After over a year of living without one, another bedroom has been upgraded to have a ceiling light fixture – and this time it’s Teddy’s room. Woo to the hoo guys. It’s the best thing ever. I know that sounds like an overstatement, but you don’t know how convenient ceiling light fixtures are until you buy a house without any in all of the rooms upstairs except for the bathrooms.
When I saw this stick light on Joss & Main I thought it was fun and beachy-yet-geometric. And call me crazy, but I immediately looked at it and saw a ceiling pendant. To make sure I wasn’t being weird, I ran the idea of converting this plug-in table lamp by John. Thankfully he was right there on the stick light train with me.
When it came, we turned it over to see what we were working with. There was essentially a small screw that held the cord down so it could sit on a table, so that was the first thing I removed.
Once that was out of the way…
… it allowed me to gain access to this bolt that held the existing cord kit and shade on. We debated just keeping this plug and turning it into a ceiling fixture (often you can cut the cord of a plug-in fixture to expose the inner ones you need to hardwire it), but it happened to have one of those very small bulb sockets – you know for teeny bulbs? We wanted a little more light and a standard sized bulb in there, so off it came.
To remove the rest of the original wiring, we were able to unscrew the socket from below…
… which freed it up.
Finally, we were left with just a shade, which we could convert into a hanging fixture thanks to the ring on the bottom which would easily hold a standard light kit (with a standard sized bulb).
So all that was left was to grab one of these white pendant light kits from Home Depot.
All we did to make it work with the shade was to thread the pendant cord up from below the shade (through that little white ring of the top of the shade) so that rests on the curved white bulb holder, which puts the light bulb right in the middle of the arched stick shade.
But wait, isn’t something made of kindling with a light in it a giant fire hazard?! Glad you asked. Paper lampshades and lanterns (as well as basket shades) are commonly used, so there’s no fire hazard as long as heat can escape out the top and bottom of the shade, and the bulb has ample clearance (i.e., it isn’t super close to or pressed up against the shade). And even though a normal bulb should work in this arrangement, we used an LED bulb which doesn’t cause as much heat buildup as an incandescent bulb (it still needs ample ventilation though!).
So Teddy’s room is now all hooked up with a warm white LED that should give us about 25,000 hours before it needs to be replaced. Also, it looks like a robot eagle is holding the bulb. John digs that part the most.
It’s nice to finally have something up there. And the sticks even subtly reference the driftwood mobile and the white lines in our T-wall.
Here it is all lit up. So glowey (say that the same way The Soup says “so meaty”).
And if you’re observant you might have noticed a little side table action going on, thanks to this yard sale find.
The $1 price tag was too good to resist.
Especially since it’s the exact same color as our old school rocking horse (another secondhand find of ours). So Teddy’s room is pretty much done for now, I think.
Also, Clara is in here way too much. But it’s sweet. That girl can make that rocking horse look like it’s going to catapult her right out the window, but so far there have been no rocker-related injuries. Now I have to go knock on wood.
Oh wait, and speaking of lights, there were requests to see our bedroom fixture all lit up and glowing at night, so here you go.
We love that it tosses out soft shapes on the ceiling.
UPDATE! We’ve finally transitioned our entire house to LED lights (they save tons of energy & money, and they’re a lazy person’s best friend because you never have to change them). For anyone wondering, these are our favorite interior LEDs. Their glow is warm & natural (not weird/blue like some of the others we’ve tried) and they’re actually the ones you see glowing in these pics (they’re extremely similar to regular bulbs, but they use around 90% less energy).
lynda says
I love this and may steal the idea if I can get my husband to go along with it. I’m trying for the beach cottage theme, but will use a longer cord to hang lower. Hope you stay cool in this hot weather we’re having in Richmond area.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Lynda! You too!
xo
s
erin says
My three-year-old is hanging over my shoulder while I’m reading this post, saying, “That’s cool, Mom, that’s COOL. I like those things, Mom.” LOL Maybe he’s a DIYer in the making?
BTW, I couldn’t agree with him more!
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!
xo
s
SherryB says
I love how you guys are always thinking outside of the box. Teddy’s light fixture is stunning. Cant wait to see what you come up with for Clara’s room. ;o)
Jerri says
Love the way you transformed the light! And I got that same side table a few years ago off etsy when I wanted to add some texture and natural materials to a guest bedroom.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Luda says
You guys rock! I love your blog and I have become addicted to it, so i check it on a daily basis! You have such cute and adorable kids, too! Love to see families as beautiful and educated and hardworking as yours! Love to you all and my best wishes!
Luda
Mrs. Frugalwoods says
Great idea for an overhead light fixture! I love the diluted look of the light filtering through the sticks. Gorgeous!
Joseph@littlehouseblue says
I think that’s a much better use than using it as a table lamp. I feel like I wouldn’t like it at all sitting on a table but I think it’s great as a pendant.
I was checking into the whole “canned air is toxic” thing that someone mentioned in the comments above and I found this invention: http://www.canlessair.com/ It’s pricey but I thought you guys might find it interesting at least.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Joseph!
xo
s
Peggy McKee says
Save the tiny light socket and bulb.
Recently I had to string some cable and I was able to use the tiny socket and bulb (the cord & wall plug were still attached) to light the space between 1st & 2nd floor where I was trying to thread the cable. I just inserted it into the space–so much better than a flashlight. A bigger socket & bulb would not have fit.
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo
s
KATHLEEN HARTZELL says
Dear YHL,
I might qualify for being your grandmother’ age, and I love your work!! Bought my daughter your book, but made her loan it back to me for awhile.
