The kitchen renovation is humming along at the rapid fire pace of a sloth on Prozac.
I still have no cabinets, I'm still in a mess and I still have no idea when all of this is going to be done.
I made progress this week though, which is better than nothing.
The dreaded pot lights were installed. I did not want pot lights. I do not like pot lights. Pot lights are the devil.
Enter ... the solitary thing that changed my mind about pot lights.
The Light Speaker.
I was browsing the Home Depot website, as I often do, and came across the recessed (pot) light section. I'm not sure how it caught my eye but halfway down the page there was something called a Light Speaker.
Clicking through I discovered it's a pot light that's also a wireless speaker system that works with a remote. You just plug it in and you can control your music and lighting through it. The lights are dimmable LEDs.
I was sold instantly.
The single greatest thing about this thing is, if you already have 5" - 6" pot lights, they just screw into your existing pots. In fact they screw into and work from any light socket.
They're huge though so you need a big lamp! Apparently there's an adaptor that you can get to make them fit with any lamp harp. If it were me, I'd probably use it more like a spotlight on the ground, shining up on a wall. I'm actually eyeing a corner of my living room where I could do this and it would be hidden behind the couch/sofa/chesterfield and shine up on an antique church pillar I have.
Suddenly I didn't hate pot lights. I LOVED pot lights. I HAD TO HAVE POT LIGHTS so I could have these light speakers.
The speakers are controlled by both this base, and a small remote. It has left and right speakers and also 2 zones. So you can keep adding speakers to your house. 2 in the kitchen could be playing jazz, and the 2 in the family room could be playing some horrible talk radio.
All you have to do is screw in the lights, plug the base in and away you go. You're glowing in light and listening to music! From overhead! I have a weird thing about overhead music like you hear when you're in the mall or stores. I like it. I like music from above.
You just plug your iPhone, iPad, MP3 player or whatever you have on hand into the base and you're listening to your whole iTunes library or your television or Songza.
I'm pretty sure I haven't been this excited since they started making pop available in glass bottles again.
I'm going to keep the large base hidden on a shelf and use the small remote (which I forgot to take a picture of) to control the music and lights for the most part. That way there's no wires, no mess, no nothin'.
Because these Light speakers are really made for the older pot lights (5" and 6") it's perfect for anyone who has them in their house already.
I chose to only do 2 of the larger pots in my kitchen for the Light speakers (which will go over my island) and the rest of the pot lights will be tiny, more discrete 3½" LED ones. Pretty pots.
They cost $399 for 2 Light speakers, the remote and the base. If you want them yourself or for a last minute Christmas present, they aren't available in the actual Home Depot store, just online. And only on the Canadian Home Depot site.
If you're in the States and you want them, you can find them IAV Lightspeaker Multiroom Lightspeaker System Lighting here.
So that's how far I am with the kitchen. Half my cabinets ripped out, the ceiling in a shambles, cruddy old appliances, 3 different paint colours on the walls, and an array of cardboard boxes holding my crackers and canned goods.
And a brand new set of pot lights to illuminate every single bit of it.
*Note from karen: I wrote this post a couple of days ago and I've since installed my Light speakers. I LOVE THEM! The LED lights are very warm, with no touch of blue, and they sound great. I LOVE THEM!!!
Barbara
What a great way to add tunes to the kitchen! Our new cabinets are in and we love them. But lighting is something we have to face soon.
Cody Craig
If you didn't want to dock your iPhone, you could plug in an airport express and then it would be Airplay to those speakers!
Karen
I don't have an airport express. It looks like I need an airport express. How do I have every apple gadget and NOT AN AIRPORT EXPRESS?!! Eep. Gonna start my search now. ~ karen!
Cody Craig
I figured you didn't haha
Go to the refurbished apple store (online). Everything on there is cheaper and it has the exact same warranty as new
(http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/mac_accessories there's the link)
Karen
Thx Cody! ~ karen
Tina
Thanks Karen you just cost me 379.00. I got them through Amazon and should have them by Christmas. I Love your Blog. Hoping you have a wonderful Christmas. : )
Karen
Sorry bout that Tina, lol. But they're really fun! I had a magazine shoot here yesterday and they were impressed with them and had never heard of them! ~ karen
Ashlee V
Now you can listen to music while working on you kitchen! I only have two pot lights that are in my bathroom above my jacuzzi tub. I have always wandered what the builder was thinking. Hmmm...listen to music while I am in the tub sounds like an idea. lol
Heather
This is going to be life changing. Thank you soooo much for sharing this!
Joanna
again! Genius!!!! Thank you for sharing! Just ordered fir my hubby!
Karen
Hope he loves it like I do! ~ karen
Margaret K.
