Public Enemy #1

Your looking at public enemy #1.  This fan has been taunting me since we bought our house 18 months ago..... When we first purchased the house, I promised myself that it was going to be one of the first things replaced.  What a naive person I was back then..... As we know, there are so many other items that take priority when you first purchase a home.....

Of course, we had to prioritize items, and we purchased furniture to sit on, a lawn mower, etc.......

Finally the fan became a priority.  It wasn't as easy to replace as I thought back in the early days since there was the cost of the fan along with the additional fees for the electrician to install it.  You see, this fan is in our great room that has giant ceilings.  The catch is that we don't own a ladder so it was a necessity to have an electrician install it. 

One more view so you can fully appreciate my pain.  The below shot was taken before our walls were painted.... The fan did not want to go.... It held on extra long presenting some challenges for the electrician when he was trying to pry it from the ceiling....

The new fan had me at hello.....I purchased it at Lumen.com, and it is called the Loft Ceiling Fan by Emerson.  It comes in several different finishes.  I selected the white option, and it is the perfect shade of white.  It blends in wonderfully into the ceiling, and this is just the look that I craved.  It is just so understated, and that is why I love it.  I love how the blades are a bit modern, but not overly so.  It also has an Energy Star Rating for the eco person within me.  I am just head over heels in love.

The other best part about this fan is that we have the capability to change the fan speed at the wall plate on ground level.  The even cooler thing is that we have a remote control that allows us to adjust the speed from the couch!  You see, the old fan had three speeds, but we were unable to change the speeds resulting in one speed.  Summer in the great room has been a whole lot cooler with this baby.... :)

Close-up side view.... How sleek!

                                      

View from the balcony.... I just love how it blends in now.... I hated how before the fan just screamed look at me all day (or was that my voice in my head).... Anyhoo, that voice is gone!

The best part about this whole project is that I have already sold "public enemy #1" on craigslist.  As I type, I am awaiting the buyer's arrival.  So happy to be able to pass him off to someone else.

Let the Sunshine NOT Roll.......

Our great room has lots of natural sunlight, and that was one of the biggest selling points for us when we purchased our home.  We wanted a house that offered lots of natural light.  However, we did not realize that all this light would come at a price.  Our great room faces southwest which results in lots of hot summer sun pouring into the room.  The light is nice, but the heat, and the glare do not make for comfortable and easy television watching.  The wood blinds do assist a bit with these problems, but the extra uncovered window untop the windows are problematic. 

 

I thought about adding the protective window covers that you apply directly to the windows to assist with light, but it appears they already have these applied.  Therefore, I abandoned this idea, and starting looking for a drapery option.

I was very inspired by the look below from Pottery Barn (the PB Casual cotton drape).  I sought an airy option that would filter the sunlight out a little, but not all together.  My options were a bit limited though because I needed the curtains to be 115 inches long.  Pottery Barn did have a curtain available, but I wasn't super pleased with the price.  I thought I could do better....               

Enter a trip to our favorite store IKEA.......I found just what I needed and wanted at IKEA.  The Vivan 118 inch curtains were perfect.  They offered me a sheer curtain that allowed light to filter through.  At $14.99 a pair, they were very economical.  Therefore, I grabbed two pairs, and was off to work on my curtain project.  I decided I only wanted to have one panel per a window.  Our fireplace is located in the middle of the windows, and I just wanted to avoid lots of extra fabric near potential flame.  So far I am pleased with the look I achieved.

The drapery rods I found at Target on clearance.  I think I may have paid full price at Target for the clips, but I was okay with that since the savings on the curtains and rods were robust.  I washed and dried the Vivan drapes about 3 or 4 times to get the airy, flowy look I wanted.  Out of the package, the Vivan drapes are a bit starched so washing them up is a must.  The overcast today has not provided me with the best lighting options for picture taking.

                                               

                                              

View from the balcony upstairs

 

I am very satisfied with my choice, and the look I achieved.  We can now comfortably watch television in the afternoon with limited glare.