Category: Lights

Prepster Locker Room Fit for an Everett

$7 Jelly Jar Sconces / $1.84 sq ft Wall Tile / $77 Pharmacy Mirror ($66 Similar from Target) / $10 Black Enamel Trim Paint / $239 Rejuvenation Sink / $91 Rejuvenation Dupe Faucet / $1 towel hooks / Peacock Alley Bargain Towels / $19.99 Gingham Shower Curtain

Well Hello, There. Last November Everett’s bathroom sprung a leak. We shut off the water and closed the door. I went about my days as if that basement flood never happened. Totally normal behavior.

Fast forward four months and we finally got things patched up. Since everything had to be torn out before we could put it back together again, we gave Everett’s bathroom a fresh look, too.

I decided on a locker room vibe. Basic. Easy to clean. Perfect for a 4 year old boy and beyond.

This is the first project in our house with zero DIY. It was completed in two weeks by our contractor’s crew. Here are a few ways to save when you aren’t going the DIY route:

-Use basic and commercial/industrial products and install in interesting ways. I snagged inexpensive, outdoor lights and installed two lights above the mirror. Just a little bit quirky and unexpected. And used a laundry faucet that looks oh so much like the $400 one at Rejuvenation. On the next post I’ll show you how we prepped up $.79 VCT Tile. Yup that stuff that clad your middle school floors.

-Do the design work yourself. Pick the finishes. And order the supplies (with guidance from your contractor)

-Don’t change your mind. Changing things mid project is a recipe for extra cha ching on that bill.

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Converting Yo’ Recessed Lighting

I’m in a real experimental phase… with my kitchen. Swapping out the soffit’s recessed lighting for arm sconces is one experiment that gets an A+.

Current kitchen status

I’ve heard rumblings that recessed lighting is slipping out of fashion. I think we will increasingly see more mixed lighting sources in utility areas, like the kitchen. And who doesn’t like options?!

Here are the sconces we used. The sconces, I picked, are plug-in. You can convert plug-in sconces to hardwired. Rozy Home has a nice tutorial.

$120 sconce pair

There are a few ways to convert recessed lights to a ceiling mount fixture. The easiest method: an $18 conversion kit. You can swap your recessed lighting for any hardwired light of your choosing (max weight 50lbs). Here’s how to install via This Old House.

Recessed lighting converter

I love how warm the lighting now feels for kitchen sink tasks. And the sconces make the soffit look more purposeful and finished, while drawing attention to the pretty windows.

Recessed lighting in soffit before

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Grand Entry Light Fixture DIY-$65

Product links: Mirror / Mushroom light fixture

I had a dream light in mind for this entry. There were four numbers in the price. (I liked this olive leaf light, too) In the recesses of my brain was a clever light fixture hack, I saw way back in 2014. Pam, at Simple Details Blog, used a Martha Stewart, sunburst mirror and a simple light fixture to make a grand entry light. The basic concept: round mirror frame as a light medallion.

Entry Light: Mirror plus mushroom light mashup

I needed something big… like 30″ plus big, but also flush mount. The existing light brushed our heads as us giants breezed by.

Our entry in 2017

I used a decorative, olive leaf mirror and a big box store, mushroom light mashup for $65. The 9″ LED light I used is no longer available, similar size linked. The mirror was an open box deal on Amazon for around $45. Mirror currently $99.

Light fixture and mirror before attached to ceiling.

This project was the easiest DIY ever and took 15 minutes. Tops. I popped out the center mirror. Installed light. Used the mirror as a ceiling medallion. Screwed on shade.

I didn’t even need to use screws to attach the mirror medallion; it is supported by the shade and light fixture screws. The hardest part was finding a light fixture with the correct dimensions to make it look like one piece.

Entry status when the light was installed. Look at baby Everett!

The possibilities are endless. Look for any round mirror that has a removable center. Find a light with a matching circumference. Ta Da Big ol’ light on the cheap.

Let me know if you have questions.

XOXO Ruthie

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