Which eyesores? The wicked ones in our hallway of course. Because if we were going through all of the trouble to install board and batten, we didn’t want a blah light fixture, a dingy old ceiling vent, and a gaudy doorbell stinking up the view. So here’s an overdue rundown of those other little updates that you might have noticed in last week’s big board & batten reveal (while we steadily add crown molding to the playroom, guest room, and this very hallway – which we can’t wait to share!).
Although updating the light fixture, the doorbell, and the ceiling vent sound small-ish in size, they definitely were detracting from the view. So those little switches are definitely worth doing right along with the big ones (you know what they say about the devil being in the details). And dare I say that thanks to those updates the hallway is now befitting of all the fancy board & batten that’s going on down below.
Let’s start with the light fixture, which was actually a transplant from our laundry room since the original fixture was too much on the eyes. Whereas the former laundry room light may best be described as “not really enough on the eyes.” But it worked for over a year and you know we love to use what we have – at least while we hold out for something that’s more our style.
While we were holding out we also contemplating freshening it up with some new spray paint on the base and maybe a painted stripe on the glass cover. But then we came across this deeply-discounted fixture at our favorite local lighting outlet. And since it reminded us of the industrial, outdoor-ish fixtures that we installed in the guest and hall bathrooms, we were sold. And for $18 (marked down from $99) how could we not be?
So I switched off the power and got busy with a good ol’ fashioned light fixture switch-up.
Not too shabby, eh? Forgive the incandescent bulb – it was the only one I had around at the time.
So with that little upgrade made, it was time to turn our attention to its ugly neighbor: the doorbell.
I’m convinced this thing is straight out of a Brady Bunch episode. And when it dings I half expect an old-timey milkman to be dropping off some fresh bottles on our doorstep.
I shouldn’t really complain, considering our last house didn’t even have a doorbell (we eventually installed a wireless one). But I’ll admit that having a wired doorbell presented a somewhat new challenge to us… in that we didn’t know much about them. So off we went doorbell shopping, hoping to find something that was still wired but far less scene-stealing. I believe it was one of Clara’s favorite DIY shopping trips to date. I’m not sure all of the the Home Depot shoppers who had to listen to us test each sound over and over again would agree.
We came home with this guy. He was $20, wired, and wonderfully nondescript.
With the electricity still off, I nervously popped off the cover of the old bell, half expecting to find some elaborate contraption run by a tiny cartoon dinosaur a la The Flintstones. But to my surprise, the dated (and quite dusty) fixture had the exact same connections that the new one did. Hallelujah.
That meant I could rely on my old “just redo what you undo” technique for swapping out anything electrical (with the power off of course – important detail!). To elaborate on that method: if the red wire went somewhere on the old fixture, I put it there on the new one. Replication theory.
So I disconnected the old connections and unscrewed it from the wall…
…which was oh-so-attractive underneath.
The new doorbell had a slightly smaller footprint when attached, but since we knew we’d be painting the wall as part of the board and batten project we didn’t mind living with the now-visible ugliness for a few days.
With all of the wires reconnected in the same way that they were configured for the old doorbell, I added the cover and marveled at what a small but helpful improvement it was. It’s one of those easy changes that makes the whole house feel a lot more updated (great for resale since the entire “system” now appears new). Update: Every time we mention resale (which we do pretty often as DIYers) we get a bunch of “are you moving?!” questions, so here’s our response for you guys!
And as is the case as soon as you complete one project, it just makes something nearby look terrible by comparison. Like that dingy yellowed grate behind these before & after photos (it’s a vent for the whole house fan). In a word: ew.
Thankfully my paint-happy wife hopped right up on a stepladder and tackled it with some ceiling paint from the basement (it was left for us by the previous owners). She just used a paint brush to apply extra thin coats (it took her three, but the fan still opens/works/looks great thanks to the thin application).
So. Much. Better.
Oh yeah, and if you were wondering if the doorbell still works? It does. And so does our back-up “doorbell” that goes off every time the real one sounds. He’s also known as Burger.
And more recently, in our current home, we went fully wireless with our doorbell because the house didn’t have one to begin with! We installed a Ring video doorbell instead. It was super easy and took only 5 simple steps to add.
