Let There Be (a new) Light (fixture)

Earlier this week we received notification that the maintenance crew would be coming in to replace some light fixtures in the apartment. I didn't really have high hopes because this isn't the most glamorous apartment complex in the neighborhood, but it turns out I'm pleasantly surprised by what they updated.

Lovely lamp in the hallway

First they replaced the ballast in the overhead light in the kitchen. Apparently it was making an obnoxious noise that only my boyfriend could hear cared about; now no more noise. It would be nice to have something a little less industrial looking, but that is out of my control. Oh well.

The prettiest of the new light fixtures is in our hallway, and is it me or does it look a touch out of place?

It's actually a very pretty fixture and even matches the light switch plate we purchased ourselves from Home Depot. Okay I was looking for photos of it to visually reference and apparently I never blogged about them... So weird. In fact I can't even find any on my laptop. Oop. I will have to get on that.

Next they replaced the two outside lights - one at our front door and one on the patio. They used to be standard orb lights that are very blah and not cute at all. But these are rather surprising!

Lantern on the terrace

 I forgot to turn on the light switch when I popped out onto the terrace to take a picture and it was still a bit light outside, so this isn't the greatest representation of what it looks like. Still, I do like the lantern style and it is a very fresh and updated look on what used to be there. The black metal contrasts nicely against the grey paint on the building and I think that combination is very chic.

The terrace is one "room" I'm kind of obsessed with. I want to do more with it than just have the dwarf citrus tree and a few plants (some of which are dead). I'm thinking twinkling lights will look great, especially around Christmas-time, and I'd love to incorporate more plants and flowers to add a touch of color.

Lantern at front door

The same lantern was installed outside our front door. It's very pretty when lit and contrasts very nicely. Again, big improvement over the globe/orb ball that used to be there. And actually, when we first moved in we accidentally broke ours and our neighbor's and had to replace them ourselves. They were very cheap... like $7.

It's difficult to imagine what these lights would look like on a blank canvas, meaning an empty apartment. We've included so many personal touches into our home with the paint and fixtures we bought ourselves, and I'd like to think that if I were also buying hallway lamps and outdoor lanterns that I would pick these same models that our apartment management picked.

It really is the nice little touches that can make even a not very glamorous apartment complex all the more homey. We likely won't be here this time next year, or even in Bakersfield for that matter, but it is always nice to see how a place changes and improves over time.

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