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Adding Overhead Lighting & Extra Outlets

Yes, that’s an electric slide reference. And I’d bet money that it’s cracking my mom up while my brother is rolling his eyes and vowing never to read this blog again.

Let’s talk about electrical updates, like hanging a new capiz chandelier in the bedroom, and putting our heads together to gain a few bonus outlets and cut down on drywall holes while running electrical wiring. After last week’s post about our four new outdoor sconces, we mentioned we had some other wiring work done inside at the same time, so here’s the rundown on everything we added, where it went, and how much it all cost.

We’ll start with the prettiest result so far – the new light in our bedroom.

Capiz 7 Over Bed Detail

We had the electricians add ceiling fixtures to all four of the upstairs bedrooms, since we like the look and convenience of overhead lighting, but all the bedrooms were without it. Thankfully there was no drywall-disrupting work necessary other than the hole in the ceiling for the fixture box because they could takeover the existing switches, which used to just operate various wall outlets in each room. So not only did we not have to add additional light switches, we no longer accidentally turn off random things like the cable box or the sound machine as we leave those rooms.

Electrical Upstairs Bedrooms

We don’t have fixtures for the kids rooms or the guest room picked out yet, so we’ll just add white metal covers to minimize the whole blue-circle-with-wires-in-it look until we find some. But we did have the master bedroom light ready and waiting. It’s this Large Lotus Pendant that we ordered from World Market waaaaay back when we bought our hallway lights. It was going out of stock and we got the same 25% off deal on it as the other three lights, so it was $112 instead of $149 with free shipping.

Capiz 1 Fixture On Bed

Our only gripe upon receiving it was that it didn’t include a light kit (we somehow missed that bullet on their website). Then we noticed that World Market’s light kits only come in black or silver, so we hunted down these two bronze options from Home Depot and Lowe’s. They’re the kind they make so you can pair them with their decorative glass shades (like the ones they show on the packaging) but we thought they could work for this application too (fingers crossed). We liked that they had a few finish options and came with all the other hanging hardware (and a ceiling canopy) that we’d need.

Capiz 2 Light Kits

The “aged” finish of the Portfolio brand pendant from Lowe’s (it was $18) was a better match to the fixture, which was lucky because it was the only one that ended up fitting. The ring on the capiz fixture was slightly too small to screw it on normally, so instead it rests on the flared part of the light kit like so:

Capiz 3 Light Kit In Fixture

Once we realized that nesting the cord and shade that way would work, the installation process was pretty straight forward. In fact it might be the quickest light install we’ve done here so far, clocking in at under fifteen minutes yesterday morning. Bingo. Bango. And not once did John poke himself in the face with a metal flower petal. I was not so lucky.

Capiz 4 John Hanging

It takes one 60-watt bulb so it’s nice bonus lighting on top of the two bedside lamps that we’ve been surviving with so far in this room (since we’ve lived with only those for over a year, we knew anything on the ceiling was just icing on the wattage cake for us). But can I just tell you how incredibly novel it feels to walk into a bedroom and flip the light on from the doorway. Seriously, it’s almost akin to living without a dishwasher forever and then getting one. Suddenly you feel like royalty.

Capiz 6 Straight Over Bed

But let’s switch gears to a quick overview of the whole electrical job. Here’s everything that was accomplished in the three mornings they were here (it was too hot to be in the attic or crawl space later in the day, so they spread out their work across the cooler morning hours):

  • Added ceiling fixtures to four upstairs bedrooms via our attic
  • Converted light switches in said bedrooms to operate ceiling lights instead of wall outlets
  • Added four sconces out back in the veranda (operated by an existing switch in the living room)
  • Safely terminated some old radio/intercom wiring in veranda
  • Added a ceiling fixture in our downstairs office (and converted an existing light switch)
  • Added a floor outlet in the office beneath our floating desk
  • Added two additional wall outlets in the office (more on those in a second)

Update: You guys are asking for more office floor outlet details, so here they are: it was a really simple addition since they could come up from the crawl space. Didn’t take them too long at all. They just wired it up from below and drilled a small hole in the floor from above and popped the outlet cover on. You can see the finished result below:

Electrical Downstairs Work

We got the bill this weekend, which totaled around $1,500. The breakdown was $270 for materials and the rest was labor/time. It was definitely one of the larger electrician bills we’ve received, but we paid around $900 for the lighting in our first kitchen, so getting nine fixtures across six rooms and three new outlets was a lot more work/time, and we were pleasantly surprised to realize that it calculates out to an average of about $100 per item, not including all of the switches they converted or the intercom they terminated. If we had electricians come out to tackle these rooms individually instead of bulking them all, it would likely have been a few hundred bucks per room each time (they’d be in and out of the attic a bunch of times instead of being able to do everything all at once). So efficiency = saved money, especially when you’re paying by the hour.