Are there any upgrades that you tend to tackle in a domino-effect-ish row? Do you ever notice how one little update can lead to a few more nearby? It’s like ugly things get incrementally uglier with the presence of new things nearby…
Jenn @ Home Style Report says
Those doorbell boxes can get ya every time! The previous owners of our house painted it the the wall color (yellow) but did a not-so-hot job and you could see the brown and brush strokes…awful! We were lucky and spray paint fixed up ours quite nicely! ORB fixes everything!!!!
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
sometimes it is the little things that make such a big impact! our kitchen had the same old light fixture over the sink as your hallway until we replaced it with your bubble glass pendant :) i also see our ugly doorbell box (mostly ugly because of the color, not the shape/design) every time I come down our stairs. one of these days i want to spray paint it!
Cristina says
Haha our dog Tucker is our “backup doorbell” as well. Sometimes he’s our primary doorbell as he’ll go off before the real one does. Gotta love those dogs. :)
Diane @ Vintage Zest says
How funny! I thought, how clever using the Wizard of Oz reference. Then double clever points when one of the eyesores was the doorbell? That takes some skills, right there!
Seriously, you make this look too easy. Finding an awesome light fixture for $18, the doorbell wiring is a 100% match, and painting the grate when you were already set up to paint everything else? I wish my projects flowed as easy!
Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says
Yay for your hallway upgrades! Boo for the fact that the SNL video won’t pop up on my page….but I know exactly the skit you are referring to. It was our favorite when it aired way back when. Now excuse me while I put my YHL nerd glasses on and state the following while pushing them up the bridge of my nose: “Ummm John correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you participate in improv tomfoolery with the former SNL cast member Jenny Slate from this skit way back in the day?” You know the post I’m talking about where you told us your life story and all and my Jeopardy brain likes to retain stuff like that. Cya!
My best, Lynn
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, yes!!! You remember everything! John and Jenny are practically old pals – haha!
xo
s
Juliet says
“Ding dong, boom boom, hey hey, whaaaaaaaaaaat?”
This looks fantastic! Such a difference the little touches make. I had a similar problem with an old plastic doorbell cover in a rental property that had yellowed with age. I painted it the same light beige as the walls and it looks SO much better. Cheers!
Agnes says
You guys appear to be fans of exposed bulb lamps (this, master bedroom, dining room fixture, various pendant lamps). I really love the look of many of these fixtures, but I worry about being blinded when glancing in the direction of the lit lamp! Maybe I just have sensitive eyes?
And I guess you can’t use those energy-efficient CFL bulbs cause it would totally ruin the look.
You guys obviously like them – do the exposed bulbs not bother your eyes? Do you use special bulbs?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh if you look at the last pic we actually have a CFL in there now! And in the kitchen ones we have them too (they make them with a glass cover that looks like an incandescent but we love that they last so much longer!). They don’t bother our eyes, but we don’t stare right into them either (sort of like the sun, we enjoy the glow but don’t look directly at them, haha!).
xo
s
Sandra @ TheHouseOfBing says
The new doorbell does look so much fresher! I face the question of selling my house a lot. It either comes in the form of I can’t believe you’re doing so much work to a house you are going to sell in a few (like 15) years. Or – you’re killing your resale value by not keeping everything neutral – or my favorite – you should stop decorating and only spend money on things that are guaranteed to improve your resale value, like a refigerator.
It’s a home, and we live here. Why is it so crazy to simply want to love the home you live in even while respecting that it might not be forever.
YoungHouseLove says
So funny about the refrigerator suggestion, haha!
xo
s
carli says
Wow! Those little tweaks make SUCH a huge difference! That hallway is looking fab guys!
Katie Richards says
We have the same hallway situation! Ugly light fixture (replacement is waiting installation) and yellowed whole house fan cover. Did you seal the ceiling paint on the fan cover?
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t – just used ceiling paint and it’s all good (we use regular paint on grates and vent covers and it seems to hold up well).
xo
s
Emily says
Its amazing how these seemingly little things can get swept under the rug for a while for “fun” projects. Then you can’t believe that you left them so long!!! Very pretty hall.
