If this post were a fable, its moral would be – when something in your home just doesn’t feel quite right, do something about it. Or wait for it to randomly die on its own accord and take it as a sign. We’ll use this light hanging in our living room as our story’s lead character.
You may remember that there’s always been something “off” about it – it’s the only permanent fixture in that huge room, and it’s placed awkwardly in a corner (which is why Sherry tried to distract us from the annoying placement by adding a bit of color to the glass shade to cheer things up while I was out for a run).
But soon enough we both agreed that was not the solution. The blue tint was nice and soft in “real life,” but whenever we snapped photos of that side of the room (which is often thanks to this ol’ blog), it would cast an odd blue tint over that half of the room. I affectionately called it our alien invasion corner. So I eventually nagged convinced Sherry to wipe off the paint, which is why many of you noticed that it was naked again. Three cheers for reversible projects.
Returning it to its natural state was a big help, and we even talked about spray painting the chain oil-rubbed bronze (to match the curtain rods that we’ll eventually bring in and Karl the sectional’s legs) but we always ultimately admitted that it wasn’t our style. In other words, we’d eventually like to replace it with a nice drum pendant or maybe even recessed lights that we’ll get installed throughout the room. So we wondered how much effort and time it was worth to keep attempting to pretty up something that we eventually wanted to replace or remove.
Then the light fairy took care of everything for us. Because the light stopped working. I’m not even kidding. It just up and died about seven days after Sherry’s big wipe-down. At first it flickered a bit. Then it wouldn’t turn on at all. We futzed with it a few times (changing the bulb, etc) but had no luck – it had given up on us. Maybe it could hear us complaining about how oddly it was placed (you can see just how randomly it was plopped into the ceiling in this house tour video that Sherry shared a few weeks back) and just lost the will to live. Poor guy.
We definitely weren’t devastated by the premature death but it was kind of a surprise. How dare it die (the nerve!) before we had a chance to nix it on our own terms. But since fixing the wiring wouldn’t fix the whole off-center placement issue (it’s neither centered in front of the window nor between the ceiling beams), or the fact that it just wasn’t a light that we’d pick for ourselves (and eventually wanted to replace) we decided to call off any further resuscitation efforts and let the darn light rest in peace.
As I began to remove the light once and for all, my autopsy uncovered the cause of death. It appears that a wire had torn or became disconnected right near the base. Which is something I probably could have fixed, but by this point we were set on removing it entirely. Smell ya later good for nothing not centered old broken brass lamp in the corner of the room.
We took the fast route in terms of concealing the junction box and installed a white plastic ceiling cap over a metal junction box cover to the tune of $2 (50 cents for the metal cover and a buck fifty for the white cap to help it blend in). We’ll get the whole junction box removed, or more likely shifted a bit to a more centered location in front of the window by an electrician at a later date).
Not the prettiest thing ever, but it’s certainly less intrusive and noticeable than the oddly-placed, non-functioning, outdated fixture that preceded it.
The best part is that we now get an unobstructed view out the window. No more gazing at the backyard and being distracted by thoughts of “I really wish I could yank that light two feet to the right so it made sense in front of the window instead of dangling over the left corner of the view.” Seriously, it takes a lot of energy to lament bad lighting placement. But now our ol’ pendant light is in a better place. Literally. All light fixtures go to heaven, right? Either that or the Habitat For Humanity ReStore (which is actually where we sent it).
It does make that corner a bit dark at night, obviously. But that will be remedied once our this-thing-is-taking-forever console table is finally completed and we’ve got a table lamp on that side of the sectional. And someday we’ll probably get an electrician to wire some new lights in all the right places (maybe some recessed ones, perhaps a crisp hanging pendant that’s centered in front of the window, etc).
R.I.P. Weird Light. You will be missed. Okay, not really. It just sounded like the polite thing to say.
Kate @ Savour Fare says
LOL. You can see in the “before” picture I just posted of my kitchen table that the pendant light over the kitchen table is in no way centered over the kitchen table (I think the light was installed before the banquette was built.) We replaced the fixture, but didn’t want to move the junction box, so we just live with asymmetry.
Diana says
Our pendant over the dining table was off center- from the window, doorway, and table! We finally replaced it
before: http://lifeofa20somethingwife.blogspot.com/2010/09/bright-lights.html
after: http://lifeofa20somethingwife.blogspot.com/2010/11/let-there-be-light.html
Brad says
Why not just change the shade and make it a corner accent light?
The problem was the shade, not the location. That would be a good spot for a globe light or even a hanging paper lantern.