Besides passing along the try-to-combine-lots-of-jobs-if-you-can tip, this was also a good reminder that it helps to be available if at all possible when this type of work is being done. In this case, it saved us from lots of unnecessary holes in our office ceiling. Thanks to being there, we were able to put our heads together to come up with an alternate wire route than the first one they proposed, which ended up causing a lot less drywall destruction:

Electrica Ceiling Plan

Instead of going through multiple joists and making tons of ceiling holes, we realized if the wires were run parallel to the fixture box joist, it could be snaked down that wall, and fed over to the wall switch via the crawl space instead of the ceiling (they’d be down there anyway adding that floor outlet). That option only required one small hole in the ceiling (near the tip of the blue arrow above) instead of nearly ten holes had we gone with the first method. It also meant there would be a few down the wall, but those would have been made near the light switch if we went with the other method anyway, and patching walls holes feels much less perilous to us than ceiling ones anyway (ceilings just tend to catch the light more and show every last imperfection, whereas wall ones are more forgiving).

Another little bonus that we came up with after putting our heads together was gaining this outlet right under the surface of John’s desk:

Under Desk Outlet

When the electrician told us a hole would end up around that area as he snaked the wire down, I asked if we could place that hole below the desk line and put an outlet there to fill the hole (instead of having to patch yet another area). He said no problem, and now John can keep his cords out of sight better (the original outlet he was using was behind one of the shelves that we anchored to the wall, so a big power strip had been resting on the floor beneath the desk).

We did the same thing on the wall under the light switch where he was going to have to make a hole anyway. That extra hole-filling outlet meant we could plug in our printer and that lamp without the cords having to snake out to the outlet under the window. So being home and talking through options might add up to more functional outlet/switch placement and less spackling & sanding.

Electrical Computer Cord

Oh, and that’s a painting of a monster that Clara brought home from art camp last week. I think it’s our new favorite creation of hers, so it might just get a permanent home there eventually. One that doesn’t involve masking tape.

Electrical Clara Drawing

So obviously you’ll be getting some light fixture updates for the office and the rest of those upstairs bedrooms sometime in near (ish?) future as we find fixtures for those spaces. Now if only we could punch our ceilings up a foot or two to give us more options. #8ftceilingproblems

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Comments

  1. Tirsa says

    What a gorgeous light fixture!

    Unfortunately for us, fans are a must in the bedrooms upstairs. It just gets too warm and then rather unbearable at night.

    Reply

  2. Kellee says

    that light in your room is so pretty I might use that as inspiration for my girls room :) also I wanted to tell you I finally got a chance to get to target and get me a octopus :)(we live 4 hrs from one) when I got there I couldn’t find them any where it was so saddening but I asked a clerk and he looked it up and found one in the back woo hoo now I just need to decide where to put him :D

    Reply

  3. Lindsay says

    I’m so totally in love with this light fixture! I’ve seen this in various sizes at our HomeGoods (In Rehoboth DE, please come back to the Beach and shop with me!) and for some reason I always talk myself out of it.

    I’m dying to see this at night! Any chance you would instagram a picture with just this light on?! I would be so very appreciative!

    Reply

  4. Kim S says

    LOVE that master bedroom light! Sadly I don’t think we could live without our ceiling fan here in Florida, but a girl can dream. I’m also so jealous of your hidden cord/outlet situation (she says as she plays footsie with the power strip under her desk…).

    Reply

  5. Elizabeth says

    Love the light! And the collage wall! So funny I made a very similar wall in our hallway over the weekend with the same frames! Great minds think alike!

