I am the proud new owner of a well lit junky Christmas kitchen!
I will admit, the kitchen is the hardest in the world to photograph. The renos aren’t all that old. But the lighting has always been on the poor side. Even with a few windows added, it still felt dark. I thought that’s just the way it was with my chosen newish lights.
Until something came in the mail that changed all that.
Thanks to a few new LED ( never knew there was such a thing) lightbulbs by Philips, I now have a well lit junky Christmas kitchen. I’m ecstatic!!!
More on that soon! But let’s take a tour of my decked out kitchen that I haven’t shown you yet!
You’ll soon notice my lights are off for the shoot… I’ll tell you why in a moment on that one too.
{ click all pictures for larger images }
Remember my tire wreath post from 12 Days of Christmas? This is where they ended up.
Accompanied with a vintage sleigh, wheels mixed with a few greens and the forever present spray snow create a quirky wintery window valance of sorts.
Did you notice another quirky new element? Christmas coloured toolboxes organize all sorts of kitchen junk. Oh how I love them!
Here’s the toolbox charging station I wrote about HERE. It works so awesome to organize on top and hide inside.
And to the right is the crazy crate phone station also decked out. See my entire Christmas Home Tour HERE.
On the other side of the counter is the green toolbox holding together my carafe, bean grinder and toaster. What a perfect fit!
And my little red bench coffee station I wrote about HERE is till intact. With a few added greens, she’s all dressed up for the season.
On the other side of the stove, a few greens were stuffed above this berry flat crate. Simple, easy and completely out of the way.
(before Philips)
But what’s a Christmas kitchen without a little festive food on the go? Let’s fix that…
Starting with an assortment of junky containers, I collected up anything that could hold anything.
( In order to make old metal food safe, clean well, then spray with a clear sealer that’s food safe, or ensure you place food on something first. )
Starting with my log candle centrepiece I made HERE, it was freshened up with new evergreen cuttings, then spritzed and sprinkled with faux snow. (note how bright the kitchen is here?!)
All the other junky components were fitted around the centrepiece, alongside fresh greens, then filled with food.
Because the island top is black metal, I took advantage that it resembled a chalkboard, and scribbled to my heart’s content with JOY, squirly qs and snowflakes.
The food was shoved to one side, the place settings to the other, and KABOOM! Welcome to a very fun and festive table spread.
A small burlap table runner was placed between the two place settings to tie them together.
For placecards or placemats or chargers or all of the above, each setting recieved a clipboard with construction paper clipped inside, acting as a mini chalkboard. Write your name down, clip in a few decorations, and you’re set!
The napkins are a torn up flannelette sheet I found at the thrift store. And the cutlery was set into a snowflake pattern.
Now, the lights are off for the moment. That’s because my fancy new Philips LED lightbulbs are so gloriously bright!
And I mean, brighter than bright! The bulbs really did completely transform the kitchen!
Each bulb is also dimmable, but because my kitchen isn’t yet outfitted with dimmer switches, I plan to get those installed in the new year to take full advantage of the different ambiances available to us now. Excited!
I’ll be honest. I have NEVER paid much attention to bulbs. I’ve always picked up the cheapest from the local hardware store when needed, which is rather often. They tend to pop at any given moment so we’re always out. Right now? My bedroom is as dark as can be. 🙂 But it won’t be soon.
B11 Candle Candelabra Base / 180 lumens / soft white / in white twig chandelier
I noted something very interesting about the LED chandelier bulbs. The one on the left is the old one. See how it glares? That glare hits you when you’re sitting below the light.
The one on the right is the LED version. It has a white opaque base below the bulb so the glare doesn’t travel downward and burn your eyes out. And yes, they are equally as bright. Just a well designed, better bright.
Interesting facts:
LEDS shine MUCH brighter than incandescents, so you get more light for less energy used.
ie: you get 40 w of light for 8 w of electricity.
They are more resilient, if you drop it, they may not shatter on impact like regular bulbs.
Most varieties are dimmable. Get a dimmer switch too! 🙂
bulb on right / PAR20 Flood Medium Base / 470 lumens / fabulous in my oil funnel junk lamp
bulb on left / A-Shape Medium Base / 830 lumens / used this one in our kitchen potlights
LED bulbs even LOOK different. They resemble well put together little machines if you will. Have you ever seen anything like the one on the right?! Me neither!
But what trumped me good was the promise of 22 years. This makes me laugh… I go through a cheap bulb a week! I’m rather liking this 22 year idea just fine.
I honestly can say, should I outlive these bulbs, I wouldn’t consider anything else but using these types again. The candlepower these offer leaves everything else in the dust. I had no idea my kitchen could be this bright.
Would you like a chance to win some new trick lighting for your own home? You can!
Click HERE to enter by December 21st!
Philips is having a Philips Holiday Bright Idea Sweepstakes where you can enter to win a lighting makeover! These lights totally transformed my little gloomy kitchen into a ray of sunshine, so I’d love for that to transpire for you too!
Well, I hope you enjoyed my well lit junky Christmas kitchen. I plan to deck the kitchen table out like this for Christmas morning for sure.
But for now, I plan to call for my son for a super cool perk for doing this post… let’s eat! 🙂
Disclosure: I have partnered with Phillips Holiday Bright Ideas to show you my fabulous new lighting and my kitchen decked out for the holidays. But I sincerely want you to know, I truly love these bulbs and wasn’t told to say that. All my opinions are indeed my own.
