Original Condition

The family room was in reasonable condition when I purchased the home, other than very dirty carpet (which I cleaned multiple times), drywall cracks/nicks and some minor electrical issues (one dead switch and the builder-grade switches and wall plates). The ceiling fan was also making clicking noises when set to high.

There was also some ugly hackery done by the previous owner: speaker wire dangling out of two corners of the room with no support for the drywall, and holes drilled through the baseboard for more speaker wire.

Design-wise, I hate the gas fireplace, and the faux chimney on the roof has problems. At some point in the future, I intend to replace the fireplace with a wood-burning peninsular fireplace. The peninsula will allow a fire to be enjoyed from the family room, dining room and kitchen. I'll probably replace part of the wall with an LVL beam to open up the space a bit.

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My Changes

I have not done much in the family room yet, other than replace light switches and wall plates and install a new ceiling fan to replace the original. I also installed a couple of GFCI receptacles with built-in nightlights.

I later patched the cracks in the drywall joints on the ceiling with joint compound. I also removed the undocumented speaker wire and patched those holes. I patched about 100 dings on the walls. All of my patches were primed with Zinsser B-I-N. I then cleaned the walls and ceiling. I primed with Zinsser Cover Stain since I can't buy Kilz Original in Michigan anymore and I prefer oil-based primer. I painted the ceiling in typical bright ceiling white, and the walls with Sherwin-Williams Duration 'Vanillin' (SW 6371) in matte sheen.

In 2025 I started replacing the light switches again. I had originally installed Lutron Maestro with IR remotes, but as time went on I had issues with the latest LED bulbs in the wall sconce. Since I use HomeKit and have installed Lutron Caseta switches and Pico remotes elsewhere, it was time to start migrating the family room. A bonus was that I was able to replace the undocumented audio volume controller in one of the wall boxes with a Pico remote for the wall sconce. I'm still debating what to do about the ceiling fan and light control, since I'm using a Lutron Maestro dual-control for that (with a fan canopy module). There is no Caseta equivalent, and the fan isn't wired for separate control of light and fan. The original fan had no light, but I like having the light even though I only use it when cleaning the room. An Inovelli white canopy module might be the answer for HomeKit control, but they're not yet available.

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Family Room Wish List by Category

Electrical

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Baldwin 4752.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge duplex outlet plate, satin nickel	4752.150.CD	8	$6.14	$49.12
  Baldwin 4754.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge single GFCI switch plate, satin nickel	4754.150.CD	2	$11.39	$22.78
  Total					$71.90

Lighting

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Kinkley 3610PW	Cambridge double sconce with fabric drum shade, pewter finish	3610PW	1	$259.90	$259.90
  Total					$259.90

Audio/Video

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Vizio M602I-B3	60" LCD TV with full-array LED backlighting	M602I-B3	1	$1098.88	$1098.88
  Axiom M22 In-Wall	In-Wall speakers for front left and right channels	M22 In-Wall	1	$640.00	$640.00
  Axiom VP100 In-Wall	In-wall speaker for front center channel	VP100 In-Wall	1	$336.00	$336.00
  Total					$2074.88

Totals by Category

• Category	Total
  Electrical	$71.90
  Lighting	$259.90
  Audio/Video	$2074.88
  Total	$2406.68

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Family Room Wish List by Vendor

www.amazon.com

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Baldwin 4754.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge single GFCI switch plate, satin nickel	4754.150.CD	2	$11.39	$22.78
  Baldwin 4752.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge duplex outlet plate, satin nickel	4752.150.CD	8	$6.14	$49.12
  Total					$71.90

www.houseofantiquehardware.com

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Kinkley 3610PW	Cambridge double sconce with fabric drum shade, pewter finish	3610PW	1	$259.90	$259.90
  Total					$259.90

www.samsclub.com

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Vizio M602I-B3	60" LCD TV with full-array LED backlighting	M602I-B3	1	$1098.88	$1098.88
  Total					$1098.88

www.axiomaudio.com

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Axiom M22 In-Wall	In-Wall speakers for front left and right channels	M22 In-Wall	1	$640.00	$640.00
  Axiom VP100 In-Wall	In-wall speaker for front center channel	VP100 In-Wall	1	$336.00	$336.00
  Total					$976.00

Totals by Vendor

• Vendor	Total
  www.amazon.com	$71.90
  www.houseofantiquehardware.com	$259.90
  www.samsclub.com	$1098.88
  www.axiomaudio.com	$976.00
  Total	$2406.68

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My To-Do List

• Connect RG-6 cable in basement.

