New Light Fixture and Window shade for our Den
A new light fixture and shade for our den. The last post I shared about our den was the real heavy lifting post, starting to transform this space from a guest bedroom. Back when I renovated the house ten years ago I opted for recessed lighting throughout but in four places there wasn’t enough depth between the joists so I had to use “regular” light fixtures instead. The ceiling light in this room was one of those cases. And that old light fixture was definitely looking tired.
In a few cases throughout the home I had to opt for what I could afford so I don’t feel so bad replacing it something now even if it still works. This light is definitely a good example of that.
I’m pretty sure I spent less than $10 on it ten years ago.
The big thing I hate about it is how its a bug catcher and now, no matter how much scrubbing, I can’t truly get the shade entirely clean again. (I’ve even run it through the dishwasher!)
It also uses only one bulb so it doesn’t put off much light and that’s not great with the vaulted ceiling in here.
With Lodi’s Edison bulb lamps setting the tone it was a no brainer what kind of new light fixture we’d be picking out. This is the one we ordered for less than $30.
One thing to watch out for with fixtures that are specifically made for Edison bulbs: they’re not as much of a deal as you think because the bulbs themselves can get pretty expensive.
Installation was a breeze, totally enjoyed getting rid of that gross old light!
Unfortunately I had one more purchase to make as the old light had been hiding that the hole for the light box had been cut far too large. The person who did it shall remain nameless… we all know it was me. (This made the job much more difficult try Electric Work Force for more information.)
Grumbles…
If it had been sheetrock I would have just patched the ceiling quick but with beadboard I had to do something different. The answer was this ceiling medallion for less than $20. I glued it in place and caulked the seems.
And what a lovely improvement that made to this room.
The other thing we felt needed replacing was the privacy curtains I had hung over the stained glass window between this room and the living room.
With everything out of here and us planning what to bring back the curtains felt big and intrusive for something we almost never use.
However, I still wanted the option so I ordered this shade instead.
I was really dubious but I needed something custom (and affordable) as the reason I’d had curtains to begin with was because this window is the weird size of 42 inches wide.
The shade promised you could cut it to any size needed and just peal and stick it on any surface.
At the price I knew I didn’t order “quality” and this shade is definitely one step up from just paper. Laughably the instructions claim that you can cut it to size with just a kitchen knife… I guess maybe with enough determination… but I wasn’t going to use one of my nice kitchen knives on the thick plastic casing.
I used a little hand saw and it cut to size easily.
I’m still dubious of how long its gonna stay “sticking” up there but if I have to put a couple nails in it down the line to keep it there, I’ll still be ok with it.
I did give it the support of two push tacks just beneath it, on either side, to support it in place when we’re not using it though so it won’t be crashing down at random anytime.
I was happy to go ahead and go the cheap route with this shade as it needed to be customizable but we will practically never use it so there was no way I was going to splurge here.
What used to be big curtains taking up space is now barely noticeable!
Getting rid of those bulky curtains was great for this room but the new light fixture is the biggest change. It’s not only lovely but it provides such cozy light that’s just perfect for a den!
Moving on to the final touches!
