Week forty-four: one giant clock and a new drum light

You might remember our bright red front room that we call "the reading room." It got a much-needed makeover recently when we swapped out the boring old light for a new drum light and added one heck of a giant clock over the mantel.

For a room meant for reading, it sure was dark. The old semi-flush mount provided almost no light, despite having three bulbs, and I just hated the thing. I spent months looking at potential replacements before deciding on the eden pendant lamp from CB2. At only 50 bucks it is a great deal and a really good size. I also like that it's white, to really brighten up the room even when it's turned off. 

Problem is, the eden comes with a plug in, but we needed it to be hard wired so we could control it from the light switch. Andy did some brilliant electrical work to rewire it, using a ceiling mount from West Elm. I'm going to say that again: Andy was BRILLIANT. The new light makes a huge difference in that room. What used to be a dark, gloomy "opium den" is now a much more cheerful, sunny red room. Perfect for lounging on the daybed and reading.

It also took us a long time to figure out what we wanted to do above the fireplace in there. All we knew is we wanted it to be dramatic. When I picked up some on-sale throw pillows with images of old French clocks, inspiration struck: a clock! How about a really big clock? How about a clock that is four feet in diameter?! Dramatic AND practical. We ordered the clock from Home Decorators Collection, and we're really happy with it.

Here's some before and afters for you... And a cute shot of my new Jonathan Adler bud vase.  Look like anyone you've seen on my blog before? (Hint: it's all in the hair)