I too looked at the wicker stick light with the, oh, no! Dusting nightmare exclamation then thought of what the salesman from LampsPlus taught me: the hair dryer. Yep, he said just do a quick once over periodically with the hair dryer and then a good vac on the floor after the dust settles.
You don’t want to run a hair dryer very long on an extension cord, use cool setting and you are set to go. (Those are grannie’s tips).
YoungHouseLove says
SO SMART! I even have one with a cool button, so I can blast it with cool air and see how it does ;)
xo
s
Jessica says
I love this fixture! Did you end up taking the little legs off the top? If so how’d you do that? I am getting so much inspiration from your blog to help me decorate our first house. Thank you so much!
YoungHouseLove says
They’re actually still on there! They’re just at the very top so they’re not that obvious from below (they’re visible more from a higher vantage point). You can see the tip of one of them poking up on the left in that pic of the light above the crib, since it was taken a little higher up :)
xo
s
Emily @ Life on Food says
I would not have seen a pendent from a lamp. It looks great all hung up. Must be nice to have another room called done.
Jess says
That light is perfect for the nursery! Looks great! :)
Lindsay says
I want to look at the lamp but my eye keeps wondering over to the mobile. It looks smaller and less three dimensional then I remember. Good job turning a lamp into a pendant though, I will never look at lighting the same!
California Solar solutions says
One of the Coolest Lighting I have seen online! Awesome post and very detailed!
Lauryn says
This is a little off topic, and a day late…but Im curious! Would you guys ever design a ceiling fan line? If someone approached you? I think we all agree there are no stylish/classic/trendy ceiling fans out there, but they are sometimes so necessary. Even the high end ones are strange looking!
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t know, that might be a challenge! But it does sound kind of fun too!
xo
s
Kathy Frazier says
What brand of LED light bulbs do you use? I’m sure someone else has asked this, but WOW – that’s a lot of comments to scroll through!
By the way, LOVE the nursery re-do. Heck, the whole house re-do so far – LOVE IT!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, it was from Lowe’s and comes in a black box. Forget the brand, but look for the one with the eagle claw ;)
xo
s
Christy Niebaum says
I scored a couple of YHL items on clearance at Tarjay last weekend. I love all the pieces, but didn’t buy any right off the bat because I just didn’t have a need for them at the time. Of course, once I saw they had been marked down, I knew I’d be kicking myself in the future if I didn’t buy any before they left the shelves. I picked up the white Burger hook and the little braided ceramic knot knob. No idea where I’ll use them, but they’ll eventually work their way into our home. Hope to see more stuff from you guys in the future at my loverly Tarjay.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Christy!
xo
s
kimi says
GREAT PICK!!! Love how Teddy’s room has turned out!!!;)
Kirsten Oliphant says
I LOVE the new light and how it looks with everything else in there. I’m living vicariously through your gorgeous nursery because I’m about to have my (mostly surprise) fourth and we already have ONE in a crib (I saw you guys in Houston on your book tour when I was pregnant with her) and I barely have unpacked from moving. So we triply won’t have a cute nursery. Right now we are trying to figure out where the heck a SECOND crib is going. Whenever I feel stressed, I’m just going to come look at Teddy’s nursery and breathe deeply. :) The one fun thing I have for the new baby is fabulous bedding that’s navy and lime green with alligators. I have an alligator thing–real ones and decor ones. So, there’s THAT!
kribss says
I am so sad that this lamp is no longer available! : ( I love it that much!
Momcat says
HI quick question about your line in Tar-jay…
I have not been able to find it in ANY of my Targets here. I am north of the river in Glen Allen. Happy to drive to southside if I must, but do you know which north stores may have your collection? Thanks So Much!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Momcat! Here’s a list of all the stores that have it. Hope it helps!
http://www.libertyhardware.com/yhlstorelocator
xo
s
Bet says
Did I miss a post where you switched up the curtains in Teddy’s room? I recently used your tutorials to make no-sew curtains for my daughter’s room so I remember the green…I’m not usually that observant! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Bet! Here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2014/04/door-decisions-art-updates-and-one-big-belly/
xo
s
Marc says
John,
You are my idol! I follow you vicariously through my wife. You’re the man for sure. Of course, I do have some animosity toward you. Several projects have come my way because “John can do it, so you can too.” Thanks for that :-)
Marc
YoungHouseLove says
Ha! Sorry about that Marc! I do a lot of apologizing to husbands for those longer to-do lists.
-John
Lindsey says
LOVE!
ali jan qadir says
Wow this lamp is perfect for the baby’s room and goes perfectly with the over all theme. It almost looks like a birds nest which is pretty fitting for the baby’s room
Katie P says
Random question – where is the blanket from you have thrown on the chair in his nursery? Would love something similar for our son’s room. Thanks in advance!
YoungHouseLove says
That was a gift from our friend Christy but it’s from Nordstrom I think (by Bella Tunno – not sure I spelled that right).
xo
s
Bailey says
What a great choice for a ceiling fixture!! It’s perfect in that room. And it’s so funny you addressed the fire hazard thing because that’s exactly where my anxiety-prone mind went!!
Diana Yarborough says
Is that lamp still available?
YoungHouseLove says
Things on Joss & Main tend to pop up randomly, so if you don’t see it there now maybe check wayfair.com to see if it’s over there?
xo
s
Lo @ A Lo and Behold Life says
That light is EPIC!!!!
Kim says
That light is SO AWESOME!!!!
Bethany @ Dwellings by DeVore says
What a great find and great idea! The texture adds so much interest too!
Jamie says
I found this light on eBay to hang in our office!! Any tips for getting the socket part of this unscrewed…it’s so tight, makes me think it could be glued?? Thanks!
Jamie says
Got it! I was able to pry it off with an adjustable wrench.