    Reply

  6. Michelle | Birds of Berwick says

    I bought that same light from World Market a few months ago for my pantry!!! The sale price was awesome! I haven’t had time to hang it yet, so it goes on the “blog backlog” until I do. I guess we just have similar tastes as you? Gallery wall over the bed? Check. Lotus Light? Check. Adorable kids? Nope – you guys got the market on that one! :-)

    Reply

  7. Cher says

    THANK YOU SO MUCH for this post. I’m in a 100+ year old home that was built before electricity, so getting plugs and/or lamps in the right place is nearly impossible (but if you want gaslights in every single room, I’m your girl) and I didn’t think I had any options other than to view the snaking extension cords as “modern art.” My electrician and all his now-college-bound children also thank you!

    Reply

  9. Necole@seriouslysassymama says

    This has nothing to do with this post, but I just wanted to say how much I love seeing your sweet little girls artwork in your home, and how you incorporate family first. I know you make money with this blog, and that it is your job. I just think it is awesome that when I read your post everyday, I can easily forget you do this for a job. You really seem to enjoy it. So thanks for keeping it real.

    I love the light fixture.

    Reply

  14. Courtney says

    Do you seriously not have some washi tape lying around?! I use that for those temporary do I like this here stick ups. Then if I leave it up a little too long, it’s not such an eyesore.

    Reply

  16. Nina D says

    Hooray for no visible cords snaking to the wall from the printer cabinet! (Even looking at other people’s cords makes me itchy.)

    Clara’s monster is AWESOME. I see an Etsy shop in that girl’s future!

    Reply

  17. katalina says

    I am an artist/photographer and that drawing of Clara’s should be framed PRONTO.

    got any frames left over?!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Katalina! We don’t but I’m itching to grab another one just for that print. It makes me smile like crazy (I have a nice view of it from my desk).

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      In our area, light fixtures convey with a house when you sell it (since they’re attached – like curtain rods) – so we think it’s still living it up in our old bedroom!

      xo
      s

  22. Ellie says

    I love the photo wall and the new light fixture. I know your bedroom must be such a relaxing, fun place to be these days. Great idea to use the wood frames with lots of white space on the mats. Love the contrast with your dark wall. I’m jealous!

    Reply

  24. McKayla says

    Love the master bedroom light fixture! I can attest to how awesome overhead lights are when you haven’t had them. We just had 3 installed in a couple bedrooms. Makes me so happy to flip and switch and have light!!!

    Reply

  27. Jessica says

    OMGeeeeee! It’s like your first house’s bedroom light fixture and your second house’s bedroom light had a baby!

    Reply

  28. Sarah says

    I love that light fixture!!! On another note, would you mind sharing info on the art class for locals? Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s called ArtHaus and it’s over on Huguenot. Such a fun place! They do morning classes in the summer, with a different theme each week. Clara loved going for their Fantasy & Fairy Tales week!

      xo
      s

  29. Lindsay @ Lindsay Weighs In says

    Your blog makes me want to get my life together & buy a house so I can decorate it as beautifully as you all have yours! But for now, I shall keep renting, and hope I buy a house by the time I’m 30. LOVE Clara’s monster picture! I can’t even.

    Reply

  30. Gilly says

    Clara totally drew a monster that looks into my soul, but I still want to be friends with it. WTG Clara.

    Reply

  31. Erin Moria says

    Hi, Sherry! One suggestion: Since this post was really wordy – I liked the notes you put on the picture for the printer cabinet. And then I got to thinking that the notes on the pic made it more pinterest friendly. Know what I mean? I’d like to see more notes on your pics because sometimes I don’t have time to read the post but I want to know what the post is about. I love reading your blog each day. It’s one of my favorite internet activities. :) I hope you’re having a good summer and I’m looking forward to seeing a beach-day post. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just installed it yesterday so we got to see the shadows last night for the first time! They’re pretty little facets around it. So sweet! Will have to remember to snap a picture for you guys.

      xo
      s

  33. Lynn @ Safebeauty says

    The light in the bedroom looks deee-viiiine! We have our list to give to our electrician friend who will be able to save us tons in the end. I might try to talk him into doing it for an authentic island dinner (and parts of course), so we’ll see.

