After over a year of living without one, another bedroom has been upgraded to have a ceiling light fixture – and this time it’s Teddy’s room. Woo to the hoo guys. It’s the best thing ever. I know that sounds like an overstatement, but you don’t know how convenient ceiling light fixtures are until you buy a house without any in all of the rooms upstairs except for the bathrooms.
When I saw this stick light on Joss & Main I thought it was fun and beachy-yet-geometric. And call me crazy, but I immediately looked at it and saw a ceiling pendant. To make sure I wasn’t being weird, I ran the idea of converting this plug-in table lamp by John. Thankfully he was right there on the stick light train with me.
When it came, we turned it over to see what we were working with. There was essentially a small screw that held the cord down so it could sit on a table, so that was the first thing I removed.
Once that was out of the way…
… it allowed me to gain access to this bolt that held the existing cord kit and shade on. We debated just keeping this plug and turning it into a ceiling fixture (often you can cut the cord of a plug-in fixture to expose the inner ones you need to hardwire it), but it happened to have one of those very small bulb sockets – you know for teeny bulbs? We wanted a little more light and a standard sized bulb in there, so off it came.
To remove the rest of the original wiring, we were able to unscrew the socket from below…
… which freed it up.
Finally, we were left with just a shade, which we could convert into a hanging fixture thanks to the ring on the bottom which would easily hold a standard light kit (with a standard sized bulb).
So all that was left was to grab one of these white pendant light kits from Home Depot.
All we did to make it work with the shade was to thread the pendant cord up from below the shade (through that little white ring of the top of the shade) so that rests on the curved white bulb holder, which puts the light bulb right in the middle of the arched stick shade.
But wait, isn’t something made of kindling with a light in it a giant fire hazard?! Glad you asked. Paper lampshades and lanterns (as well as basket shades) are commonly used, so there’s no fire hazard as long as heat can escape out the top and bottom of the shade, and the bulb has ample clearance (i.e., it isn’t super close to or pressed up against the shade). And even though a normal bulb should work in this arrangement, we used an LED bulb which doesn’t cause as much heat buildup as an incandescent bulb (it still needs ample ventilation though!).
So Teddy’s room is now all hooked up with a warm white LED that should give us about 25,000 hours before it needs to be replaced. Also, it looks like a robot eagle is holding the bulb. John digs that part the most.
It’s nice to finally have something up there. And the sticks even subtly reference the driftwood mobile and the white lines in our T-wall.
Here it is all lit up. So glowey (say that the same way The Soup says “so meaty”).
And if you’re observant you might have noticed a little side table action going on, thanks to this yard sale find.
The $1 price tag was too good to resist.
Especially since it’s the exact same color as our old school rocking horse (another secondhand find of ours). So Teddy’s room is pretty much done for now, I think.
Also, Clara is in here way too much. But it’s sweet. That girl can make that rocking horse look like it’s going to catapult her right out the window, but so far there have been no rocker-related injuries. Now I have to go knock on wood.
Oh wait, and speaking of lights, there were requests to see our bedroom fixture all lit up and glowing at night, so here you go.
We love that it tosses out soft shapes on the ceiling.
UPDATE! We’ve finally transitioned our entire house to LED lights (they save tons of energy & money, and they’re a lazy person’s best friend because you never have to change them). For anyone wondering, these are our favorite interior LEDs. Their glow is warm & natural (not weird/blue like some of the others we’ve tried) and they’re actually the ones you see glowing in these pics (they’re extremely similar to regular bulbs, but they use around 90% less energy).
Juanita says
Love how the room has come together…now, i’m sure you’ve said, but where is the chair from? i really like it.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! Joss & Main a few years back. It used to be in our last house’s kitchen across from the fireplace.
xo
s
Lindsay says
First of all, I love my octopus key hanger. I haven’t named him yet but rest assured, once we hang him up in our new house, he’ll have a fine name. I’m thinking Ollie… (And now that they’re on sale, I might grab a bunch of doorknobs. I love the way you use them as necklace hangers!)Anyway, I was wondering how it’s working out not having a glider in Teddy’s room. I’m planning a (future) nursery and I HATE standard gliders. Hate. Hatehatehate. I love the chair you guys have in there but I just wonder if you ever feel like you wish he was a rocking chair. Your thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lindsay! Give our love to Ollie. And as for not having a glider, we didn’t have one in Clara’s room either, and I tend to nurse everywhere (in our bed, down on the couch, on the back deck, in the car parked at Target, etc). We actually use that nursery chair more for stories with Clara and Teddy on my (or John’s) lap than nursing. An ottoman is nice to put your feet up on though, so maybe think about a comfy chair & ottoman combo?
