• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

May 3, 2011

Replacing a recessed light is easier than you think!

I tell ya!  The internet is a pretty amazing place…in case you haven’t already figured that out for yourself.  It is through the inspiration of blogs, just like many of you have out there, that I was motivated to remodel my kitchen.  It seems that no matter what idea, design question or dilemma I have had during this process I have found the answer on a blog!  


I have always wanted a pendant light above my kitchen sink…but I knew that as many handy skills we’ve managed to develop during home ownership…electrical rewiring is not one of them.  Both my husband and I are not fans of getting electrocuted so we have chosen to not tackle major electrical projects.  Now both of us can hang a new light fixture or change out an outlet like nobody’s business, but removing a recessed light and replacing it with a normal junction box..eh. not so much. So I believed my quest for a pendant light above my sink was a futile one…until I saw this post from Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick and had to rush out to find one myself…


Um…hello.  Ingenious!  Somebody…heard the pendant light cry of DIYers everywhere and created this amazing recessed light adapter!  I purchased this one at Lowe’s but I am sure you could find them at other home improvement stores.  They make it in oiled bronze and nickel and it costs a whole whopping $17.00!  Now that beats an electrician coming out any day of the week!  This could not have been easier to install.  See that little “socket” you just adjust the cord to the length you want it and then screw that socket into the recessed light socket.  Then you tighten the cover plate up tight against the metal rim of your recessed light and that’s it!  



Seriously..10 minutes tops!  Now the options are endless as far as shades go. I was really wanting a fabric shade and of course drum shades are all the rage right now.  I didn’t want something too small but not too big either since I don’t have vaulted ceilings and Bama Boy is 6′ 4″ tall so he wouldn’t go for hitting his head on something every time he washed dishes…a man who washes dishes is a keeper I tell ya! I searched several places but couldn’t find the right size,  color, style or price point  I was looking for… until I happened to be back in Lowe’s and found this pretty little shade…

It wasn’t meant to be a pendant shade, but it worked perfectly and it was only $11.00!  It is actually a little darker of a blue but since the sun managed to finally make an appearance when this picture was taken, it photographed a little lighter than it’s true color.



I just love it!  It is at the perfect height thanks to the adjustable cord and it really pops against the white in the kitchen!  It takes a chandelier style light, so I  purchased a little round bulb to give it a more vintage feel since you can see the bulb when you look at it from underneath.  



At night it gives off such a soft glow. 



I use to cringe when anyone turned on that big bright recessed light above my sink, but now I love to leave this soft light on.  I think it looks fabulous against my newly painted cabinets…


And that’s the only peek you’re going to get of them, because they are not quite ready for their big reveal.  Up next…25 knobs, bin pulls and handles to be installed on cabinets that never had any….oh joy! 😉  and to beg convince Bama Boy to install my new beautiful dark walnut Roman bamboo shade in my kitchen window that I practically stole from  got on clearance from Lowe’s…gosh I love a good sale!   

As always…thanks for meeting me at the picket fence!

This post is linked up to the following fabulous parties:
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Thrifty Decor Chick: Before and After Party
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday’s Treasures
DIY By Design: Swing Into Spring
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesdays

22 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas, Kitchen Remodel

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Blog of the Week and a Winner!
Next Post: DIY Cornice Fit for a Princess! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:41 AM

    Heather the new pendent light looks fabulous, I love the shade! Can’t wait for the big reveal!! Martina

    Reply
  2. Jacqueline says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:59 AM

    I bought the same kit and put it over my sink in my kitchen, used a cute simple shade from another set.

    Reply
  3. Sue says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:39 AM

    Heather, Just too cute a shade and what an easy fix. I’ve seen them in the stores–Somebody was sure thinking when he/she dreamed this up. Waiting to see your reveal….
    ~ Sue

    Reply
  4. Sonya@Beyond the Screen Door says

    May 3, 2011 at 3:27 AM

    I’m sitting here thinking about the location of all my can lights and wondering where I can do this! Looks great!

    Reply
  5. Katie says

    May 3, 2011 at 3:55 AM

    LOVE that shade!

    Reply
  6. Taunnie says

    May 3, 2011 at 4:15 AM

    Wow! Thanks so much for sharing. I didn’t know there was a conversion kit. I have been wishing for something like that for a long time, there are a few lights in my house I have wanted to change to pendants but thought I was out of luck. Thanks, I’m going to Lowe’s in the morning.