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Pictures

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Family Room Parts by Category

Electrical

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Harbor Breeze L2P1	Harbor Breeze Edenton 52" polished pewter downrod ceiling fan with light kit	L2P1	1	$127.00	$127.00
  Hunter MacArthur 54217	54" matte silver ceiling fan with lights	54217	1	$169.99	$169.99
  Lutron MIR-LFQMT-WH	Maestro 300W dual IR dimmer and fan speed control, white	MIR-LFQMT-WH	1	$91.10	$91.10
  Lutron P-PKG1WB-WH	Caseta smart dimmer with Pico remote and bracket	P-PKG1WB-WH	2	$69.95	$139.90
  Lutron MIR-600THW	Maestro 600W IR dimmer, white	MIR-600THW	2	$39.97	$79.94
  Lutron MA-S8AM-WH	Maestro 8 amp digital light switch, white	MA-S8AM-WH	1	$32.20	$32.20
  Lutron P-PKG1WS-WH	Caseta 5 amp smart switch with Pico remote and bracket	P-PKG1WS-WH	1	$64.95	$64.95
  Lutron MA-AS-WH	Maestro Multi-location companion switch, white	MA-AS-WH	1	$26.30	$26.30
  Amerelle 43R4AN	English Garden cast metal 4-gang rocker wallplate, antique nickel	43R4AN	1	$7.95	$7.95
  Baldwin 4742.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge quad GFCI switch plate, satin nickel	4742.150.CD	1	$18.53	$18.53
  Baldwin 4754.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge single GFCI switch plate, satin nickel	4754.150.CD	2	$11.39	$22.78
  Pass & Seymour 1595NTLTRWCC4	Tamper-resistant GFCI receptable with built-in nightlight, white	1595NTLTRWCC4	2	$17.86	$35.72
  Total					$816.36

Totals by Category

• Category	Total
  Electrical	$816.36
  Total	$816.36

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Family Room Parts by Vendor

www.lowes.com

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Harbor Breeze L2P1	Harbor Breeze Edenton 52" polished pewter downrod ceiling fan with light kit	L2P1	1	$127.00	$127.00
  Pass & Seymour 1595NTLTRWCC4	Tamper-resistant GFCI receptable with built-in nightlight, white	1595NTLTRWCC4	2	$17.86	$35.72
  Total					$162.72

www.menards.com

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Hunter MacArthur 54217	54" matte silver ceiling fan with lights	54217	1	$169.99	$169.99
  Total					$169.99

www.amazon.com

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Lutron MIR-LFQMT-WH	Maestro 300W dual IR dimmer and fan speed control, white	MIR-LFQMT-WH	1	$91.10	$91.10
  Lutron P-PKG1WB-WH	Caseta smart dimmer with Pico remote and bracket	P-PKG1WB-WH	2	$69.95	$139.90
  Lutron MIR-600THW	Maestro 600W IR dimmer, white	MIR-600THW	2	$39.97	$79.94
  Lutron MA-S8AM-WH	Maestro 8 amp digital light switch, white	MA-S8AM-WH	1	$32.20	$32.20
  Lutron MA-AS-WH	Maestro Multi-location companion switch, white	MA-AS-WH	1	$26.30	$26.30
  Baldwin 4742.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge quad GFCI switch plate, satin nickel	4742.150.CD	1	$18.53	$18.53
  Baldwin 4754.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge single GFCI switch plate, satin nickel	4754.150.CD	2	$11.39	$22.78
  Amerelle 43R4AN	English Garden cast metal 4-gang rocker wallplate, antique nickel	43R4AN	1	$7.95	$7.95
  Total					$418.70

www.homedepot.com

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Lutron P-PKG1WS-WH	Caseta 5 amp smart switch with Pico remote and bracket	P-PKG1WS-WH	1	$64.95	$64.95
  Total					$64.95

Totals by Vendor

• Vendor	Total
  www.lowes.com	$162.72
  www.menards.com	$169.99
  www.amazon.com	$418.70
  www.homedepot.com	$64.95
  Total	$816.36