xo
s
Annie says
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE you guys’ work, but I have a question. You mentioned that your light shade is a little “beachy” and I’ve gotten that vibe from several pieces in your house. My question is how do you decide to go beachy in a colonial house? How do you decide what looks good and doesn’t work against the house? Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s such a good question! In fact I think it could make a great post! For us, it has always been about surrounding ourselves with things we love – but with that being said there are just certain things that might look “out there” in a colonial, so we try to keep the house in mind and find some middle ground. In the nursery we have thick crown and built-ins that work with the house’s style, so a spiky light in the same color palette as the room seems to fit in while being a little quirky, which we like. We’ve seen some pretty awesome “light and airy” colonials online and in magazines, so those definitely inspire us.
xo
s
Elaine - Visual Meringue says
LOVE the light guys – great instinct on the conversion Sherry! And I have to comment that the side table is an amazing find – it’s just perfect in Teddy’s room! Love both of this updates :)
Kendra says
I love the light, but how are you going to keep it dust free?
YoungHouseLove says
I’m going to try a feather duster I think! I was considering spraying it with canned air every once in a while but someone said that was toxic. Never knew that!
xo
s
Kate says
Vacuum cleaner, brush attachment. Easy peasy!
Page says
I totally feel you on the inconvenience of no overhead lights! We just moved into a new home and the first thing we’re doing is getting overhead fixtures in all of the bedrooms – I’ve banged my shins on enough furniture and boxes already to last me a lifetime.
Aimee C says
I like lots of things you’ve done in this room, but I seriously hate that light fixture. It looks weird and pink, and doesn’t really go with the style of the room. What do you have against ceiling fans? We have a really handsome one in our baby boy’s room with a dimmer and different speeds. It’s useful and I think it looks better than a random decorative poofball.
YoungHouseLove says
Your ceiling fan sounds nice! We tend to use table fans in our bedrooms (see the big Hunter one on the changing table?) but we know some people can’t live without their ceiling fans. Definitely one of those epic battles of personal preference :)
xo
s
Aimee says
Honestly ceiling fans use much less electricity than having little standing table fans. Seems like it would be a better choice for your “energy efficient” house.
Bethany says
I’m sure this is a regional thing. Down in Florida I can’t imagine having a bedroom without a ceiling fan – we use them year-round down here (feel sorry for me please). I don’t mind the look of them, probably because it’s just the norm here. But it would be cool to have a more interesting fixture like the ones in your bedrooms! If only it wasn’t so hot… Haha
Jenny says
Ceiling fans are certainly common here too, and I don’t know if this was meant to be snarky, Aimee but i think telling J & S you hate their fixture is rude. It’s not your personal preference – but it’s their house, not yours. The light is not my personal preference either, but it’s a good thing that we all have our own houses to decorate exactly how we like :)
Stardancer says
The Target collection is leaving?! That settles it. I need to march out to Target right now and pick up an octopus. I haven’t been able to figure out what to do with it, which is why I don’t own (at least) one already, but I must have one. I’ll figure out where to put it later >.>
I have no idea if this would be feasible, but you know what would be adorable? A larger-scale octopus to use as a coat rack!
YoungHouseLove says
That would be awesome!
xo
s
Lane says
It almost looks like it’s made out of lollipop sticks, which is just adorable for a kid’s room.
Morgan says
We inherited the same rocking horse from my husband’s parents! It was my husband’s when he was little. Our little girl was born a few weeks before Teddy so we haven’t seen it in action yet. Hope she loves it as much as Clara!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
Eva says
Where did you get the grey chair in Teddy’s room? Looking for one to put in our son’s room, and having a hard time finding one we like the look of.
YoungHouseLove says
That was from Joss & Main a while back (used to live across from the fireplace in our last house).
xo
s
Melanie says
What happened to the other side table?