YoungHouseLove says
I know, right?! They would have been so easy when we just moved in. Why do we do that?!
xo
s
Heather. W says
Love the upgrades…make a huge improvement!!! Just curious though if you still have or are thinking of using the ikea fixture that used to be in your sitting area off the kitchen in another space or did you sell it etc.
YoungHouseLove says
We actually yard saled that since it felt big when we held it up in the hallway and couldn’t find another spot for it.
xo
s
Desiree says
I have that same ugly door bell in my kitchen. I just spray painted ORB. It looks brand new.
YoungHouseLove says
No way! I worried the meshy part would get all gummed up. So glad it worked. Love me some ORB…
xo
s
Lesley says
I love this! We made a small change by changing out the thermostats. Next up is the electrical outlets changing from nasty old yellowed ones to crisp white. But we also have to do the doorbell. I was actually looking at wireless options. Now that you have had both, do you prefer one or the other or have any pros/cons to the different types?
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t think there are any real differences that we’ve noted to be pros one way or the other, so either one works well!
xo
s
Karen F says
I’ve had both, and I prefer the wired vs. the wireless. I could never get the wireless to work right – people would tell me they rang the bell, but I wouldn’t hear it…or otherwise the doorbell would ring at random times! (maybe there was interference or something?), and I also felt like I was constantly changing the batteries.
Rachel says
What a difference those little changes made! Looks great.
And I have watched that sketch more times than I care to admit. Time to leave, I wanna read ma magazines!
Have you ever seen the independent little ‘filmette’ that Jenny Slate (doorbell girl) and her boyfriend made? Marcel the Shell… Clara will love it and so will you!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s awesome!
xo
s
Emily says
You all probably don’t think it’s a huge deal but posts like this are really inspiring. We are going to de-brass the outdoor light fixtures (spray paint glossy black), add some interest to the bland garage door and shift the location of a hose. Each project is a no-big-deal kind of thing but the end result will be SO MUCH BETTER. Count me among the inspired!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Emily, that’s so sweet!
xo
s
Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy says
Yes, to the domino effect. It happens for me when I hang one piece of art I start to notice all the empty wall space. Oh, the possibilities! Haha.
Heather P. says
While in an apartment, I can’t really relate to the fixing up slippery slope, I do sometimes feel it when I’m at my mother in law’s house. She lives in a 100+ year old farm house, complete with dark faux brick all over the kitchen, pea green walls, and carpet in the bathroom. Every time we go over there, I just want to rip everything out or paint it white! I don’t…but I really, really want to. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Peggy McKee says
Why not Craig’s List the old doorbell? I’m sure someone else would love it. (I’m not joking–its retro look is cool.)
YoungHouseLove says
We donated it to Goodwill, so we’re hoping it ends up on the set of a movie or show set in the 60s! Haha!
xo
s
braelin says
I Craigs Listed (for free) a similar doorbell- a sweet old lady picked it up and noted that it reminded her of one that she had in her first house (my house was built in 1957 and it was probably original to the house). Glad that I was able to make her happy with the doorbell!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that’s so sweet!
xo
s
Sarah says
I am glad others loved that skit as much as me! When I first saw it people thought I was crazy! “Get out I want to read my magazine!”
The car horn sequel is equally as good!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, agreed! Love that one too!
xo
s
Sarah says
I loved this post because I can relate! We have both a whole-house fan (which we are slightly terrified of, since we also have a wood-burning fireplace and the fan can cause it to backdraft), and an entire NuTone speaker system – circa 1994 (and complete with tape deck) – in every room of the house. We are planning to try the spray-paint route because unfortunately, unlike your doorbell, finding a replacement is nearly impossible (and my husband starts twitching when he thinks about patching the drywall in every room if we removed the speakers).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Have you tried online? Anyone have a tip for Sarah?!
xo
s
Ash says
I don’t have a tip for Sarah, but I know that “requests for tips” have come up occasionally in the comment threads. I don’t always scroll all the way through them, especially when there’s 8-10 pages, but I’d love to see what people need help on or advice that can be offered. Have you and John ever thought about putting up a forum through YHL where DIY-er’s can share questions and advice, especially those inspired by your latest post? Or would you guys feel that moderating the forums would be too much (assuming that they would need to be moderated…) in addition to posting, projecting, blogging, comment-moderation, Clara-care, and all other general living?