OMG…where to begin? Your “window valance” created with found objects is amazing…I love, love, love it! I too am drawn to anything rusty and vintage so seeing how you have found practical uses for so many unique objects in a 21st century kitchen really inspires me. I think I have the same dented and rusty red toolbox in my stash and love how you used it to hold all the techy gear in one place. And hiding the toaster in another? Brilliant! Thanks so much for the tour and the great ideas. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Cheryl
OMG. It’s really nice. Would love to design my home just as yours.
Hi Donna, Your style is awesome! Love how you put things together and they just are so right. Thanks for sharing your home with us. Happy Holidays!
Fabulous kitchen! The creative way you use and repurpose things always amazes me. The sled hanging at your kitchen window… how genius! The info on the led lights is great to know.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!!
Blessings, Edie Marie
Your kitchen looks amazing. I love everything about it! Perfectly junkily done! I’m intrigued by the lighting. Especially the 22 year thing. Do you know if the age of the wiring/fixture has any effect on the efficacy of the light bulb?
Hi Karen! I personally always thought it was the bulb that drew the juice, not the fixture itself, so I’m not really sure. But honestly? I’d get these just for the additional brightness factor and not worry about the cost of running it because they are just that much more brighter! Since they are so bright, to me it’s like getting way more than what you bargained for making the upgrade well worth it.
OH your Kitchen is Beautiful Love it all
And what a blessing this post is to me this morning, after the frightful news of loosing a standard bulb in 2014, I took hubby on a frantic wild goose chase this last weekend to find regular bulbs
Being a Crafter, I am freaking out here, my sight is horrible, and I use the regular clear lights in lamps all around me, to just be able to work on projects. I can not work under fluorescent bulbs after a while I get a bad headache.
While looking at the LED’s all I could picture in my mind is those annoying blue headlights on vehicles, but I can’t see to drive at night, so that is probably why those lights affect me that way
I was so confused about the LED’s, my husband said just get some and try them, well be being set in the fact that only the old style would appease me LOL, I grabbed the few boxes still available on the shelf.
I now think maybe I need to try these new bulbs, we will soon be turning my 10 x 20 small storage building into a work studio and with only one small window in it for a light source, I am stressing over how to make it bright enough. I suggested we just cut out a wall and insert windows, but that option will not be in my budget!
Thank you for your post today, you have shined a light on my hopeless confusion
Merry Christmas
Brenda
Brenda, even if you try one, you will be shocked! 🙂 I’m totally going to get dimmers on my switches so I can tone things down when desired, they are that bright! Super cool to have all the options avail!
Make sure you sign up for that contest, sounds perfect for you! 🙂
Donna, everything looks soooo pretty. Love your home and your style.
Merry Christmas ! Blessings, Lynda
Donna – you have “brightened” my day with this post. I love your bright and cheery kitchen especially your wheel wreaths/kitchen valance.
I LOVE ALL THE GREAT WAYS TO SHOW HOW TO USE “JUNK”. SOME VERY NEAT IDEAS. THANK YOU
Beautiful I want to come there and hang out!
Everything looks awesome, but that red tool box is the real showpiece to me. It’s just stunning!
LOVE it Donna…..wowser’s…is that a word? LOL ….I am digging that bucket hanging in the window!!!! Christine from Little Brags
I LOVE your house….and I mean all of it. Am always interested in the things you do. And although my house is ecclectic it isn’t quite as “rustic” as yours…..but I LOVE all the things you do and do incorporate some of your ideas into mine. I live on Vancouver Island so always think about how I can get a trip in to all those cool places you shop!!!
And I have to laugh because you have this sort of rounded metal bowl thing that pops up over and over in your vignettes and I have one of those too…..although mine mostly languishes in the basement. (the one with the cheese and sausage in a bowl) I do think EVERY time that I see yours – “I must use that thing!!!”
Thanks for all your creativity. Merry Christmas!! Lynne
Donna-
You are so awesome! I love the kitchen! I’ve been tryin to figure how how to do mine-THANK YOU!
God bless you and your family Donna
Merry Christmas!
Arla, Funky Junk Fan
Donna! Your Christmas kitchen is fantastic! I love it all, you did a great job staging. Merry Christmas!
Very very pretty kitchen. Love it. Thanks for the heads up on the light. I tend to like my light a little dimmer as bright lights cause migraines. Merry Christmas
Oh, totally get it Joani! Any other time, I don’t care for lighting that’s too strong. But it sure is nice to have the option in the kitchen. I definitely need to get dimmers on my switches asap so I can take advantage of all the ranges!
http://www.pinterest.com/lstimax/goodies-for-lighting/
I love these lights–they have saved us $30 per month since changing all the bulbs in the house! That is $360 that I can spend at thrift stores and still break even!! Love your blog!!
I got a couple of LED bulbs for the kitchen fixtures. The light is so good that I only need one bulb in each (multiple bulb) fixture! Friends think I am a bit crazed because I keep going on and on about how great LED bulbs are. Then they try LED bulbs and realize how good the light is from them.
YES!! When I put all of them in, I realized I needed to get dimmers to get all intensity ranges possible. Truly blown away by what these bulbs put out!
Donna- The kitchen looks AMAZING! I really like the final placement of the wheel wreaths – they really look fantastic in the window. Now – about the lightbulbs… It’s so great that they are dimm-able! We actually DO have dimmer switches in our house and if you try to use a regular CFL bulb – the light strobes and makes a terrible buzzing noise. So these are more efficient AND they can still be turned down… Brilliant. Just like you!
-b.
I just love your style! Your create and decorate fearlessly! Inspiration to us all!
Donna you are so great! I love everything you put on here. The toaster in the toolbox is over the top. You show how people really need to take a second look at things and how things are able to take on a new life. Creativity is what makes this a fun blog. Thanks 🙂