Our entry had a single overhead fixture from 1998: a brass ring holding one frosted globe bulb. It didn't break. It also didn't welcome anyone into the house. The first thing our guests saw was a brass circle from the nineties.
I replaced it on a Tuesday afternoon. The job took 55 minutes including cleanup.
What I Chose
A matte black lantern-style semi-flush, 12 inches tall, with a seeded glass panel. I chose the lantern style because our entry has a small amount of craftsman detailing — the angular lines work. Matte black because it reads clean against our white walls. Seeded glass because it diffuses light beautifully rather than showing a bare bulb inside.
The Fixture ($68) and the Bulb ($6)
The fixture was $68 and I added a $6 globe-style LED at 2700K, 600 lumens. Warm, diffused, the exact right amount of light for a 40-square-foot entry. The difference from the original fixture was so immediate I stood in the entryway for five minutes just appreciating it before putting my tools away.
What I Should Have Done Sooner
I waited two years to make this swap. The entry is the first thing guests see and the last thing I see when I leave the house every morning. It should have been the first fixture I replaced, not the seventh.
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