Hmm, I think the kitchen has a couple of sockets these could go in.
and Happy Birthday!
Laura Bee
Music from above - it will be like living in a very nice kitchen store. With real food. And cats.
I like listening to this a lot: http://www.seeburg1000.com/ Seriously, it almost makes me want to do housework and bake all day. Or shop.
And Happy Birthday? - eat some cake! xxoo
Barbie
....we have pot lights in the kitchen and I had NO IDEA! I'm going to have the hubs read this and convince him we need this for our kitchen so I can listen to music from above too! LOL
Lynn
I hope you got a manicure gift certificate for your birthday as rats crawled in your bed last night and chewed your polish off. It obviously didn't wake you so no need to be alarmed, and being a DIYer it's hard to not have them chewed off in your sleep. Perhaps a beauty parlor will become a sponsor and keep you "hand model" ready for future photo shots! I am thrilled about pot lights, which could be interpreted other ways, are you selling hydroponic grow lights? My place could be a Woodstock fest as I have nothing but 5-6" pot lights, dozens of them. I could have music and go into the growing business all at the same time.... with lights left with which to have other inventions screwed into them. This is a bit overwhelming thinking about music, lights and growing and then to have more to contend with as other readers send more ideas.... I'd better rest up, off to nap until more instructions arrive or better yet, off to the beauty parlor to have matching manis!
Karen
Hah! Yeah. That's pretty much how my nails always look. Unless it's the beginning of day 1. After that it's pretty much the delightful mess you see. Damn rats. ~ karen!
Dawn
What a cool product. The lighting in our kitchen sucks. Unfortunately, we will probably move before I can talk my husband into any kitchen remodel. Have a great birthday.
Sheri
Thank you, we are about to start demolishing our kitchen and this past weekend we were looking at pot lights. I have forwarded a link on to my husband, I am sure he will be thanking you soon for the additional work you just caused.
Sera
Apparently you can also buy these from amazon. You should update your link so you can get your credit from any sales. Not that I can afford them but...
Karen
Oh No! Really?!! Boo, lol! I'll try to search and update it then. Thanks! ~ karen
Karen
Hmm. I don't see them there. ~ karen!
Sera
It sells through IAV but they are an approved amazon seller apparently.
Karen
Look at you, you little researcher! Thanks. I've updated the link. But apparently many have already bought them, so boo to losing commission. Yay to hopefully a few more people buying though and you sending me the link. ~ karen!
Nancy Blue Moon
Love them but nowhere to put them here..you can drop in here anytime..I have Dill Pickle Chips..lol..Happy Birthday girl..
Melissa L.
These are cool and all, but I was so happy to see you listening to Macklemore... He was here in So Cal last week, and my son went, but I stayed home because none of my friends listen to him... Boo... We could have gone together!
Karen
Love Macklemore ... he's great! ~ karen
Sally A.
Maybe dumb question...can the music still play if the lights are turned off?
Sally A.
Oops! Just saw where you answered that question already! nevermind!
Karen
Yes ma'am. ~ karen!
Kristin
So someone above said her husband is practically autistic for light and sound. I love that description, and it rings true for me too! Well, the light part. My living room (and my whole house) is peppered with pleasant little low-watt lamps that cast warm, incandescent light on everything. I CANNOT STAND compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Even behind a colored glass shade, I can tell it's fluorescent. I'm autistic about it (heh.) The light is so ugly and cold, or sickly and pretending to be warm, light a fake smile. I also hate the cold light cast by LEDs.
So my question is, are these pot light LEDs actually warm and flattering light? Or are they just pretending to be nice while badmouthing you to a mutual friend? Do they highlight your best attributes? If you say the light is honestly a warm, non-blue light, it would totally make me reconsider LED lighting. Which is more economical and all that.
Karen
LOL. They are indeed genuinely warm and flattering and non blue. ~ karen!
Joselyn @The DIY Spot
We have a lot in common. I too am renovating my kitchen, half the comments are ripped out, the floor is in progress and my ceiling is waiting to be patched. I haven't started blogging about it because I find blogging in real time about major DIY projects difficult. I would love one of these light speakers, however, my rather tiny kitchen has only one antiquated recessed light over the sink near a window. My plan is to use a pendant adapter to update it. Good luck with the rest of your kitchen renovation.
Melissa in North Carolina
Happy Birthday, Karen. Wishing you a quickly completed kitchen and a wonderful year. You deserve it. What a great week of posts! Holy shit sweet potato and pot lights. Thank you!!!
Ev
Happy Birthday Karen! Pot lights n' music! Who woulda thought? We have a VERY old florescent ring light over a counter. Hmmmm...thanks for a great idea!