    My best, Lynn
    *My little Sofie can hear the word Pegasus on that Rav 4 commercial from the moon and come running shouting “I love a Pegasuuuus! I have to have one! Pleeeeeeease?!?”

    Reply

  34. Sophie says

    Is it possible to fall in love with a light fixture?
    Do you think they make tuxes in its size because I honestly want to marry a light.

    Reply

  36. Karen Bidus says

    How do you figure out how much light you need in a particular space?Dealing with a small den with an 8′ foot ceiling, and a large open living, dining, kitchen space with a vaulted ceiling. All seem way too dark to me, despite overhead lighting in the kitchen and lots of tabletop lighting. Is there some kind of watts per cubic foot ratio that I could use?

    Thank you. Have learned so much from your blog!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s a great question! I have never heard of that, but it would be so useful to have a guide for that sort of thing. It sounds like some recessed lights might brighten your space, or you could try using higher wattage if the fixtures allow for it (perhaps the last owner put 40 watt bulbs in everything, but they can take 100 watt bulbs, etc). Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  37. Nerine says

    I still can’t believe your house had no ceiling lighting!!! And that the last owners put up with that for sooo long, is this an American thing? I’m in Australia & every house has ceiling lighting even in old houses. I think I would of done it the first week I was there, in love with all the light fixtures you choose so can’t wait to see what you guys pick next! ( especially for miss Clara’s room, a chandelier maybe?)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it might be an American thing from a certain era. In the 70s/80s there was this whole “lamps are softer light” thing going on, so many homes from that time were built that way I think (at least in our region) since some people preferred that instead of overhead light. But you can’t beat the convenience of walking into a room and flipping on the light!

      xo
      s

  39. Ana Silva says

    I love how you don’t use the same light fixture thought the house. I don’t like those houses where the same boob light is in every room. You guys are so inspirational. And Teddy is such a beautiful baby!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Let’s see, there are online shops like overstock.com and lampsplus.com, and we have a line of under $99 lights on shadesoflight.com (there’s a link on our sidebar). You also might want to see if there’s a lighting outlet in your area (we have one that we love!). Also places like World Market (where we got this one) or Ikea or West Elm can have cool things!

      xo
      s

  42. April says

    Be grateful for your 8′ ceilings! ;) Our ceilings are only 7 ft. And my husband and I are 6′ and 5’8″, respectively. I just barely skim under door frames, but he knocks his head if he’s not careful.

    Reply

  43. lizzy says

    Wow! I have always been a proponent of floor outlets – it just makes sense and so much more useful. (hiding ugly cords) – Your light fixture is gorgeous. Yeah! Do the Boogie Woogie dance.

    Reply

  44. Joseph@littlehouseblue says

    When we moved into our house both bedrooms had ceiling fans with no lights. We lived like that for about a year until we finally broke down and bought light kits. Oh my goodness I felt like a god when I could walk into the room, flip a switch, and light the whole room.

    One of the kits we got from the Decorating Outlet. The lady there was hilariously condescending when I asked her why the kit was clearanced and was it missing anything. Her response was, “No, they’re just not really popular. Basically it’s ugly.”

    Reply

  45. Peggy McKee says

    Your electrical work sounds like a big improvement overall.

    I hope you will keep us updated on how well you like the floor outlet. I grew up in an open plan house that had floor outlets and frankly, they were a nuisance. They were dirt traps, you ended up tripping over them, and heaven help you if you spilled mop water onto one! Also furniture arrangement was dictated by the outlets. My house was built in 1950 so perhaps your outlets are better designed.

    Keep up posted! Good luck! Peg M

    Reply

  46. Julie says

    Love your decorating ideas and both of your sense of humor! Made this same light from a candle holder I found at home goods for $50. Used the lowes light kit as well. Found the idea and instructions at “view along the way”. Beautiful!

    Reply

  49. kimi says

    I totally am in LOVE with your bedroom!! Its perfect!!! LOVE this light choice!! Great job AGAIN!!!;)

    Reply

  50. Jen says

    Love the new light fixture! Same shape/idea as your previous bedroom lighting but much more sophisticated. I really like where you are going with your bedroom in this house. :)

    Speaking of lighting.. Where is the lamp in the last two photos from??

    Reply

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