The Importance of Being Properly Lit

It is amazing how something as simple as changing your light shades will improve the look of a room. This light fixture is from my mother-in-law's house. She updated her bathroom a couple of years ago and gave it to us. Even though it dates to the late 1980's, it isn't too bad of a light fixture as far as looks go. The original shades were clear glass in the general shape of a five petal flower. It looked okay, but it didn't really do much for me. Since it was free, I wasn't about to complain about it though. It takes two 60 watt bulbs, so it's pretty bright. The first time I turned it on I found a lot of spots I need to touch up with another coat of paint. I was very excited.

A couple weeks ago Scarlet and I were at Lowe's buying plumbing supplies. Scarlet has a psychological compulsion which forces her to look at light fixtures every time we're out shopping. This would also explain why acquired a complete set of lights for the Devil Queen long before the it was sealed in from the elements. What can I say, we have our priorites straight.

On a whim, we bought these.

Same fixture, new shades. The picture doesn't do them justice. They are speckled in amber, orange, and brown "drips" over an opaque white base. What surprised me most is how much better the bathroom looked with these shades. The brightness of the orange walls was turned down a few notches. Prior to these shades, the bathroom glowed like a pre-heating oven. Now it is just a happy orange.

It seems good lighting is just as important as picking the right color for a room. So, if your new paint doesn't look quite right, maybe you just need to adjust the lighting. It's a hell of a lot easier than repainting or tweaking the existing color.