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, the location was also a problem. We hated that it wasn’t centered on the window (it partially hung over the left side of it) and it wasn’t even centered between the beams back to front (it was closer to one beam than the other) so it looked as crazy from the side as the front. You can see what I mean in this video (might make more sense in 3D, haha). It just wasn’t our cup of tea (from the location to the style), so we’re glad to see it go!
xo,
s
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
RIP light indeed. I love how there is no more distraction from the weird light :D
Karen says
Since you made several references in this post about an electrician, I figured I would let you know that my husband is a master electrician and we live in the Richmond area as well. When you feel that you are ready for lights and electrical to be done, don’t hesitate to contact me! (He does lots of work on the side much cheaper than a contractor!)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Karen! Good to know! We’re always looking for talented locals to hire for their expertise!
xo,
s
Kristin says
we moved into this house last September and I’ve been tackling things slowly but surely – around the schedule of a toddler – need I say more. It’s so funny you just posted this particular blog because the project that has been nagging at me for the past 3 days is the fact that there is no light fixture in our dining room. Mind you, the “dining room” was an addition that I’m assuming was supposed to be a sun porch of some sort. The previous dwellers used it as a dining room although I’m 99% certain they never “dined” as they were a young couple with no children (I totally miss Chinese take-out on the couch in front of the tube with hubby)! Anyway, there is only ONE outlet, near the sliding door, which I think is weird in itself. OH, and there is an old school wall phone jack/fixture around the corner from the kitchen. Which is also weird to me. But that’s all the power for that room. So we’ve been using a floor lamp in the corner by the ONE outlet and had some very dark and mysterious meals over the winter. Now the days are longer and we actually eat dinner while there’s still some light, but I’m just itching to figure out what to do for lighting. I should also add that since it was an addition, there is no space above it, so adding an actual fixture is not something we are considering. I’m actually flashing back to an early 80’s concept my mom loved over the couch for reading – the SWAG lamp. Looks like those have come a long way so I’m excited to figure this all out.
erin says
Sherry, that’s my favorite commercial of all time! Glad a fellow ad gal appreciates it.
Diane says
I was very sad today and that lamp commercial made me laugh… hurrah!
Nicky says
Definitely better without that light! But – (non-US person asking here) does that mean there’s no no ceiling light at all in that room? I seem to remember comments by other readers (possibly in old design dilemmas) of them having rooms in newbuild homes with no ceiling lights in them. Is this a common thing in US houses? Because here in Australia I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to build a home that doesn’t have them in all rooms. (I suppose you could take them out afterwards if you wanted)
I guess this is another of those odd little differences between countries, I love finding out about those!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- it’s actually really common to have rooms without any ceiling fixtures at all (people just use floor and table lamps or get them added). In fact our dining room (which was meant to be a formal living room) doesn’t have any ceiling fixtures either! So weird right? But at least we get to choose where we’ll add a nice big chandelier over the dining table! So there’s an upside…
xo,
s
beth says
Do I see Sue the napkin pillows?
FYI – Parson Chair slipcover pattern pdf on Etsy. With kids might be a better choice …compared to recovering them. You can always throw the covers in the wash.
YoungHouseLove says
Those are just fake-os. Haha. I toss napkins over other pillows when we shoot the living room (when I remember) since someday I want to make real Sue the napkin pillows (so I like to imagine them). Haha.
xo,
s
nicole says
My husband has installed recess lighting in our kitchen and living room so far and it makes the rooms look so much more open and updated!! I especially think this would like nice in your living room considering you already have the wood beams as a focus point. I wanted to say that my husband is by no means an electrician and was able to easily install the lighting. He mentioned to me that if you have existing wire it makes it that much more easy(say thanks to your lovely pendant light!). I just thought I would put a vote of confidence out there to doing the lighting yourself! (that is if you choose to go that route). Good luck!
Sam says
Love that lamp commercial. And I actually did feel bad for that lamp what with it getting soaked in the rain all lonesome-like.
Poor unloved lamps of the world. Yep, that corner definitely looks better and brighter – maybe it was the lamp’s time to pass on to the next dimension. It has gone to a happy place.
Melissa's Heart and Home says
That is one funny commercial. I laughed so hard. Thanks for sharing. Yes, removing the light was a huge improvement. Love the room!
Alissa says
In our rental townhouse we have a very, very unfortunately placed “boob light” at the bottom of the stairs. The ceiling starts to slope up, then it opens to the upstairs ceiling as you ascend the stairs; at the 45 degree angle slope is a boob light. Whyyyyy. Apparently the builder (of a hundred of the same units with the same problem) didn’t want to get the permit needed for a recessed light. Boo for that!
