring. Our budget is small, making these lights perfect, coming in at only $29 per fixture. Number two is also from Menards and used on the wall above our sink. This light was $24.99 and fit perfectly into the budget.

I will post more pictures in the future, as we are currently on a mission to find new lightbulbs. The light fixtures installed quick and easily, however the Edison style bulbs that were included were extremely dim in brightness. Ultimately, sticking to our modern/rustic/industrial theme, we’d love to have Edison style bulbs, but in the LED version. I’ve found a few on Amazon, and even purchased one, however I cannot find that perfect balance of brightness and looks. The Edison LED style must be a new product, and we are looking forward to finding that “perfect bulb”.