The Jewell house has lofty, elevated ceilings that feel as if you can breathe big when you walk into a room, especially with the floor to ceiling windows. My little Lowell house in Colorado had eight foot ceilings which felt a little closed in, so these soaring ceilings at Jewell makes me feel like I’m living in a castle, in comparison.

The one thing I wanted to change immediately after purchasing Jewell was replacing all the light fixtures, that I refer to as “the jewelry of the house”. The light fixtures you choose to accentuate your home is important because it’s that extra little touch that finishes the story that you want the room to tell. It’s that extra little twinkle that adds another feature in order for the room to shine. Or maybe for you, it’s a modern element that completes the room. What story are you telling in your space?

For me, I wanted time period pieces. You know the kind that sparkles when the sun shines brightly on them, filling the room with beams of light. It makes you feel so happy just gazing at it.

Each room on the main level hangs a chandelier, except sadly it is not the style or design element I am going for. If I were to guess, they look to be something from the 90’s which is definitely not unique to the house and doesn’t elevate the space.

The small kitchen even has a chandelier in the center of the room that hangs too low. If you are over six feet tall you would need to duck to get to the fridge. Not ideal for my son.

Purchasing from big box stores to glam up the house with new fixtures is not the route I wanted to take. Not only, am I a huge advocate for buying local and not adding to the mass buying consumption, but also my design preference is to stay within the time period of the home, even down to the jewelry. Unfortunately, these fixtures can be hard to find and in most cases will need rewired. Yet, as time goes on I continued to keep my eye out for vintage fixtures, especially crystal chandeliers. Old timey light fixtures can be quite exquisite and will add to the distinct beauty of the home.

Restoring a historic home can test your skills and patience, as it takes time to fill the space in a way that my happy little designer heart desires. Vintage lights are out there, it just takes some digging to find them. I have been searching for a French empire style chandelier as I want this space to showcase its classic charm. And I love anything French. A beautiful crystal chandelier hanging from the tall ceilings over the old pine floors overlooking the fireplace will look so magical, and oozes French farm house. Unless I book a a trip to France or I’m willing to spend thousands of dollars I will have to wait for the right one to come along.

One day it did! A beautiful chandelier stopped me in my scrolling on marketplace and I had to immediately inquire. It was almost perfect!

Unfortunately, the seller was located in Elizabeth City which is three and a half hours from my home. Weeks went by and it was still up for grabs. The seller even lowered the price. So on a whim, me and my dear friend, Julie decided to take a last minute joyride over to the historic Seaport. We jumped in the bronco, along with her sweet little pup, Violet, loaded up on coffee and snacks and made the trek across North Carolina.

If you have never taken a day trip in North Carolina I highly recommend it. We came across so many little towns with abandoned barns and old farm houses and sweet little antique stores that I was itching to stop at. We talked about everything under the sun and had conversations that were encouraging and enriching.

When we arrived in Elizabeth City we met with the seller of the chandelier and negotiated the price as it needed more work than advertised, and a good deep cleaning. Quite possibly it will need rewired by a skilled electrician.

Even so, we completed the purchase and decided to do a little exploring. The little town of Elizabeth City was so darling and sweet. We didn’t have much time, but we did stop for lunch at Sagos where we enjoyed a burger wrapped in bacon and hot pepper jelly and warmed up with a cup of tea while we admired the view of the water. The South just experienced an unexpected cold front so the ground was still covered in snow, which is rare for North Carolina, but quite exquisite.

Before heading home we stopped at the most precious coffee shop, called the Kraken Coffee House which looked to be something out of Switzerland. We took some fun photos, loaded up on yummy caffeine treats and headed back on the road.

And what a magnificent sight it was as we drove back home. The sky was bursting with colors of pink and crimson, reflecting off the water as we crossed over the bridge. I will never forget that scene as we passed farmlands and cotton fields as far as the eye could see. It was a moment and a special treat to experience a fun little day trip because of a crystal chandelier. When I hang that special chandelier at Jewell I will always remember that momentous trip with Julie and that glorious sunset.