Lighting in the Scary Bathroom

This post is in partnership with Lamps Expo.

May I admit that I am relieved that the One Room Challenge is over? I have such a sense of satisfaction, but wow! I am tired. There were so many decisions to make, and the physical labor portion of the project started to get to me by week three. It’s going to take some serious stretching to work out the kinks.

One thing that I did not have to stress this round was lighting. Lamps Expo generously sponsored our beautiful pendant and sconces.

Lighting Challenges

The Scary (not scary anymore!) Bathroom is a bit of a black hole. It is located on the north side of the house, and there is only one small window, offset from center. Even on the sunniest days, the room stays quite dark and full of shadows. The lighting is perfect for dramatic photos or maybe a horror movie, but not so great for proper grooming or daily living.

Since the design plan for the One Room Challenge always included restoring the wainscoting to its original deep brown color and painting the floor a dark shade, I offset those choices in a few ways. First, we painted the walls and the ceiling in Woodmont Cream by Benjamin Moore. (If you follow us on Instagram, choosing this color was a last-minute switch. I’ll explain soon.)

Next, I painted the upper portion of the clawfoot tub in the same creamy shade and added a rug with plenty of light colors in the pattern. Choosing white shower curtains kept everything feeling breezier.

All of that helped make the room appear brighter, but none of it was a substitute for proper lighting. That is where our partnership with Lamps Expo began.

Choosing The Right Lighting

Prior to the One Room Challenge, the Scary Bathroom had one overhead light and sconces flanking the mirror. All of the fixtures were porch lights. The decor was a bit of a head-scratcher, but I am certain Dorothy (the previous owner) had a perfectly good reason for her choices.

Since there was no light switch in the room, the sconces turned on with a knob switch, and the overhead light was fitted with a pull chain.

Andy, in Hulk-like fashion, accidentally broke the pull chain twice, and turned the knob switch on one sconce so vigorously that it stopped working altogether. For quite some time, we were down to one sconce on the right side of the mirror. Eventually, we subbed out both of the sconces with the interim fixtures that you saw during the challenge. We abandoned the overhead light altogether.

(We kept these lights as emergency replacements. BHH has this type of lighting throughout the house.)

When it came to choosing new lights, I made a short list of what was important to us.

•  Aged brass
• Traditional or Transitional design
• Sconces with a base thick enough to retrofit with a knob switch (more on this later)
• Pendant hanging with a downrod (tube) vs. a chain. This was a style choice only.
• Quality, but affordable (low to the mid-range price point)
• Clear or seeded glass globes to maximize brightness- Frosted or opal glass globes are timeless and beautiful, but they also clamp down on the light output. The Scary Bathroom needed as much light as possible.

I referred back to my list when I was shopping.

Buying Lighting Online From Lamps Expo

The Lamps Expo website was simple to navigate. From the homepage, I clicked on the indoor wall sconces. Then, from the filter menu on the left, I narrowed my choices to traditional and transitional designs, one-light fixtures, and antique brass.

After some poking around at the lowest price point and not finding what I wanted, I increased my filter to the $100-$250 range. I want to note that Lamps Expo did not put a restriction on my spending, but it was important to me to stay in line with our values.

I quickly zeroed in on the Waverly wall sconce from Kichler. This fixture, which can be positioned up or down, checked off all of my requirements.

There are plenty of other ways to filter a search on the website too. Other filters available are brand, bulb base, features such as LED, and even size sliders for height, width, and length. There is also a compare feature so you can look at the differences and similarities between fixtures. Whether you are easy-going or super fussy, the variety of filters makes it easy to find the light you need and want.

Retrofitting a Fixture for Knob Switches or a Pull Chain

Our sconces did not arrive with knob switches. We had the fixtures retrofitted locally. If your lighting requires modification, before you buy online, I suggest that you visit a local lighting store to see if adding a switch is possible.

The limitation is usually the thickness of the backplate which attaches to the wall. This is the part of the light that gets a hole punched or drilled into it, and the new wiring for the switch or chain as well as the standard wiring needs to tuck in behind the backplate. I do not know if there is a standard depth necessary but check with your local lighting store to get all the details. Once you get the go-ahead, check the specs on the manufacturer’s website to make sure the light you chose is compliant.

Be advised that once a hole is punched or drilled into a fixture, all warranties and refund policies are null and void. That light belongs to you forever. Also, you’ll be stuck with a hole in the backplate if there is no room for the switch. So, make sure you know all of the answers to your questions before you proceed. It sounds risky, but we have had this done several times, and the success rate is 100%, so far.