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Family Room Parts by Date

June 28, 2014

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Lutron MIR-600THW	Maestro 600W IR dimmer, white	MIR-600THW	2	$39.97	$79.94
  Total					$79.94

June 30, 2014

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Lutron MIR-LFQMT-WH	Maestro 300W dual IR dimmer and fan speed control, white	MIR-LFQMT-WH	1	$91.10	$91.10
  Lutron MA-S8AM-WH	Maestro 8 amp digital light switch, white	MA-S8AM-WH	1	$32.20	$32.20
  Lutron MA-AS-WH	Maestro Multi-location companion switch, white	MA-AS-WH	1	$26.30	$26.30
  Baldwin 4742.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge quad GFCI switch plate, satin nickel	4742.150.CD	1	$18.53	$18.53
  Baldwin 4754.150.CD	Classic square beveled edge single GFCI switch plate, satin nickel	4754.150.CD	2	$11.39	$22.78
  Total					$190.91

July 4, 2014

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Harbor Breeze L2P1	Harbor Breeze Edenton 52" polished pewter downrod ceiling fan with light kit	L2P1	1	$127.00	$127.00
  Total					$127.00

July 12, 2014

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Pass & Seymour 1595NTLTRWCC4	Tamper-resistant GFCI receptable with built-in nightlight, white	1595NTLTRWCC4	2	$17.86	$35.72
  Total					$35.72

January 17, 2025

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Lutron P-PKG1WB-WH	Caseta smart dimmer with Pico remote and bracket	P-PKG1WB-WH	2	$69.95	$139.90
  Amerelle 43R4AN	English Garden cast metal 4-gang rocker wallplate, antique nickel	43R4AN	1	$7.95	$7.95
  Total					$147.85

January 20, 2025

• Part	Description	P/N	Qty.	Unit Price	Total
  Hunter MacArthur 54217	54" matte silver ceiling fan with lights	54217	1	$169.99	$169.99
  Lutron P-PKG1WS-WH	Caseta 5 amp smart switch with Pico remote and bracket	P-PKG1WS-WH	1	$64.95	$64.95
  Total					$234.94

Totals by Date

• Date	Total
  Jun 28, 2014	$79.94
  Jun 30, 2014	$190.91
  Jul 4, 2014	$127.00
  Jul 12, 2014	$35.72
  Jan 17, 2025	$147.85
  Jan 20, 2025	$234.94
  Total	$816.36

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Family Room Diary

• January 26, 2025
  
  • I started painting the final piece of trim that borders the bottom of the banister fascia. It spans the entire north side of the room. The masking didn't work well, so I'll need to go back over it with a small brush.

    I finished making some primitive but functional pads for the legs of the larger travertine table. The base is steel, and the legs only have about 1 square inch of surface area that touches the floor. The tabletop and base weigh over 200 pounds, so without the pads, the table legs dig deep into the carpet. The pads don't prevent flattening of the carpet, but they greatly reduce it and allow me to move the table. They're solid 3/4" thick oak with 1/8" polycarbonate glued to the bottom with 3M 90 spray adhesive. They're octagons about 3.75" flat-to-flat. I ran a roundover bit over the bottom and top edges after the 3M 90 dried, and cut a 1/8" deep recess in the center of the top with a 1.5" diameter Forstner bit. The feet of the table legs fit into the recess, which allows me to move the table around a bit on the carpet. I sanded the sides and top and dyed (TransTint), then sprayed two light coats of satin polyurethane on them.

    I did some more carpet cleaning with the steam cleaner, since I have moved furniture around and exposed areas I hadn't cleaned yet.

• January 24, 2025
  
  • I started putting the furniture back in place. I've moved things to new locations, in part because much of what's in the family room was/is intended for a home theater I've yet to build in the basement. The big old TV, the floorstanding speakers, the subwoofer, the audio/video shelving units, the big TV stand. For the family room, I really just want a frame-style TV and a soundbar and possibly in-wall speakers. Basically don't consume floor space for the TV and speakers.

• January 23, 2025
  
  • I cut-in the second coat of paint on the south and east walls. I then rolled the second coat on the south and east walls.

