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…
Elaine K says
We had a door bell in our 1970’s kitchen with a brass eagle on it. My father in law made a new cover for it with wood that matched the cabinets, but kept the old one as a joke. It’s probably still around somewhere.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I love that!
xo
s
Penny says
I love the small improvements that make such a big difference.
A funny story-about a year ago, I kept hearing this very very low, very faint hum in my house but I couldn’t find the source anywhere. I live alone so I had no one to help me locate it,and it was driving me nuts, as you can imagine. A few days later as I was going in my front door, I noticed the button on my doorbell was jammed in, so I played with it and got it to come back out-I went in and the hum was gone! Yes, the hum was coming from the doorbell unit inside my house, but since it’s located really high, and above a stairwell, I was never able to get close enough to it to realize that was where the hum was coming from. What a relief to get that shut off! It’s amazing how a faint noise like that can drive you bonkers!
YoungHouseLove says
No way, that’s so funny!
xo
s
Laurie says
HA! Yes, we call this “the begats” as in one project begats another. It always starts as “well, if we are doing THIS, we may as well do THAT”…so when I replaced the hardware on an old credenza that I re-purposed for our entryway, I decided we needed matching ORB hardware on our door, and then in the rest of the house. Also, I am pretty sure my hallway is sporting the evil twin of your old doorbell. It is one of those things that I look at all the time and think blech yet I never remember it on my frequent Home Depot runs. Your board and batten project has me thinking about my hallway in a whole new light. I never really thought about “doing” it but we have a long hallway so some wainscoting or board and batten would be ideal. If you get a strongly worded email from my husband complaining that you keep giving me ideas, please ignore him. We all do.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, the begats is awesome!
xo
s
Ali says
We had the same old ugly doorbell, but ours was in the kitchen. When we redid that, we bought a new one much like yours. Now we have to do something about the old ugly thermostat in the hallway!
The changes are small but look great!
Rhonda Blake says
Love the new hallway updates! Do you like/use your whole house fan? We have one and wouldn’t live in a house with it! Saves money on A/C.
YoungHouseLove says
We haven’t used it yet but everyone’s comments about it being awesome makes me excited to try it!
xo
s
Izzy says
Have you guys ever thought of updating/concealing the attic stairs pull? Might be a crazy-small detail that you don’t notice in this hall.
I just installed pull-down attic stairs in the tiny hallway of my 1910 bungalow, and I looove them but the white nylon rope hangs down right in the center of the hall and is visible from the front door. Trying to figure out a solution. Maybe just a little hook to stow it up and more out of sight?
YoungHouseLove says
Someone said they used a hardware pull on theirs, which would be really nice instead of the string!
xo
s
Katie Adams says
That second to last photo is dreamy. So dreamy in fact, that I emailed it to my husband with the subject line: dreamy. I’ve been wanting board and batten for sooooo long.And I so miss our original hardwoods from our old house.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Katie!
xo
s
Becky says
Thank you so much for the idea of painting the fan box. I have one at the end of the hallway that sticks out like a sore thumb, I know what my next home project is. I’ve had some people suggest taking it out, but NO WAY. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my fan. It allows for a lot less air conditioning use, just crack a few windows and turn on the fan, and instantly its 10 degrees cooler in the house. Unless its 100 degrees outside, of course.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!
xo
s
Misty says
I know what you mean about doing one project and it turning into several others! I finally painted over my old red accent wall in my living room with this awesome blue-gray. As I stood looking at it I realized I needed new pictures over the TV. But I couldn’t use old family pictures! Next thing you know I am on the phone booking a photographer, getting my hair done and buying new outfits for all of us! What the heck? That $24 gallon of paint became mighty expensive! LOL
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! It happens to us too!
xo
s
Sally says
I know this is totally off topic, but Gilt Group (ever heard of them – http://www.gilt.com), if having a sale on ceramic animals called “Animal House”! Thought it was pretty funny.
And no, I do not work for them or have an affiliation, whatsoever.
YoungHouseLove says
LOVE IT!
xo
s
Katja @ Shift Ctrl ART says
It looks awesome!!