Overhead Lighting

Using filter options again, I found the Alcott line by Feiss. We used the same line in the kitchen, and I still love it. The globes are easy to clean, and the construction is solid. I knew the style and quality would be perfect in the Scary Bathroom too. However, as much as I love classic white opal globes (linked), I knew we needed seeded or clear glass for maximum brightness.

Kevin, who I worked with at Lamps Expo, suggested a new generation LED version by Feiss. It checked all my boxes too, but the LED part threw me. I had questions. Will the lighting color feel cold? How do you change the bulb? How often does it burn out? Do I have to throw away the whole light when it when it goes out? You know I did not want to do that. A little research put me at ease.

• Will the lighting feel cold? The specifications for lumens, temperature, and something called the CRI (color rendering index) are listed in the specs on the Lamps Expo website. However, despite several nice people attempting to explain these terms to me over the years, I cannot seem to fully retain or understand what it all means. (Feel free to say, “Bless your heart,” as you read this.) In the end, I just took a risk, and I can report that the light output is warm and soft.
• How do you change the lightbulb? You do not change it because it is not a bulb. It is an array. (shown below right)
• How often does it burn out? The new generation of LED fixtures lasts around ten years.
• Do I have to throw away the whole light when that happens? The general answer is maybe. However, this is specific to individual lights even within the same brand. I checked with Feiss, and when the LED stops working in our particular pendant, we can change out the array. The customer service rep even gave me the part number which I filed away for the future. Also, the fixture we chose has a five-year warranty.

If you have the same questions about upgrading to LED lighting, make sure and check with the manufacturer before you purchase.

Installing the Lights

Andy and I are not electricians, so my standard disclaimer is that you should consult with or hire a licensed electrician for your project. Know the local code and permitting process before you begin. If you decide to go the DIY route, educate yourself on the procedures and cut the power before you start. This post is not a tutorial. It is just meant to give you an idea of the process.

A word about power in old houses: Old houses often have a crazy set-up for circuits. There might be a large number of rooms affected by one circuit, or lights and outlets may be on separate circuits even within the same room. Test the exact outlet or light that you are working on to determine the proper breaker to flip. If there is any question, cut the power to the whole house while you work. 

The process for installing most lights is the same. First, there is a plate that attaches to the wall or ceiling depending on where the light goes. Andy usually does the work because he cannot take a proper photo of me working to save his life. It’s true; Ask him.

On the wall, make sure to level the plate or the sconce will be crooked. There is usually a fair amount of swivel room on the attachments for the plate which makes it much easier to level.

Once the plate is secure, connect the wires, and hang the sconce. Recheck the level to make sure nothing shifted.

Perfect. Andy got it right on the money.

Installing a pendant is similar. However, this time, the light needs to hang level vertically. That is easy if the light hangs by a chain since a chain is flexible. A rigid downrod is less forgiving, but as long as the ceiling is level, the light will hang down properly. Fortunately, this was a straightforward installation. No creativity required.

Our Feiss light came with four downrods that screw together so we could adjust the length to our liking.

Andy held the light in place while I decided which combination of rods to use. We decided to only use one, and we chose the shortest rod.

Then, Andy hooked up the light while I held it with one hand and took photos with the other. I was an octopus in a past life.

We are so pleased. The new lighting drastically changed the feel of the Scary Bathroom. In fact, the bathroom is no longer scary at all.

A Word About Lightbulbs

There are plenty of decorative options for LED bulbs for the sconces. We like the light color and output of our current choice, but we are still searching for a decorative bulb that we love. I will update when we decide.

More About Lamps Expo

Lamps Expo has a full showroom in Los Angeles, California. Coincidentally, it is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the La Brea Tar Pits which is such a cool place to see. If you are in the area, take a field trip to the Lamps Expo store and follow-up your visit with prehistoric creatures stuck in goo, or schedule an in-home lighting consultation.

My local lighting store does not allow returns, ever. That means once I buy, I’m stuck with it whether I like it or not. It feels risky to spend money that way. Lamps Expo offers peace of mind. For online shoppers, they have free shipping, no restocking fees, and they will match their competitors’ lowest price, plus 20% off the difference.

Finally, Lamps Expo believes in my commitment to give back to my local community. Last January, I wrote an important post about accepting sponsorships and collaborations. I am so grateful to the companies that sponsor projects or compensate us for the work I do here at BHH.

When I mentioned my pledge to giving in exchange for receiving, Lamps Expo was all for it. Thanks to their enthusiastic support, I will spend a day volunteering with Habitat for Humanity during the week following Thanksgiving. I cannot wait!

How do you choose lighting? Are there special circumstances that make it difficult in your old house? Do you have any lighting questions or thoughts about our partnership with Lamps Expo? Please let me know in the comments.

-Stacy