    Reply
  7. Cindy says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:51 AM

    Love your new pendent light…can’t wait to see your kitchen reveal!!!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    Reply
  8. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:56 AM

    Your pendant lights are great~ can’t wait for the reveal Heather! I know it will be amazing! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Susan in SC says

    May 3, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    Love the light and shade! I’m a new follower and hope you can follow me back!

    Reply
  10. Gina says

    May 3, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    That looks awesome! I can’t believe they sell such a thing…I need to get to Lowes very soon. I need one of these.

    Reply
  11. Wendy says

    May 3, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    Great idea! I love the lampshade!

    Reply
  12. ⚜ ↁℯℬℬᴵℰ⚜ says

    May 3, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    Love this shade..really pretty color too! Nice job:)

    Reply
  13. Lisa says

    May 3, 2011 at 4:23 PM

    I am laughing because my hubby just switched out our regular lights with a recessed light kit. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Phyllis says

    May 3, 2011 at 5:17 PM

    I am off to Lowes to buy this kit……the answer to my lighting desires. THANKS for telling us about this. Your new light is amazing and the shade is so neat!

    Reply
  15. michelle says

    May 3, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    I have seen those in blogland too and they look so great!! If I ever find a nice shade that will look good above my sink I want to try it. I love your shade and I can’t wait to see the big reveal!!!!

    Reply
  16. Ann-Marie ~ Brambly says

    May 3, 2011 at 7:49 PM

    That shade is perfect! I’ve been perplexed about one of my rooms that still has recessed lighting, I’m so excited to learn about this solution.

    ann-marie

    Reply
  17. Beverly@southernhomesweethome says

    May 4, 2011 at 1:54 AM

    I love pendent shades and yours is sooo pretty.

    Reply
  18. Emily@LovelyBeasts says

    May 4, 2011 at 5:17 AM

    This looks amazing! Great pattern and color on the shade and I know you say it’s easy, but you make it look SUPER easy! Thanks for showing us how it’s done.

    Also, thanks again for checking my Inspiration Friday post and leaving such a nice comment. Heck if I lived near you I’d definitely take up your invite for coffee! Let me know if you need any advice on restaining the top of your dining room table. I’m no expert, but I’ve learned that the key is the Wipe On Poly! Smother it on!

    Emily

    Reply
  19. Carol says

    May 5, 2011 at 12:36 AM

    Heather,

    I LOVE the pendant light and shade. I can almost see the cabinets behind. So pretty!

    Mom

    Reply
  20. Suzanne says

    May 5, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    I love that light fixture, I want to do that in our new kitchen! (We’re moving in a month!) Thanks for the pointers! 🙂

    Reply
  21. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    May 8, 2011 at 12:55 AM

    Heather, that light looks great. Love the color of the shade. Thanks for sharing at WUW.

    Reply
  22. Anna says

    August 30, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    I just looked this up on the Lowes site and I am so going and buying one today! Thank you! 🙂

    Anna
    http://www.askannamoseley.com

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Beverly@southernhomesweethome Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Take the Quiz

Stay updated!

Get all the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Open Now December 17, 2020
  • Tradition and a Christmas Home Tour December 9, 2020
  • Tabletop Hot Cocoa Station November 29, 2020
  • A New Front Door November 10, 2020
  • Gaining Perspective October 26, 2020

Get all the latest straight to your inbox

Footer

Instagram

I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
.
…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
When I was in college I would frequently call home When I was in college I would frequently call home and pour my heart out to my mom, sharing with her all that was happening in my life in that completely unfiltered way that you can talk with the person who potty trained you. These phone calls usually took place at night and my mom would patiently listen as I vented frustrations about professors, roommates, boyfriends and the food in the cafeteria. And, inevitably, they would end with my mom saying, “Everything seems worse when you’re tired. Try not to overthink things or make any major decisions tonight, especially when you are feeling emotional.” Dear friends, may I pass along this advice to you today?

If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

My prayer for you in these days is that you will have the clarity to know what is true and that you will be filled with peace even while we live in this season of so many unknowns.
Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
There are a LOT of people out walking in our neigh There are a LOT of people out walking in our neighborhood right now (but still social distancing!) and she decided that she wanted to bring them some joy and put a smile on their face when they pass by our house. Also, the square with ‘say no to coronavirus’ is priceless. 😂 I just love her so much!
Follow
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2021 At The Picket Fence