We had to remove the fixture and bulb when we moved any furniture or large items up and down the stairs since you could hit anything on the darn thing. It was even semi-hazardous to me (a 6′ tall girl) in heels.
Laura says
That commercial totally reminds me of the cartoon movie, “The Brave Little Toaster.” You should definitely check it out, but be careful! It will completely make you think twice before you say adios to your stuff. It gets me every time! Saddest Disney movie ever involving inanimate objects, second only to “Batteries Not Included.” ha-ha.
Emily @ Comfortable Home Life says
AHAHA that commercial gets me every time. I felt so bad for the lamp until that guy popped up! Darn you, IKEA, for your creative commercials and inexpensively lovely furniture!
Deb says
Yup. Same problem here. We have this “tiffany” style stained glass lamp hanging in front of one of our family room windows – for no apparent reason. But, since it’s the only overhead light in the room, I’m reluctant to take it out until I figure out what to do with the room. It makes furniture placement….challenging, to say the least :)
sarah (sarah learns) says
oh it looks a million times better without that light hanging there! also, i really just want to transplant your living room into mine. i love the bright colors!
Doss says
Big improvement. The light fixture in our casual dining space is just a little off too. We’ll move it when we redo the kitchen I guess.
Condo blues says
Oh no weird light placement is alive and well in new builds too. My dining room light is in the strangest place – not over the table at all! I got clever and swagged a Norm 69 Lamp. I think I have the only dining room light that is over the dining room table in my neighborhood.
Kirstie Wight says
Lighting! So flipping important! I proudly stand next next to your wife on that issue. Lighting can make you and your home look very good or very bad. Right?
Oh, that commercial was brilliant. I made my husband come in from the other room just to watch it. Funny stuff!!!
Monica V. says
I laughed so hard at that commercial I started to cry! I love it!!
Sevi says
When we were moving to our current house, we had to do some renovation so we had some contractors for the process.(Not a DIY girl here) I asked them to change the fixture on the dining table so it could be centered. So they had to dig in the ceiling to move the wires and stuff, it turned out a much bigger project than I’d thought!
But now, I realize that I did the calculations wrong lol :D I bought my new dining table and the fixture apparently had always been in the right place before I had it moved. The one and only proper fixture/outlet done by the first contractor of our house is officially removed by myself. So I crack up whenever I look at the pendant over the table!!! :D
mribaro says
Totally off-topic: do you know that you were mentioned at the apartmenttherapy.com? Their reader Giselle was inspired by your two-toned dresser for Clara to redo her own childhood desk for her daughter, who incidentally is also called Clara! See it here: http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/before-after/before-amp-after-claras-twotoned-desk-143880
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s so cute. Love the double Clara thing. We have only met a few Clara’s so it’s always fun to hear about others! And that desk is amazing.
xo,
s
Belle says
OMG! I’m 10 minutes later and I’m STILL traumatised by that ad! Poor little lamp, lol.
jenny says
Ooooh…have an idea for cheap replacement! CB2 has a $50 drum pendant! Called the Eden, I think. Large and dramatic and can be easily converted to permanent (rather than plug in hanging lamp) from what all the glowing reviews say. Check it out!
lesli devito says
good old hawthorne effect at work!
Looks so good. In the end, I think I make 95% of my decorating decisions the non-scientific way and ask myself “does it look right?”
Cristina says
oh that lamp commercial is so funny! (never seen it on italian tv)
heather j. says
literally Laughed Out Loud at that commercial…thanks!
Melanie says
I gotta say, that is my all-time favourite commercial ever, period!!! I remember the first time I saw it, I really felt sad for that lamp and I could have just cried.. It always made me feel so bad! But.. but.. you can’t just replace a lamp… It’s so SAD!!! lol So I guess I’m feeling bad for your ol’ off-centered, trying to be broken, light, but I get it ;)
Sarah says
Hey guys! I have been lurking your blog for months and now I’ve finally got something constructive to add.
We built our house in 2005. It was supposed to be pretty straight forward. Well in our eat-in-kitchen, they were going to install a box in the ceiling to allow for a chandelier or whatever our hearts would fancy. It was a part of the house plan. Centered in the kitchen (by all 4 walls, not just 2). Well the geniuses actually installed it about 2 feet away from where it was supposed to go. When we said something about it, they said it was too late to fix. Drats!
Please forgive the horrid decorating (this is a few years ago) and that terrible chandelier (that is thankfully no longer there), but this is what we were forced to do and will be forced to do for the rest of our days in the Ugly House. (It’s a link directly to the picture in Google’s Picasa)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_QGdMnqgiLUs/TazCpuqM-KI/AAAAAAAABqU/J5OEoC0O3GI/s640/IMG_0967.jpg
Craziness, I know.
