Thank you everyone for all the sweet comments on my bathroom. I reveled in each one. Thank you. One thing the gorgeous pictures didn’t show yesterday was the dilemna I had with my new light fixture. The electrician who hung the lights in our bathroom decided a 5 1/2” hole was necessary to get out a 1/2” cord of wires to install our bathroom light fixture. He didn’t think about the fact that one wouldn’t like the Hollywood lights and would try to remove said fixture and update it one day.
For real, is that large of a cut necessary?
Yes I could have installed more dry wall and mudded it and let it dry and then sand it down and then re-mud again and let it dry for two days but I didn’t want to. I could have found an updated light bar that would have covered the hole but I reeeeeally liked this light fixture. I also could have found a medallion to cover it but I could only find round ones and I thought that would look weird. So I weighed my options and went with this…
I installed two 1 by 2’s by sticking them in the hole and then driving screws into the drywall through the boards.
But that wasn’t good enough. I then installed another small piece of wood on top of those so that it would be flush with the drywall. All I had that would work is a piece of the baseboard that I took off. I know I am totally rigging this thing. But it works, promise and it is secure.
Then I installed my favorite light from Lowes. Nice gapping hole to each side of the light. But nothing a little molding can’t hide right?
Using some scraps of molding I had in my garage I created a box around the fixture.
Then I caulked and repainted it and it looks pretty good.
Dilemma solved and no “said” electrician was harmed in this project. I still do think ill of him though. Grrrr!
P.S. Forigve me for my flash. Yesterday’s pictures are true to the color purple I used not these.
Winner of the Thrifty Seeker Amazon Gift card is:
Jenny (jennyrc12@xxx.com)
Totally agree with you, that was NOT necessary, but you solved the issue and it looks beautiful, no one would know unless you told them. I love that purple, Beckie, and I am not a purple girl, but I may need some more purple in my life from now on 😀
Looks awesome! I’m scared of what we’ll find behind our lights too O_o
Looks Good! I might have painted the moulding the same colour as the wall, then it would have been even less obvious.
Sneaky! Nicely handled and quite ingenious! Your bathroom looks great!
Well you certainly solved that problem and did a very good job to boot. Who would have known. Is this in your DNA to just pop up with these ideas?
Clever girl! Glad you got it all figured out. It looks great!
I agree that large hole was not necessary. I have only had one bad experience with an electrician, but even he didn’t make a hole that big. Also, where there was a hole I was able to stuff it with paper and put joint cement around.
Anyway, YOU FIXED IT! Looks great.
~Pam
Very nice looking fix but you might want to check electrical codes in your area. Where I live you need a junction box installed in the wall or it’s illegal.
Genius! I think that is a fantastic solution! Not sure I would have come up with it, but I think it works beautifully. Your bathroom looks fantastic.
Very resourceful girly!! Love it!
Absolutely amazing idea. No one will ever guess it was not done by design but from necessity.
I checked with a licensed electrician first. I should have mentioned that. There was no junction box installed in the first place so I was concerned about weight. But he said it is fine.
I agree.. The white seems too “look at meeeeee” but it is an awesome idea!
I totally love it. Isn’t it amazing what we can come up with when the hubbies get a little carried away in their zeal to work with power tools??? I have often had to do my own form of improvising, I am not sure that mine ever came out quite this good!! You are amazing.
I love your blog! I just subscribed.
That’s great!
Thanks Amanda welcome!
Thanks Patty.
It is actually pretty hidden by the fixture. Purple just seemed weird to me. I think painting it the cream colored made it look cohesive with the rest of the room. And no one actually notices it.
Well, having helped my electrician husband many a time, I can say that a hole that big wasn’t entirely necessary but… they might have had to stick their hand and even arm in the wall to find the wires. Do. Not. Like! That’s spooky to me. Anyway, just saying. There could actually have been a reason for the large hole.
I’ve enjoyed watching your bathroom remodel, too. It looks great!
This bathroom screams Crazy Cute. I love it. I love the purple. I love what you did with the light. Look at you all making things work that some crazy electrician messed up. LOVE IT!
We had to do the same kinda thing when we took down OUR hollywood lights. I essentially built a rectangular medallion for our replacement light (which had a rectangle “base”, where yours has a square) to mount to. It looks nice and it built the light out from the wall so the light shines down on the sink area rather than the top of the medicine chest that is mounted below the light. 🙂
Nice. Way to use your skills! : )
Alright Lady…….Fork over the White Bird at once!!!! LOL!! Your Bathroom looks GREAT!!! Love the Purple……..A whole flock of Birds would look stunning in there, 🙂
I got them from the Dollar Tree. I am sure there are bunch more. Just a little spray paint and voila!
I heart you for sticking up for the electrician. I had my electrician friend over and he thought it was excessive too. But you never know I figured it out and my ill will towards him is waning 😉
I was thinking the color of the light fixture, so it looks like part of the light.
I like your idea to put molding around it to hide the hole! Have you thought about adding more of the tones from the shower curtain (purple variations) for additional color depth in the room?
No not really. I think I like the simplicity of it. I am sure if I saw something that out of this world then I may add to it. But i adore the batten and want to go for a minimalist look in there.
I’m sorry to be the naysayer here. But I want to be honest: the new lamp looks totally rigged. Why not just go the extra mile beforehand and save yourself the work later? (I love the purple bathroom otherwise!)
I feel your pain! We have that SAME fixture in our bathroom (your original one). I cant wait to replace it!
WOW what a coincidence…I had the very same problem, but my contractor (redoing entire bathroom) fixed it for me. And on top of that I purchased the very same light fixture at Lowes but in the brushed bronze.