    I checked the remaining 3 electrical outlets. They're split-wired. Strange to have 7 split-wired outlets in one room. This room isn't very large, and who would want so many outlets controlled from a wall switch?

• January 22, 2025
  
  • I finished masking the ceiling on the south and east walls, then finished the first coat of cut-in painting. I then rolled the first coat on the south and east walls.

    I really like the color (Sherwin-Williams 'Vanillin', SW 6371). It's the same color I used in the foyer. It's MUCH better than the original light pink! And it coordinates well with the Sherwin-Williams 'Torchlight' (SW 6374) that I used for the stairwell and second floor hallway. Of course that's expected since it's listed as a coordinating color on the Sherwin-Williams web site. In any event, it gives a little bit of warmth to the room, but is subtle. In some light, it almost looks off-white. The warm yellow undertone is most apparent in cloudy daylight, which is perfect for Michigan winters. An antidote for seasonal affective disorder?

• January 21, 2025
  
  • I continued some electrical work. 4 of the 7 receptacles in the family room are now Legrand NTL885TR-WCC6, which have built-in nightlights with four selectable light levels (or off). I ran out of these receptacles, so I need to order more. But I found that more of the family room receptacles were split-wired, with the top outlets controlled by the wall switch I replaced yesterday. I don't need so many split-wired receptacles, and for now I've only left 2 of them split-wired: the one in the southwest corner and the one under the stairs. If the one in the southeast corner is split-wired, I might leave that one split-wired too. Basically one in each corner, except the one near the main switch plate. There's really no need for control of an oultet there, since it's basically under the switch plate and the wall sconce. The wall sconce already provides controlled lighting for that location.

    My APC G5 power conditioner/sequencer is dead. I opened it up just to see if there was anything obvious wrong. All of the MOVs and thermal fuses appear to be intact (though I didn't probe all of them). The breaker is intact (120V makes it through to the PCB). I do see one suspect electrolytic capacitor, but without a schematic and/or time to put it on the bench for diagnosis, I'm not sure what that capacitor's purpose is. But I do see reports of people needing to replace it. I'm going to order a replacement capacitor just so I can try fixing it instead of adding to the landfill.

• January 20, 2025
  
  • I picked up a new ceiling fan for the family room. The one I installed way back when was getting louder, emitting an electrical buzzing sound (not mechanical). The new fan was on clearance at Menards, and was the display unit in the store. It's now installed and working nicely, but since it was the display unit, it didn't have the balancing kit. It has some wobble, so I'll order a balancing kit from Amazon.

    I also picked up a Lutron Caseta smart switch with Pico remote. I'm using it to replace the older Maestro switch that was in the main switch plate and controlled one of the outlets in each of several receptacles in the family room that were split-wired. The Pico remote is now wall-mounted near the other Pico remotes for the family room. All family room lighting is now controllable via HomeKit except the ceiling fan light.

• January 19, 2025
  
  • Last week I finished painting the ceiling of the family room. It was a tremendous amount of work, since it's a vaulted ceiling that needed patching of settling cracks beforehand, and it extends above the second floor hallway. A lot of way-above-my-head work, on tall ladders. Two thin coats of Zinsser Cover Stain primer, then two coats of ceiling paint.

    This weekend I finished painting the west wall, after rounds of patching and priming. Next up are the south and east walls. The north wall was painted as part of the foyer work.

    I got sidetracked a bit solving an electrical puzzle I had not previously investigated. There were two mystery switches in the family room, wired as a 3-way pair. I had replaced them with Lutron Maestro switches a long time ago, but never bothered to figure out what they controlled. It turns out they controlled the bottom outlet of at least two of the wall receptacles; the one on the east wall under the stairs and the one closest to the light switches on the west wall. I had never used those outlets, so had no idea they were split-wired with the bottom outlet controlled by wall switches. In this day and age with smart devices, there's really no need for them. So I replaced one of outlets with a non-split-wired receptacle and removed one of the switches (capped the red wire, tied the black and white together). I replaced this switch with a Pico remote for the wall sconce, which is more useful to me.

    Speaking of that... the wall sconce LEDs didn't work correctly with my older Maestro dimmer, so I replaced it with a Caseta dimmer. I also replaced the recessed lighting dimmer with a Caseta dimmer, and put a Pico remote for it in place of an old undocumented audio volume controller. So now I have Pico remotes in place of old stuff I never used. This is good since I use HomeKit.