Sarah says
Drat! I forgot to mention that I did reference you guys in my blog the other day, and I’m pretty sure I will do so again in the future. You guys are such an inspiration. I love your projects!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sarah. So glad to hear that the scary chandelier is gone. I bet it makes a world of difference!
xo,
s
Kristin says
No weird placements on lights, just switches & the test/reset buttons for outlets around the house/garage
Britni says
HAHAHAHA! I read this post yesterday, but was just surfing around today and decided to watch the video. Best commercial ever! Thanks for making me laugh out loud =)
Melody says
Removing the lamp made so much of a difference. My annoyance with my house is that there are not enough ceiling fixtures. I would love to try a cute chandelier or drum pendant, but where would I put it?
YoungHouseLove says
You can get one wired in and added by an electrician for as little as 50-100 bucks. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
harmony says
I SO feel your oddly-placed-light pain. The last owners took part of our dining room and made it into a 1/2 bath, so now the fan+light fixture that was formerly centered in the room just barely misses scraping the bathroom wall! So annoying! Can’t wait to get it moved :-D It’s funny how something like that can bug you EVERY time you walk by, lol!
Lauren says
Saw this cute nursery with your bedroom rug and light : )
http://gallery.projectnursery.com//projects/1032-ABC-s-of-a-Stylish-Nursery
YoungHouseLove says
Cute!!
xo,
s
aLi says
Not only do I have wierd placement…I have gigantic wooden light thingys throughout my house. I’m dreading replacing them because new drywall will need to be put in as well. Any advice?!
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have other ideas than drywalling and moving the fixture? That’s eventually our plan with the help of an electrician. It’s not as much as you’d think if you get a few estimates though (sometimes just $100 or less).
xo,
s
Laura says
bahahhahahaa…that commercial is awesome!! thanks for giving me a little laugh at work. i’d never seen it!
Snickrsnack Katie says
That commercial is funny. I actually felt bad for that lamp, too.
Jill says
We have lived in our house 19 years and the light over the table in the breakfast nook has been off center since they built the house 20-some-odd years ago! A few years ago, we added an old farmhouse dresser to that area to store napkins, placemats, and display treasured dishes, so it helps offset it, but then there’s the problem with the rectangular rug… and how it does not balance under the light and between the two pieces of furniture. OY. 19 years we’ve lived with this!!!!!
P.S. Light had to go… HAD TO GO. So long, far well… (Von Trapp Family enters scene…)
Bridgit says
Love this solution! We have an issue with one of our lights looking cray cray (real housewives, ha ha). But what did you do with the light switch? I am afraid I would turn it on out of habit, and I’ve heard it’s not good for the capped wires.
YoungHouseLove says
We just turned off the power to the whole house and capped the wires behind the switch just like the ones in the ceiling fixture box. That way if someone flips on the switch it’s not sending power to those wires anymore. It’s a switch to nowhere, haha.
xo,
s
Jen @ Domesticated Nomad says
Since you asked and I’m in a venting mood, we are having light issues. But kind of the opposite. Our dining room sort of merges with the kitchen – separate but connected. Our overhead light is perfectly centered. Centered if you are looking from the kitchen back to the dining room. Centered if you look through the door to the living room and centered to the back patio slider. But centered is the wrong placement! If I were to put the four person table under the light, you would not be able to walk around the table to enter the kitchen, actually one person would have to be sitting in the kitchen. So the table is place more correctly and that means the light is over the edge of the table, almost over the chair of one person. A picture would be worth a thousand words, I know. Anyways, although clearly your light should have been centered on something, centering a light is NOT always the right answer. We plan to move it, but I’m going to replace so I’ll wait until I save my pennies. :) Okay, thanks for the vent session. I feel better.
Angie says
I’ve just found your blog today and I love it. I actually live in a rental and the lighting here is HORRIBLE. but there really isn’t anything I can do except get lamps to supplement.I hate that there are wall sconces in my living room. They are exactly where I need to be putting up wall art! So I did discover a way to decorate it and actually blogged a little about it last Thursday. Here’s a link in case you’d like to check it out: http://angiesaspiringart.blogspot.com/2011/04/thrifty-thursday-stars.html
Robin says
Wierd placed lights? Yup!
Our house was built in 1970 and not a single light in it is centered in the any of the rooms….. so as you can imagine I was so excited when I discovered your post about having to move the light fixture in your old house, I can hardly wait to do this and FINALLY have centered lights:)
Thank-you for all the tips