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The March 15, 2019 renovation update settled on a saturated green back entry, light aqua studio walls, black doors and accents, and broad white trim as the connecting palette. The entry lighting preference was a sculptural white chandelier, while the studio plan used one sconce and two 16-inch pendants on the wallpapered wall. Several decisions were still provisional: the black-and-white floor pattern, the office-area desk light, the final wallpaper order, and any proof of completed installation.
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This is a reconstruction of what Kristi Linauer reported at that point in the project—not a record of the finished rooms, a current product guide, or a measured lighting comparison.
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The design idea: separate moods, shared accents
Linauer’s update divides the two spaces by atmosphere rather than treating them as one continuous color scheme. She chose a deeper, more saturated green for the back entry and wanted the studio to remain light and airy. Black doors and black lighting details provide visual weight, while wide white trim keeps the transition crisp. The combination of black, green and white was one of her favored palettes.
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That distinction matters in a back entry. An entry can carry a stronger color because it is a passage and a threshold; the studio, by contrast, was intended to feel brighter and less visually dense. The colors were therefore coordinated without being identical. The post names the entry paint as Behr Hills of Ireland. It does not establish the paint’s current availability, finish, sheen, coverage or color appearance in every lighting condition.
Linauer summarized the decision in her own words: “I made a wall color decision for the back entry, and the winning color is…GREEN!” That line records her personal renovation choice, not a universal decorating rule or an independent color recommendation.
Back entry wall color and trim plan
Green walls
The back entry’s winning wall color was Behr Hills of Ireland. Linauer described the entry as a place where she could use a darker, more saturated treatment than in the studio. The choice gives the entry its own identity while allowing the adjoining room to stay visually lighter.
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Because the source is a first-person progress post, it does not tell us how many coats were applied, which primer was used, what sheen was selected, or how the color looked after installation. Those details should not be inferred from the color name alone.
Black doors and wide white trim
The planned doors were black, framed by wide white trim. In practical design terms, that pairing creates a strong outline around openings and makes the trim a deliberate architectural feature rather than a minor finishing detail. The post presents these elements as part of the intended scheme; it does not document a completed photographic result or confirm that every planned door was painted.
Entry chandelier: a sculptural choice with practical trade-offs
For the back entry, Linauer wanted a large white chandelier with a sculptural presence. Her comparison focused on appearance as well as practical considerations: bulb count, price at the time, and whether a fixture could be obtained locally. She preferred a seven-light Bianco chandelier from Wayfair even though it cost more than the option considered at Lowe’s.
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| Consideration | Lowe’s option | Bianco chandelier considered through Wayfair |
|---|---|---|
| Overall intent | White chandelier option considered for the entry | Large, sculptural white chandelier that Linauer favored |
| Bulb or light count | 13 bulbs, as described in the 2019 post | Seven lights, as described in the 2019 post |
| Price at the time | $199 in the 2019 post; not a current price | Higher than $199; the exact figure is not stated in the post |
| Local availability | Considered partly because local purchase was relevant; exact stock is not stated | Availability details are not stated beyond the Wayfair listing considered |
| Measured performance | Not reported | Not reported |
The table captures a historical comparison, not a present-day buying recommendation. The post supplies no fixture dimensions, lumen output, wattage, energy-use data, ceiling-height requirements or after-installation photographs that would allow a performance ranking. A higher bulb count does not, by itself, prove that one fixture produced more useful light, because brightness also depends on lamp type, shade design, circuit controls and room geometry.
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Studio lighting: one wall, three fixtures
Sconce and pendants on the wallpapered wall
For the studio’s wallpapered wall, Linauer selected a sconce and two pendant lights from Beautifulhalo. She chose the 16-inch pendant size. The arrangement establishes a layered composition on one feature wall: a wall-mounted light paired with two hanging fixtures rather than a single central ceiling fitting.
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She anticipated a possible reflection problem. If the pendant interiors did not bounce enough light back into the room, she was prepared to paint those interiors white. Her plan was to install or try the pendants as they were first, then make that alteration only if the result called for more reflected light. This is a proposed adjustment, not a report that the interiors were painted.
Office-area desk light still undecided
The light above the office-area desk had not been selected in this update. Black was the preferred finish, and a Hayneedle pendant was the current favorite, but “favorite” did not mean purchased, installed or final. No dimensions, bulb count or illumination result for that fixture are provided.
Wallpaper background changed to light aqua
Linauer also changed the wallpaper design’s background from white to the light aqua used on the studio walls. Before ordering the remaining wallpaper, she ordered a sample to check the color. That sequence is significant: the digital or catalog color was not treated as sufficient proof, and the final order was held until a physical sample could be viewed in the room.