YoungHouseLove says
Back when we shared that we photographed it next to the chair but said it might end up in the living room (there’s not much pattern or color in there at all) so we think it might work better downstairs. Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Lindsay says
Did you guys ever do a post on how you picked baby names? I don’t remember one, but my husband and I are stuck between 2-3 names and we just can’t decide. I have a few more months, but thought I’d see if you guys had any advice, since you have two adorable kids with awesome names!
YoungHouseLove says
We usually just wait to meet the baby if we’re between a few names or unsure. We love family names, so those tend to float to the top of our list since they have meaning and can honor someone.
xo
s
Jeanna says
I wasn’t sure when I saw the first photo, but I love it lit up, and it all makes sense now. I love how it references the “T” wall, and even the ottoman. You both have such a great eye for light fixtures. I especially loved all of the light fixtures in the show house :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Jeanna! We always joke that our taste in lights is crazy sometimes (and definitely polarizing), but we just can’t resist things like those gold accordion pendants that we hung over the showhouse’s kitchen island, and we’ve had so much fun with the ones in our house so far. They make us smile :)
xo
s
Stephanie says
LOVE it. Looks so cute and I would have never thought of that. Sigh… can you guys come re-do my house? I’ll pay you in baked goods.
YoungHouseLove says
Compelling offer…
xo
s
Lisa S. says
a note on your Psss ending — it would be so cool to see some of the unexpected or cool ways your readers have used your Target selection (of course, if they agree to let you publish their photos).
I’m so sad that it’s not a permanent item in their stores (or a series of items that get updated on a yearly-ish basis). I’m renting right now and don’t have a place for the items, but absolutely adore them. I definitely would have picked some up after I buy a place.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lisa! We have seen so many awesome photos of them in use via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. It would definitely be fun to share those somehow!
xo
s
Jessica @ RunYourMuttOff says
I requested the photo of your capiz chandelier lit at night; OMG it looks gorgeous!! Now, can I hire you to convince my husband I need one of those in my bedroom??
Carla says
Auntie Moose here, with one thing to say:
Slowly, carefully walk away from the spray paint and holster your trigger finger.
I repeat.
Do not go DIY nutso on the fabulous rocking horse and wicker side table. The wood elements add warmth and balance.
Whew.
That was a close one.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Don’t you worry, we love them just the way they are ;)
xo
s
Kelly says
Every time I read this blog, which is pretty much every day, it seems like the magical home decorating fairies align the planets and WHAM. You post about the EXACT thing I’m stumbing over. I just painted my daughter’s room in the color mentioned here https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/02/holy-buckets/ and we have been slowly building in furniture, bedding, etc. That boob light, though. Just couldn’t figure it out. Well, the fairies have struck again. :)
Eliza says
The best is lamp like sticks, but it’s possible to make diy. What do you think about this? :)) Eliza
YoungHouseLove says
That would be fun! We’d love to see photos!
xo
s
Marlena says
That looks great! I love how you’ve found interesting light fixtures like that basket in the last house. Over the years I’ve come to realize that lighting is the real game-changer in rooms. We’re saving up to install some recessed lighting in our living room and switching out light fixtures to ones that are more “us.”
Kierstin says
That’s truly awesome! Very unique.
Melanie @ Pebbledashedpad says
This looks great…
I’m based in London where no customisation is required though…..pendant lamp just like this can be found at B&Q. That said I painted mine gold first then changed my mind and sprayed it deep grey where it’s now hanging in our snug looking quite cool (I like to think!!!) I’m planning a post in a week or so where a ill feature it….
Xx
YoungHouseLove says
So cool!
xo
s
Danielle P says
Seriously, when I first saw this post I thought you guys had gone off the deep end and done a DIY fixture from Qtips – a la the clothespin laundry lamp. Relieved it was sticks. #qtiplampshade
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Allison says
I totally thought q-tips at first, too! haha! Glad I wasn’t the only one.
Emily says
It’s so odd, I live in Winston-Salem, NC which where Liberty Hardware is located – the folks who make the YHL Target collection – and I’ve never seen your items at my Target! I haven’t scoured every aisle but it definitely hasn’t been on any endcap in the areas I’d expect. Disappointing.