I do remember fiddling over at one corner of our house after moving in and next thing you know…. it’s “back to the studs”.
Amy @ a new old house says
Those little changes really do make a huge difference!
We have a nasty old doorbell (also circa 1970) that we really need to replace- so your description above will definitely come in handy! Thanks!
Diane says
I thought the ceiling vent was an aperture for pull down attic steps. Must get eyes examined!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! We have a pull down attic in that hallway too!
xo
s
Hannah says
I’ve been drooling over that style of light fixture for my kitchen for over a year now…I absolutely MUST replace the “boob light” in there right now. Now that you’ve got one I can ask the question that’s put me off on purchasing it for so long! How does the metal shade affect the way the light shines? All your pics are with the light off, and I’m wondering if the light would be directed abruptly downwards because of the thick metal shade. Does light pool directly beneath the fixture, or is it more diffused? Would it work in a larger room?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just like the old light that was in the hallway, so we don’t see any noticable difference (the bulb seems dropped enough that it shines all around).
xo
s
Julia at Home on 129 Acres says
I killed our wired doorbell the other week when I accidentally cut through the wires. I was patching a hole in our mudroom, and it turned out the doorbell wires ran right along the stud where I wanted to attach my drywall. Of course, I didn’t realize it was the doorbell I’d killed until the patch was in place, pasted and painted. Whoops. Guess we’re shopping for a wireless version now.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Wireless works just as well :)
xo
s
Tammy says
I love the tweaks. Any plans on redoing the floors. I can’t help but notice that if the would floors flowed all the way to the other wall it would look even more amazing.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we’d love to refinish the hardwoods in the entire house … someday!
xo
s
Brittany says
I love how small changes make such a huge difference.I love the light that you added. I was looking back at how much our house has changed through some old photos today. I realized how much paint can change the size, and mood of a home. Check it out :) http://ryanandbrittknox.blogspot.com/2013/03/evolution-of-house.html
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Brittany!
xo
s
Kristen says
Much improved!! We’re doing the same types of updates too! Did your house have all almond/yellow outlets/switches also? We’re debating if we should swap them all of ours out – we think white would look much more updated. Just wondering :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes our first house had loads of them and this one had quite a few. Definitely an upgrade worth making (makes the whole room feel new).
xo
s
Michele A. says
Ding-dong wine and cheese!
Is your new doorbell the fantasy doorbell of you dreams???
(I love that SNL skit!!!)
I need to fix my doorbell too but it actually has 5 BELLS attached to it – I’m not quite ready for that!
YoungHouseLove says
Woah!
xo
s
marbella says
Awww I was hoping you sprayed that sucker a cool colour! Love it’s art deco vibe! Someone will be really happy to find it though! And the old light too – new one looks fab though.
Mindy says
It looks so much cleaner and refined ;-) BTW our pull-down attic stair also used to have a long string, but we opted to cut off the string, screw an eye hook into the hole, and screw a hook into the end of a dowel rod. The hooked dowel rod we just stashed in a closet out of sight and when we needed to get into the attic we just got it out. For some reason the string just hanging there drove me crazy. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds cool!
xo
s
Improving Krys says
What an incredible improvement those three “little” updates made on the hallway! I suppose in an area that small, the little things make a major impact.
p.s. I think my favorite part of this post is the empty doorbell area with “pretty” pasted across it. I laughed out loud at that!
Yenny says
you guys may already know this but jonathan adler is launching a collection at jcpenney this month! here’s the link in case you need it: http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/jsp/browse/marketing/promotion.jsp?pageId=pg40023000029
i’m excited for this and i hope the jcpenneys in your area (and mine) have a good selection! :D
YoungHouseLove says
So excited!
xo
s
Erin says
About a year ago, my mom’s doorbell started going off every now and then but nobody was at the door. It became a running joke in our family that my mom was just loosing it when she would talk about the mystery doorbell ringer. Fast forward about 6 months to when she was at a BBQ and the new neighbors started talking about THEIR mystery doorbell ringer. Turns out, my mom and the neighbor both had the same wireless doorbells and the signals would cross every so often so when guests were pressing their doorbell button, ours would go off and vice versa. My mom is still a bit crazy but not so crazy to believe mystery doorbell ringers are running around.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s hilarious! No way!
xo
s
Jennifer says
We have the same doorbell, and it’s really loud. I can’t figure out if it’s able to be turned down. And a back up too, our corgi, Reese.