• July 29, 2014
  
  • I balanced the ceiling fan as best I could, using the balancing kit that came with the fan. It's not perfect, but there is no wobble from speeds 1 to 6. It wobbles a little on speed 7, but I normally run the fan at speed 6 or slower.

• July 12, 2014
  
  • I installed a Pass & Seymour GFCI outlet with nightlight (1595NTLTRWCC4) on the north wall of the family room near the kitchen. This receptacle previously had its top outlet controlled by a pair of wall switches, which really didn't make any sense since the outlet is in a location where anything placed there would be directly in the way of traffic to/from the kitchen. Hence I capped the red wire in this box, which may later be utilized for lighting on the short part of the family room ceiling. I installed a second Pass & Seymour GFCI outlet with nightlight (1595NTLTRWCC4) on the angled part of the north family room wall near the stairs to the second floor.

• July 4, 2014
  
  • I bought a Harbor Breeze Edenton 52" ceiling fan at Lowe's to replace the plain white ceiling fan in the family room. The original fan looks to have been in place sine the house was built, and it's ugly and making a noise on high that appears to be internal. It also has no light, and I want some more light available in the family room without adding a lamp. The new ceiling fan has a light kit, and its style is more appropriate for my end goal decor-wise.

    I also bought some LED candelabra bulbs at Home Depot to use in the ceiling fan's light kit.

    I removed the old ceiling fan. I installed a new matchin 24" downrod on the new fan motor and installed it and wired it with the remote receiver for the Lutron MIR-LFQMT hidden in the canopy. I then removed the shipping blocks from the fan motor, and assembled and installed the fan blades. Finally, I installed the light kit, the glass shades and the new LED light bulbs. The fan works well and I like it much more than the one it replaced.

    

    I buttoned up the 4-gang switch box in the family room with a Baldwin 4742.150.CD satin nickel wall plate. It now has two Lutron Maestro IR dimmers (for the recessed lighting and the wall sconce), a Lutron Maestro MIR-LFQMT IR dimmer and fan control for the ceiling fan and a Lutron Maestro MA-S8AM for the upper outlet in the receptacle near the stairs. It looks nice and provides all of the functionality I want.

    

    Today I was reminded of a question that came up on houzz.com when I was looking for ceiling fan ideas. A homeowner asked if ceiling fans were "design suicide", I agreed with the designer's reply: "Design suicide? What could be worse than sweating in your own home? The designers who tell you otherwise place appearance before comfort and that's not good design, that's vanity." The discussion went on to mention that there are many stunning looking ceiling fans these days, and ones with DC motors are starting to appear. The DC fans are VERY efficient, silent, have 6 or more speeds, and can be reversed from a remote control instead of needing to flip a switch on the fan housing. My next ceiling fan will likely be one with a DC motor.

• July 3, 2014
  
  • The Baldwin switch plates arrived, along with the Lutron Maestro MIR-LFQMT-WH, MA-S8AM-WH and MA-AS-WH. On my way home from work, I picked up another Lutron Maestro MA-RR-WH companion dimmer so I can replace the dimmer and switches for the ceiling fan in the kitchen. I also picked up a Lutron Maestro MA-T51H-WH timer switch for the master bathroom exhaust fan, and another Lutron Maestro dimmer. Finally, I picked up another Cree 2700K BR30 LED bulb, to complete the transformation of the stairway and 2nd floor hallway lighting to LED.

    I installed the Cree 2700K BR30 LED bulb in the last spot in the 2nd floor hallway. So nice to be rid of the slow-to-brighten CCFL bulbs, and to know I won't need to change the bulbs again for a VERY long time.

    I installed one of the single-gang Baldwin wall plates, over the audio volume control in the family room (which will likely be removed at some point). It's not quite as nice as the Amerelle Madison plates, but I like it nonetheless. Despite Baldwin's advertising touting their American roots, the plates are made in China and hence the price isn't justified. The base price isn't much higher than the Amerelle Madison plates, but they're not available with free shipping like the Amerelle plates were. Hence they're $5 more per plate, which is expensive.