Or what about a “Help This DIY-er” series where people write in with a question about DIY/home stuff related to all that you do here, and people can comment with advice and all? It might be one less post for you guys to plan/project/photograph/post, and a way for your readership to support each other… just a thought?!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! We actually announced that we’d love to add Forums this spring in our New Years Resolution post! Hope we can get the coding down (and be sure they don’t take all day to run)!
xo
s
Lauren says
WHAT a deal on the light! Love it. We have a backup doorbell too…his name is Toby. :) We’ve freaked out pizza delivery guys by appearing at the door before they ring the bell…we keep a close listen for closing car doors and try to intercept visitors before they set off Mr Barks-a-lot. haha
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
CC says
That is probably my favorite picture of Burger to date. The intensity in the tail sticking up. My dog does that too. You can tell they want to be so fierce, regardless of their size. I laugh every time!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, he’s fierce!
xo
s
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
That last picture of burger cracks me up! I love that little guy :)
The whole hallway just looks incredible!!!
Heidi P. says
Yay! Beautimus! One question: Have you ever heard of / thought about painting the doorbell thing? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It had this meshy material (sort of like a screen door) that we worried would get gunked up with spray paint and look shoddy, but if you have a smoother surfaced one it’s a great solution!
xo
s
Gabriella @ OLinA says
LMAO!!! How many of us ‘sang’ that title when we read it…very catchy. :-)
I am in love with that light! Definite keeper.
Our dog Molly (aka nosey mosey) does a howly bark thinging whenever the doorbell rings…it’s like it tortures her. Mix that with a four year old and you’ve got entertainment for hours.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love Nosey Mosey!
xo
s
mary @ B&G JOURNALS says
love your back-up doorbell—what a perfect shot of him howling. our little pup G is the exact same way, he wants everyone to be sure that he knows you’re at the door :)
Wendy says
I didn’t notice the lovely brass chimes until you removed the face of the old doorbell.
lisa says
looks much better now….
funny snl skit..i used to love those doorbell skits..
what ever happened to jenny slate? wonder why she wasn’t on the show for too long.
i know she made that book marcell the shell and youtube videos…they’re funny also.
YoungHouseLove says
She was also in the Chipmunks movie (Clara loves it). Haha!
xo
s
Megan says
Love all of the updates! We have that identical light in our house – Its awful. I love the light you updated it with. We have so many eyesores, slowly they are all getting replaced – it makes the biggest difference!! Have a great day!
Ashley says
You guys seem to be very creative when it comes to replacing covering up eyesores… My water heater in my main bathroom and relocating it isn’t financially feasable. Any idea for hiding it/making it blend in?!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, here’s what we did in our first house’s basement- it was a fun and easy project! https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/12/tackling-the-basement-chapter-eight/
xo
s
Abby says
Really? I love the new light – I think it works very well in the space and with the overall look/feel of the house.
Just wondering, how wide is your hall? I love the board and batten and would love it in my hall, but I feel like my hall might be too narrow.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s 40″ wide, so it’s not very wide at all. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Jessica J. says
I love that SNL sketch!! The Car Horn sketch is just as good.
Jessica J. says
Oh, and the changes look great too! :)
Abby says
sorry…i’ve never posted on a website before…my comment was in response to bob who said no to the hall light!
i need to work on my computer skills!
Hilary says
We have 300lb. of dogs that are our “doorbell.” Needless to say, we don’t get unannounced visitors often. haha The updates look wonderful – totally love the light fixture!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that sounds like a fun house :)
xo
s
heather says
Now I want to know if 300lbs is comprised of two huge dogs, or a bunch of tiny dogs. So many options!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! My guess is three dogs that are lab-sized.
xo
s
Danielle says
Speaking of Domino effect, it sounds like you could have been a little birdie in our house over the weekend. What started as a simple strip wallpaper in daughter’s new bedroom, paint walls project (Simple right? Finished by Sunday right? No such luck) has turned into a strip wallpaper, paint walls, unhappy with paint color so pick a new one and repaint walls, still unhappy with paint color and realize it’s the state of said walls that we are not happy with (old house plaster walls), replaster/sand all walls in room, repaint (in color we now LOVE!), replace trim and carpet kind of project!