The light fixture is really interesting in the nursery! I don’t have an overhead light in my living room but have been okay without it – but I’m dying to add a ceiling fan to my bedroom where the light is currently. Nervous about the electrician cost though!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry Emily! There’s a list of stores that carry it here for you if that helps: http://www.libertyhardware.com/yhlstorelocator
xo
s
Emily says
thanks – still seems a little strange they wouldn’t sell it in any Winston-Salem Targets! Good thing I work closer to another store on the list. :)
Ronica says
Q-tip explosion!!!
Sorry, it was my first thought. Like it, though. Very funky. :)
Danielle says
love the new light! teddy was born the day after my baby girl Isla. It is so awesome watching him grow right along with her.
PS- the links for your current house, show house, and 2nd home galleries are not working. The first house one does, but not the others.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Anyone else having trouble with those? We just checked and they worked on our end. Maybe try refreshing a few times?
xo
s
Krystine @ www.KrystineEdwards.com says
I think I may be copying this AMAZING light idea! Working on a clients nursery for a little boy and just wasn’t feeling the lights out there right now- Bravo to y’all!
Leah: ) says
OMG – that light fixture is perfect!!! Brilliant idea to convert it, and so so inspiring as a DIY!! Also, that side table…seriously…perfection. Teddy’s room looks so amazing and cozy.: )
P.S. – My husband laughs so hard whenever I say “so meaty” – hahahahaha!!!
Leah: )
Rosy@justmyrosylife says
Can I hire you guys to help me with my house :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Rosy!
xo
s
Samara says
Your style is awesome! Love both of the lights and I want to copycat them in my house:)
Heather MacFeather says
Both lights look so great. I am fascinated by shades that throw a pattern on the walls and ceiling.
I have a clear crackle glass shade from my Grandma’s house that I put into my front entrance. That and a clear bulb throw the coolest patterns on the ceiling and walls. I am sad about what will happen when incandescent bulbs go away because a similar crackle glass globe i found at a second hand store looked the pitts when I used a frosted bulb. A simple swap and the magic was back.
Does your capiz shade have a frosted or clear bulb? If not clear, I wonder if the effect would be even more awesome.
Love seeing the changes and the growing little guy who is looking so much like Clara.
H
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Heather! Right now it has a CFL, so a clear bulb would throw even more shadows I think!
xo
s
Darcy says
A business idea for you: Can you figure out a way to bottle the ability to see that light fixture that way?
Because I would be first in line to buy that! Can you guys figure that out?!?!
Would be ever so grateful! xo!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet Darcy! Anything that’s open in the middle is a pretty good candidate (it’s a huge indicator that something’s hollow like that in the middle is if it’s already a table lamp, since a bulb has to fit in there with clearance :)
xo
s
Maggie says
I’ve lived in four rentals since college and only two have had overhead lighting (kitchen & bath always did, luckily). In one now with no overheads. Such a pain because I never know if I’ll need a gazillion lamps when I move again. Of course, the last apartment’s overhead was ancient and sooooo awful (weird shape & weird special bulbs put out terrible headache inducing dim light) that we stocked up on lamps. Both the apartments without ceiling lights were built in the 90’s or 00’s, go figure…
Amy says
Your bedroom light looks so pretty at night. Super love it!
Raesha says
I wasn’t so sure about the light fixture…..it got an HMMMM from me when I first saw it…and a “can’t wait to see what these two do with THAT”…but by the end of your post I think I really like it – it reminds me of a sea urchin when it’s all lit up. And for this Pacific Northwest, raised on the shores of the Puget Sound, turned desert rat…little touches that remind me of sea creatures are always awesome. Well done my friend. OOHH….and I’ve been meaning to ask – I bought a copy of your book at Target and I would love to have a bookplate signed by you to add to it. Do you have a public address that you use that I could send a bookplate to you to inscribe, along with a SASE? THANKS!!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Raesha! If you shoot me an email (there’s a contact us link at the bottom of the blog) we can figure it out.
xo
s
Sarah @ Curtains for patio doors says
This is absolutely amazing!
Loved the detailed instructions. It was really clever what you did!
And that side table??? Just 1$?? Why can’t I ever find yard sales like those? Grrr
Steph says
Love it!!! Hey- how tall are your ceilings??