Amme says
Love the little updates. But I have a question. What is a “whole house fan” that Sherry painted the vent for??????WHAT??? It can’t be your air return those slats are too big. Don’t you have central air? so it can’t be an evaporative cooler/swamp cooler can it? Please advise this Texas gal who is very confused. I didn’t know there was such a name difference in major things in homes depending on where in the country you live….
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we have central air but many ranches in Richmond also have a whole house fan for cooling things down if you don’t want to use your air conditioning (it’s much cheaper to use).
xo
s
Cassondra says
Glad to see how easy it is to update a doorbell! We have an ugly one too so once we have some time we’ll have to do an easy swap. You guys always give us the confidence to tackle a project!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Cassondra!
xo
s
Liz says
Wait, you had a wireless doorbell in your old house? I never knew they existed. I don’t have a doorbell and it drives me nuts. Do you remember what brand you had and whether you liked the sound of it?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, Home Depot has lots! More than wired I think! I don’t remember the type but it was inexpensive and super easy to install!
xo
s
Elisha says
I grew up with one of those attic fans I would try and get it up an running its the best for summer nights when or if the air is not working.Pulls cool air from outside/inside.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh it’s up and running! Works really well, we just always forget to turn it on. But folks here are saying they’re awesome so we’re excited to give it a try!
xo
s
Lilly says
I was totally a “If You Give a Wife a Bedroom” recently. New wall hanging meant new curtains which just brought attention to how incomplete I thought the room looked without crown molding. Love how all of your mini updates turned out and glad you posted about installing molding in the hallway. We left ours off our list when we did all the bedrooms and I think it is time our hallway gets equal rights to molding! Thanks for inspiring me to action!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Caron says
I don’t know if I’m posting this to the right area but I’ve been looking at your blog the last few days and have a question. I was wondering if you’ve ever posted about the tools you have and use the most. I’m just getting started renovating my house and have a lot of tools but I know I need some sort of saw to do practically anything and was wondering if you have any suggestions. Is there one that can do almost anything or would I need several depending on the job?
Thanks for any help!! Love your projects and your colors.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, here’s a post for you: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/12/a-handy-little-holiday-gift-list/
xo
s
Rach says
I am completely, totally, 115% obsessed with you guys and your blog. We recently bought our first home and in the process of finding decorating ideas, stumbled upon this blog! I admire your enthusiasm to meticulously blog all of your amazing projects.
Very Inspired!
R
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Rach – you’re so sweet!
xo
s
Jennifer @ Little Meems says
I have that same light fixture, from the very same place, in my laundry room! I also have a wooden, rustic vanity light with some kick butt metal Moroccan tile-inspired shades just waiting for my husband to install them in the…I dunno. I’ll figure out somewhere for them to go. He hates when I go there because I’m always coming home with new lights. Which means he gets to play electrician (his least favorite game). Your hallways looks great!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so funny!
xo
s
Vickie says
I was very frustrated with the lack of nice looking doorbells that were out there when I was needing to buy one a few years ago. I ended up buying a plainish white one just hoping that it would blend in a little bit more than most of the others would. I still dream of having a doorbell that looks more like art hanging on the wall. Maybe that could be your next gig … designing great looking doorbells!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I think we’d have the best time ever doing that actually.
xo
s
Susan says
Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference! Nice work!
Susan
simplymodernhome.com
Jill says
Hi! I’m just wondering about the noise your new doorbell makes. Is it he traditional sound or is it more electronic? I’ve been shopping for what seems like FOREVER for a bell that sounds unique and doesn’t have that tell-tale electronic “ding dong” that sounds cheap.
