Monday, June 9, 2014

Lights, Ceiling Paint, Action!

This weekend was all about getting around to those little projects I've been meaning to do forever - getting the UV film installed on the Kiddo's bedroom window, replacing his bookshelves with something larger, fixing the backyard gate latch, and finally dealing with the upstairs hallway ceiling situation.

You may recall, here's what we were working with before.



Step one is paint.  I just used the same paint as the walls so I didn't have to worry about taping or accidental bumping.  With the stairwell, this paint job was difficult enough, I didn't need to make it worse...  And, keeping it the same color has the added bonus of making the ceiling look 9 miles high.

I took down the sad boob light so I wouldn't have to worry about the new light's diameter being too small.  Of course, that meant I was painting in the dark.... so there were LOTS of missed spots.  Plan on 2 coats of paint, even when you're using the stuff that says it covers in 1 coat.


I really didn't want to have to take down the gallery wall or scrape little paint mist dots off everything, so this cheapy little roller cover was vital.  I was skeptical, but it worked GREAT.





After the ceiling had plenty of time to dry, I turned to Step two - lights.  The As-Is section at Ikea had a cute glass pendant and flush mount light for $10 each.  They came with no directions, but Ikea's iPhone App had them easily accessible.  I also picked up a recessed light conversion kit at Lowe's a few months ago in anticipation of this project.  These, some electrical tape, and wire nuts are all you need.  


They were an easy install - white to white, ground to ground, black to black for the flush mount light - easy as pie.  The conversion kit was not quite as easy as they promised, but careful reading of their directions made it all work out.  

Here's what they look like all lit up - much prettier than the boring boob light and forgettable recessed can.  



And here's a shot of how they look with the gallery stairwell, too.  



Finally, here's my ceiling's after look - so, so much better.



















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