Oh, and we loved the updates so much (waiting on carpet now), that we are doing the same thing to the room across the hall where our nursery is.
And it all has to be complete (and put back together) by March 27 when we have family coming to stay with us for Easter!
YoungHouseLove says
Whew! Sounds like tons of work but I’m so glad you LOVE the color!
xo
s
Rachael says
Hi guys! The whole time I read this post I kept thinking the only thing that could make it better was the SNL doorbell skit. well done! =)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, high fives!
xo
s
Anna says
Those little changes make such a difference! I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a while now. How long long can you keep paint and re-use it? We bought paint for our bedroom a year ago and still haven’t started painting. I noticed you reference using older paint in some of your posts and wondered at what point old paint is no good anymore? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I think it’s good for around 5-10 years as long as it doesn’t freeze or get super hot (that can ruin paint) and is well sealed (which also can dry it out if it’s not). Some of ours still works and appears to be really old (leftover from the original owners). If it looks chunky or smells weird, those are tips that it has gone bad…
xo
s
SSM says
Oh man, I love that old doorbell! Everything you did looks great, though.
Zack says
Great post. Where’d you get that yellow rug? I looked through the house tour, and it’s not listed!
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
The yellow rug in the guest room is from Pottery Barn a while back. Hope it helps!
xo
s
paintergal says
Ding ding ding! I never have considered updating the doorbell. And ours is just like your old one. We do have our house on the market and the doorbell is right inside the front door.
Thanks for the great idea!
Brenda says
As much as those upgrades are fabulous (especially the doorbell!), the best thing about the post is that you included the SNL sketch. Sooooo good!
Katie @ Lovebird Productions says
To be honest, I didn’t think those changes would make a difference but it really does! It looks great! :)
Angel says
Looks like the one you got is actually originally $129! Check it out on that link. Better deal than you thought. You should update that in the post! The other finishes are $99
YoungHouseLove says
No way! I love it!!
xo
s
Jessica T says
We just did the same thing in our hall with the same light (but the Antique Copper finish…for anyone looking to get that finish, my opinion is it comes off a little more “manufactured antique” as opposed to “hey I found this in an old warehouse, antique” but we LOVE it nonetheless).
We also found a cute alternative to the typical doorbell covers that we’ve been getting more compliments on than anything else…sometimes its the little things, right? Here’s a link to it on my Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/pin/509329039077785891/
Thanks for being a nice mid-day work distraction :)
YoungHouseLove says
OOh, so fancy! I love it.
xo
s
Laurie says
I’m so glad you did a doorbell make over. I have TWO hideous, outdated doorbell covers in my hallway only about 4 inches apart from each other. One of them must not be active but I haven’t had the nerve to try this project yet. It doesn’t seem to be so tricky after all so I think I’ll have to try it!
Yay for Home Depot Christmas gift cards!
Christine@DecorumDIYer says
We have the same arrangement in our home, but with three kids underfoot, a husband that works too much, and a weary mom (me), I just haven’t gotten around to doing anything it. I’ll add this to my long, unending ‘to do’ list. Thanks for the inspiration!
Peggy says
I call the domino effect you mention the “if you give a mouse a cookie” theory (for those familiar with the children’s book)…something we kept in mind while house hunting so as not to get too carried away thinking “oh we’d just have to make a FEW changes here and there”! The point is it all adds up so you have to add a cushion for all those unforeseen upgrades!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love that book! We also love “If you give a pig a party.”
xo
s
Chelsea Wilson says
$18 for that light?! Amazing! We have the same industrial-looking light outside our front door that you have in the guest bathroom. I recognized it from your blog when my husband walked in with it after I asked him to go buy a new outdoor light. He had no idea why I was smiling so big. Guess he has great taste ;) Also, best Burger photo ever!
Sarah says
I was scared by my attic fan at first, but now I love it. It’s really useful for spring and early fall, when the nights are cool. If you actually use it properly [open up windows in the rooms you want to cool] it is wonderful. It also has the bonus of cooling off your attic a bit, which is great. If you decide to try it out this spring, let us know. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds awesome Sarah!
xo
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