Do you guys have any leads on non Lowes or Home Depot sources for doorbells that may have a unique sound (or at least one that doesn’t sound boring or mainstream)?
YoungHouseLove says
It sounds normal to me (diiiiing doooong). Maybe check them out in the store (they all have demo buttons to hear them before you buy- Clara had a lot of fun with that!).
xo
s
Michele from IL says
Haha….love the pic of your “back-up doorbell” :)
Lu says
It may not bother you at all, in which case more power to ya, or there may be heigh-accessibilty issues at work, but were you planning on replacing that hanging attic cord? We replaced ours a couple years ago with a simple drawer knob and while I know that may not work for all attic doors, it has been wondrous for ours. We really love NOT seeing it :) Just thought I would share!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome! Love it!
xo
s
Sarah C. says
You’re killing me, smalls. I have no local lighting outlet with amazing deals. Aaaaaarg. So I have a house filled with TERRIBLE lights and just can’t get myself to pony up for something better. If you find an online lighting outlet with good stuff, let us know!
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely try ebay! John’s sister finds amazing deals on there! Also craigslist and even a ReStore (they’re run by Habitat for Humanity, and there’s one in nearly every city).
xo
s
Roberta says
You guys are awesome! Make things look soooo easy!
Alexandra says
Wow it is amazing how much of a difference that made! Also- love that pic of Burger, it’s such a great snap!
katalina says
turn on the attic fan? how do you do that? I was told it turns on automactically when the attic gets too hot and I hear it sometimes. I assumed my attic fan worked but had to get it replaced on the roof–high picked roof and tall skinny house.
why does it make me sad that you might move? big clara room and your kitchen and …! don’t get all novagratz and all and flip so many times. you should enjoy your hard work and work on the yard.
I like the idea of a second house or on the road flips for family members or your YHL readers!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, attic fans are auto on and off, but that is a whole house fan (there’s a switch on the wall and when you flip it the fan draws up heat and if you crack the windows at the same time apparently your house can get 10 degrees cooler without running the air!
As for moving, home is always where we are – and so many of the things we do/buy/make come with us – but we’d never do it yearly or anything. We like to take our time (first house took 4.5 years and we’re on year 3 here at our current casa) and see how it evolves, and enjoy the ever-changing view :)
xo
s
mollie says
haha, i LOVE that picture of burger howling!
Megan says
We redid our doorbell recently and had a very similar old one like you! It makes such a difference. I had wanted a simple white one but my hubby wanted something cool and the more sounds the better. I compromised and got a silver one from Lowes that makes one or two sounds. I’m not going to have our house start singing every time someone’s at our door.
Joy says
LOVE all that you did! it is amazing how everything just disappeared into the background when you changed it out.. I love the light fixture!
Love the photo of Burger.. so cute and right on.. I have two Chihuahuas.. you should hear what it sounds like when the doorbell rings yicks!
Mary | lemongroveblog says
Looks so much better!! Way to snag an amazing deal on that light!
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
Love the burger pic. We have the same kind of doorbell except our chime is a yorkie. Works great except when the baby is sleeping.
Bethany says
So, in the event that someday down the road you do sell, I would be willing to move to Richmond just to be able to live in your house. Or I’d love to rent the house you decided to fix up and rent. : ) You guys are amazing and your book is my favorite coffee table book. I drooled over it when I first read it. Keep up the AMAZING work!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re so sweet Bethany! Thanks so much :)
xo
s
Lindsay says
Looks beautiful! Try a driveway alarm and you’ll never go back to a doorbell! I bought a house that had a motion sensing “doorbell” that chimes when anyone crosses the threshold of the driveway and it’s a-ma-zing! Just enough warning to check my hair, slip on a sweater, and greet someone just as they get to the door. I pinned the model I have: http://pinterest.com/pin/228909593531164764/
YoungHouseLove says
Really smart!
xo
s
Ida says
there are 2 doorbells, actually 4, over at my house. The doorbell that came in the house and 3 dogs. Yes, insane! I have a note posted outside to please not ring the doorbell or the barking lasts forever. Oh and great job on the light fixture for $18. You guys constantly amaze me!