YoungHouseLove says
They’re just standard 8 foot ceilings.
xo
s
Elyse says
Thank you so much for posting a picture of the pendant in your bedroom lit up. I know it’s sort of silly to post but I wondered all afternoon what that looked like lit up! Thanks for listening to your fans! Y’all are great and Richmond loves you!!!
YoungHouseLove says
We love Richmond right back ;)
xo
s
Kim says
Love love love this!! I’m sure Teddy loves it too, he’s one lucky kiddo! And speaking of Teddy… I’m dying for a post All Things Teddy! I feel like we know you guys and Clara so well but are still sort of waiting to get to know your newest family member. Would love to hear all about what sort of a baby he is, if he’s similar to or different from Clara, what you guys are doing the same vs. different this time around, what Clara’s world has been like now that she’s a big sis, etc.
YoungHouseLove says
That would be fun!
xo
s
Becky Horst says
When we moved into our current house it too had no overhead lights except kitchen, dining room and bathrooms. The first thing we did when I found out I was prego was get some overhead lighting installed in the bedrooms. Life changing!!! You will be especially grateful at time change season!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that!
xo
s
Gwen says
Ditto on the dimmer! Awesome for middle of the night diaper changes or feedings. My kids still use them as night lights.
Kristi says
Actually, LED bulbs put off a ton of heat. I just stuck my hand on my reading lamp (60w equivalent) to verify and almost got burned. Those fins on the back of the LED bulb? They’re for dissipating the TON OF HEAT that LEDs put off. That is one of the reasons why you don’t see 100W equivalent bulbs around much yet…they are tricky to make because they need a big heat sink.
I’m sure yours will be fine…plenty of breathing room. However, I hope others don’t read LED=no heat and make a fire hazard light of their own.
Other than that, I love the fixture! So unique and cool, perfect for that room!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Kristi! Never knew that (I googled around for more info before adding that note and saw sites like this that said “LEDs do not cause heat build-up… common incandescent bulbs get hot and contribute to heat build-up in a room. LEDs prevent this heat build-up, thereby helping to reduce air conditioning costs in the home.” Certainly don’t want anyone getting hurt, so I’ll amend my little note in the post. Thanks again for the heads up!
xo
s
Ali says
Where did you get the rug?
YoungHouseLove says
HomeGoods!
xo
s
Courtney says
I got tired of reading through the comments to see if this has already been answered, so sorry if I’m beating a dead horse, but why does it look like Teddy doesn’t even live in that room? I could never keep my kids rooms’ that clean, he doesn’t even have a blanket in his crib!
YoungHouseLove says
Teddy’s in the spit up stage, so the blanket we swaddle him with at night comes with him out of the crib (it was over my shoulder as I held him while taking these pics). The whole space definitely gets trashed by Clara when she plays with his toys (you can see her handiwork here!) but she puts stuff back in those bins when she’s done. Teddy’s 12 weeks old so he mostly just sleeps in here (he’s downstairs with us most of the day). No running around and throwing stuff all over the place… yet!
xo
s
Tamara @ Provident Home Design says
I love Teddy’s room! Beautifully done!! Great work on the light! I don’t find many DIYs that intimidate me but for some reason lighting DIYs still do :-( Hopefully one day…
Jim says
I bet the light from that would set an amazing ambience in the room. Way better than your typical fixture. Great job.
Amy says
Geek alert! It’s a common misconception that LED bulbs don’t produce heat. We switched all our bulbs to LEDs and I can tell you that they DO get hot. The difference is that the LED itself doesn’t produce much (if any) heat so the tip of the bulb stays cool, but the semiconductor on the base if the bulb produces quite a bit of heat, which is why there is a funny-looking heat sink at the base of every LED bulb. Because of this need to let the heat out, most LED bulbs aren’t rated for use in fully-enclosed fixtures (the heat would build up and damage the semiconductor which causes the bulb to dim over time or fail prematurely.) So there’s your fun fact for the day. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Amy! Love that tidbit!
xo
s
Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says
To give you an idea about the age of your rocking horse, I purchased that exact same one when my son was born and he just turned 31. I still have the rocking horse and it’s still in great shape. Will be passing it down to his son (my grandson) one day. He’s just 4 1/2 months old so will be a little while before he can use it. :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing Susan!
xo
s
Colette says
I can’t believe you only paid $1 for that table. What a great find!!