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The update does not say whether the sample matched perfectly, whether the remaining wallpaper was ordered, or whether the wallpaper was installed. The only established fact is the change in the planned background and the decision to verify it with a sample first.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What was still open in the renovation
Black-and-white floor design
Linauer was considering a black-and-white floor for the entry, but she explicitly said it would be something other than a checkerboard. She had not settled the pattern details. No installation is documented, so the floor should be described as a concept under consideration rather than a finished feature.
Final fixture and material decisions
The office-area desk light remained unresolved, the pendant-interior paint was conditional, and the wallpaper order depended on the sample check. These open items show the update in its proper context: it was a progress report recording active choices, preferences and contingencies, not a completed-room reveal.
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If you are using this update as inspiration for your own back entry and studio, separate the documented choices from the decisions you still need to make. The following workflow follows the logic of the post while leaving room for your room dimensions, electrical layout and budget.
1. Establish the two-room color relationship
- Choose the entry color first if the entry is the stronger architectural statement. A saturated green can define the threshold, while a light aqua or another pale hue can keep the studio visually open.
- Select the connecting finishes—here, black doors and accents with wide white trim—before buying lighting. Those finishes determine whether a white chandelier reads as a focal contrast or blends into the ceiling.
- Paint or prepare sample boards and view them at different times of day. The 2019 post identifies the intended colors but does not provide a universal lighting condition in which they will look identical.
2. Evaluate the entry fixture as both sculpture and light source
- Confirm the ceiling box location, ceiling height and the clearance needed for a large hanging fixture.
- Compare the fixture’s visual scale and finish with the black doors, green walls and white trim.
- Check the actual lamp specification, dimmer compatibility and replacement-lamp availability for the current model. The historical comparison did not include measured output or energy data.
- Price the complete installation, including canopy hardware, lamps and electrician time. The $199 figure in the post applies only to the Lowe’s option as described in 2019, not to a current package price.
3. Build the studio wall lighting in layers
- Mark the sconce and two pendant positions on the wallpapered wall before drilling. Keep the arrangement aligned with furniture, artwork and the desk zone.
- Use the selected 16-inch pendant size as a reference point, then verify current dimensions and canopy spacing for the exact fixtures you can obtain.
- Test the pendants with their supplied interiors first. Only paint the interiors white if the installed result needs more reflected light, and use a coating appropriate for the fixture material and heat conditions.
- Choose the desk-area light after the desk, chair and cable route are fixed. A black finish may coordinate with the doors and other accents, but the final fixture still has to fit the desk’s working area and the electrical point.
4. Sample the wallpaper before committing to the full order
- Order a physical sample of the light-aqua background or the exact revised design.
- View it beside the wall paint, white trim, black accents and the selected light fixtures.
- Check it in daylight and under the installed lamps before ordering the remaining quantity. The source confirms this sampling step but does not report its result.
What the 2019 post cannot tell you
- It does not establish the final appearance of the back entry or studio.
- It does not confirm that the proposed floor, wallpaper, chandelier, pendants, sconce or desk light was installed.
- It does not provide current paint availability, retailer inventory, product dimensions, present prices or warranty terms.
- It does not report measured brightness, glare, energy use or long-term performance for any fixture.
- It does not provide a tested ranking between the two entry chandeliers.
Those limits are especially important when looking at old product references. Prices, listings and specifications can change, so any current purchase requires a fresh check of the manufacturer or retailer information. The historical numbers and product descriptions above are included only to explain the choices Linauer was weighing in March 2019.
Quick Recap
A concise decision checklist
- Entry wall: Decide whether a saturated green such as the reported Behr Hills of Ireland fits your room’s natural and electric light.
- Trim and doors: Test the relationship between black doors, wide white trim and the wall color before committing to all openings.
- Chandelier: Compare sculptural form, finish, actual light count, current price, ceiling clearance and dimming—not bulb count alone.
- Studio wall: Confirm the sconce and two-pendant layout, then verify the current 16-inch pendant dimensions.
- Reflection: Try the pendants in their supplied finish before deciding whether their interiors need white paint.
- Desk zone: Treat a black pendant as a preference until its size, drop and task-lighting suitability are confirmed.
- Wallpaper: Order and inspect a physical light-aqua sample before purchasing the remaining rolls.
- Floor: Keep the black-and-white pattern open until the final design is drawn; the update specifically ruled out assuming a checkerboard.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
