Quickly launching ourselves into the winter and holiday season, I’ve been working on a few modest home projects over the last few weeks that improve the space but don’t necessary warrant a whole unique post.
1. I brightened my kitchen, au-naturally.
Window screens are great during the summer for obvious reasons, but even when they’re spiffy clean, the filter that they cast on a room or looking out into the yard irks me. That’s why I’ve made it a habit to remove the screens that sit inside the window, like these kitchen windows that open outwardly during warm weather.
Shown here, the screen on the left has been removed, the screen on the right is still in place. The absence of screens allows a lot more light to pour inside, and also makes a big difference in how well you can see the backyard too. Crisp and clean? Or gray-washed? You decide. It’s very hard to photograph well, but try it for yourself and enjoy the difference it makes. (Psst: Not to get all out of order, but that’s a sneak peek of a new kitchen light. You’ll see it over on DIY Network’s blog soon.)
2. My living room dimmer switch died again (within 2 months from when I fixed it last).
It’s the dimmer functionality itself that fails me. The on/off switch still remains usable, but with six 40-watt bulbs on the chandelier on full-blast, it gets a little bright up in this place. I’m beginning to doubt the brand, but gave it one last try; this time I purchased the premium model that prides itself in being more efficient + eco-happy. We shall see.
If anyone else has a brand of choice, please let me know. I prefer this style of dimmer because it’s subtle and fits my three-switch plate nicely.
3. I started my “winter garden”.
I was gifted paperwhites and an Amaryllis recently. The Amaryllis holds its own in the ceramic pot that it was delivered in (it was a Target Smith & Hawken kit) but I divided the paperwhites into two smaller IKEA pots. Can’t wait for a little winter flower action.
(Psst. Last winter I tried reusing bulbs that I had already forced to open indoors. Did not work. Just FYI.)
4. I DIY’ed another doorbell.
The door on the side of the house had an old, yellowed-plastic 1950’s doorbell on it (very similar to the one I updated at the front door just this year). Following suit, I whipped up another driftwood doorbell and installed the piece quickly. Although replacing one issue unearthed about 4 other issues with that entryway; the old doorbell encasement was somehow connected to a piece of aluminum trim, which pretty much fell off in my hands, exposing some pretty yellow paint (that I first saw when we redid the siding last fall) and many holes. This will be a springtime project when outdoor painting is more appropriate. Until then, just use the front door, OK?
5. I started a special Holiday video for you guys.
More to come on that. Here’s a sneak preview. Yes, I’m under a table, looking like I’m up to something, and appearing very washed out.
What little tasks have you checked off your list this month?
6 Comments
You took the words right out of my mouth! removing screens adds such a sparkle from within the house. It probably also prolongs the life of the screen too? huh? I am always amazed what more light and clear windows can do to the attitude of a space. now if only there were self cleaning windows. any leads on that? huh, bum dimmer switch. should we blame china? i did have a lead from a new dimmer switch just fall off into my hand when i went to wire it in which is scary to think that their soilder connections at the factory are probably substandard these days. to have a partial internal connection on a device like that can cause fire if it arcs and finds a combustible. it was this brand too. but to have the dimmer function burn out in no time tells me that the componentry is substandard. It is possible to wear out if you are drawing too much current through it? but doesn’t sound like you are. huh..
I wish I knew what the problem with the dimmer was. The occurrance of it happening repeatedly almost makes me want to lose it all together and use a normal switch instead. I definitely don’t think I’m pushing too much current, the package indicated that it would support up to 600 watts and I’m using 1/2 of that. I do recall that the first dimmer stopped working after I hit my head on the chandelier (but the light itself still worked without the dimmer)… no idea if that was a weird coincidence or if something backfired inside the unit. Thoughts?
I love love love EVERY light on a dimmer and I use the cheepie round ones, that you spin, and have never had a problem with any of them in over 10 years. They would fit your switch plate too. ????? Love your blog!! Thanks for the visit, glad I found you.
Hi Dusty C – come to think of it, my family has always used those round dimmers too without any problem. I was avoiding them stubbornly, I think, wanting to keep the dimmer switch looking very similar to the other two that aren’t dimmable. Maybe I’ll suck it up if it breaks again and go with one of those tried and trues. Thanks for the tip!
Emily,
My husband is an electrician and I know he has used that type and brand of dimmer before, and likes them. One thought – and I have no idea if this is part of the problem or not – he has told me that the new CFL bulbs should not be used on dimmers because they are fluorescents and they are designed to be either on or off. He said this a while ago, and I have no idea if bulbs or fixtures have been redesigned to handle the dimmer function. (Honestly, what happens is, he starts talking about current and stuff like that, and I start hearing ‘blah, blah, blah.’)
Like I said, I don’t know if this has anything to do with what your are experiencing, but I thought I would throw in my two cents.
Have a great day!
Thanks for the comment, Andrea! The bulbs used in the chandelier aren’t actually CFL (I’ve never gotten them to work with dimmers, and never invested in the ones that claim to be “dimmable”). Maybe it does have something to do with the construction of the chandelier itself (it’s about 5-years old from Crate + Barrel, so it’s sort of new I suppose). If the eco one kicks the bucket, I might have an electrician come in to double check everything… better safe than sorry if it’s not actually the dimmer itself. Thank you!!