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As we, (and by “we,” I mean my husband,) continue to assemble an endless row of bookcases, I thought I would share two small things we have done recently that were quick and relatively painless yet have made (I think) a difference.

The first is the medallion in the soon to be master bedroom.

Once installed, the chandelier looked lost and seemed to be floating on the empty ceiling. So we decided to anchor and ground it with a Victorian replica ceiling medallion.

The one we chose came from Amazon and cost a fraction of those available from salvage yards. I (of course) wrestled with the need for authenticity, but decided the medallion itself would be such a distance away, that originality would be hard to decipher from floor height.

Plus, the originals, salvaged from great old mansions, can be quite solid and heavy and having one fall on me in my sleep because we miscalculated the bond strength needed, is not how I want to go.

So….replica it was.

The end plan for this room includes a tin ceiling and I feel this medallion will add to the opulent and glamorous effect we are striving for.

The second small thing is the new doorbell.

The “original” (which I do not seem to have a picture of) was a wooden/brass combo probably from the seventies.
It featured three huge chimes that hung down and dominated the wall.

It was quite distracting to say the least.

We took it down months ago when we painted the kitchen, and had no desire to put it back up. And….to be honest, when you have dogs, do you really even need a doorbell?

But….the “guts” of the bell were still on the wall and it was either take the whole contraption down, patch and paint, or purchase a different housing.

Once again Amazon came through with a Victorian style “box” for the bell which is much more discreet and more fitting when noticed.

Two relatively small things that make me smile every time I catch sight of them.

These small things are the bridge between the mundane; filling plaster cracks, building porch skirting, attaching moldings, and the slightly (mostly) out of reach; hidden rooms, wine cellars and life sized giraffe statues (I will fill you in later…) that keep the progress moving forward.

These small things give us the motivation and satisfaction to continue moving forward, while causing us to double back and pause, remembering how far we have come.