    I installed the Lutron Meastro MA-S8AM-WH and MA-AS-WH switches in the family room to replace the toggle switches that control one of the outlets in the receptacle near the stairs. It was more work than expected due to the 4-gang switch box in the family room being shallow. I needed to add a neutral wire connection, so I had to remove all of the other dimmers to add a connection to the neutral wire bundle.

• June 30, 2014
  
  • I ordered some Baldwin satin nickel wall plates to replace the hideous almond builder-grade plastic switch plates. I'm doing this now because I want them here before I do any paint work, and it doesn't look right to have high quality Lutron Maestro switches and dimmers surrounded by very low-grade switch plates. I also ordered a Lutron Maestro MIR-LFQMT-WH 300W IR dimmer and fan speed control. While my current ceiling fan doesn't have a light kit, my next one probably will. And I want the IR control so I can dim all of the lights at once via remote control when we want to watch a movie, without going to the switches. I also ordered an MA-S8AM-WH 8-amp switch and MA-AS-WH companion switch to replace the switches that control the top outlet in two of the receptacles in the family room.

• June 27, 2014
  
  • I stopped at Home Depot for some Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty and some sanding sponges to fix the various holes and gouges in the interior doors.

• June 25, 2014
  
  • I finally set up and connected some of my audio/video in the family room. I haven't placed the surround speakers, and the cable TV box isn't connected in the basement, but I can now watch things with my Apple TV with 3 front channels of audio plus my subwoofer.

    Since my long-term intent is to finish the basement and have the theater room there, I will eventually go much sparser in the family room: a flat screen 1080p LCD on the wall, in-wall speakers, and a small subwoofer. My only components will be a cable TV box, a small receiver, an Apple TV and a BluRay player.

• June 23, 2014
  
  • I wired the two new Cat5e cables into Cat5e jacks in the Leviton panel in the modular box in the basement. I tested the runs with my cable tester, they're good to go. Next up will be the new RG6 cable, then I'll run some Cat5e for the master bedroom.

• June 21, 2014
  
  • I installed the RJ45 jacks on the end of the new Cat5e cables in the family room. I crimped a new RG6 connector on the new RG-6 cable. I installed RG-6 jacks on the pair of RG6 cables (one new, one old). I then inserted all 4 jacks into the new 4-port wall plate and installed the plate on the wall.

    I fixed the new RG6 cable to the ceiling in the basement.

    I need a Leviton 47693-16P to clean up the RG6 cabling in the basement. The previous owner had 5 or 6 splitters strung together in a huge mess, just dangling from the ceiling. They're all disconnected at the moment since I intend to pull all of the RG6 cables into my structured wiring enclosure and plug them in to a Leviton 47693-16P.

• June 19, 2014
  
  • I cut a new hole for a rework box in the family room. However, I haven't populated it. It's adjacent an existing box that had a single RG-6 cable in it. By cutting the adjacent hole, I was able to fish a pair of Cat5e cables and an RG-6 cable into the existing box. I will use the new box too, but what I have now is enough to get my audio/video gear set up in the family room.

• June 15, 2014
  
  • I've been looking for a new ceiling fan for the family room. The existing one appears to be original (20 years old), and has no light kit. It wobbles, and it's ugly. But the light kit is the most important part to me, I want a fan with a light. I'd also like one that's more efficient and looks nicer. I really like the Harbor Breeze Slinger 72-in Brushed Nickel Indoor Downrod Mount Ceiling Fan with Light Kit and Remote. It has 6 speeds, a DC motor, and is Energy Star rated. I would want the Fanimation TW30WH 6 Speed DC Reversible Fan and Light Wall Control to go with it, since I'm not fond of not having a wall-mounted control.

    I also like the Pilot 60 in. and 52 in. Brushed Nickel Ceiling Fan, but its reversing switch is manual and it's not Energy Star rated.

• June 13, 2014
  
  • I ordered a 1/2" installer drill bit and flex drill bit kit from Home Depot to try to get ethernet into the family room. I picked it up on the way home.

• July 21, 2013
  
  • Form the basement, I can't see the phone line that leads to the phone jack in the family room. I have a sneaking suspicion that it was never wired. I'll remove the wall plate and check. That's where I'd like to have ethernet for my Apple TV and other things, if it's accessible. I had no trouble finding the RG59 for cable TV. However, that isn't an ideal location if I want my cabling to be somewhat hidden. Of course, I don't intend to keep this setup in the family room for all that long.