$2 + 20 min = 2020 Can Light
“Updating a room is just like cleaning - start at the top and work your way down.”
Ceilings and lighting can often be sorely overlooked. When we walk into a room to “update it” we look at eye level items first - walls and furniture. Then you might look at the old tile, carpet or beat up golden oak floor and then maybe, you look at the ceiling. Updating a room is just like cleaning - start at the top and work your way down. Do not underestimate the power of fresh ceiling paint and new lighting! Often they are dirty and dinging looking and you can’t even tell until you start painting and then you’re like, WOW! Then, just wait…work on the lighting!
First, look at your light bulbs. Today’s LED bulbs have beautiful light in all different hues and are super energy efficient. “Energy efficient” in English means that it saves you money on your power bill and increases your safety by reducing fire risk because the LED bulbs don’t get hot like traditional incandescents. Personally, I prefer 2,700k - 3000k brightness - it’s not quite “daylight” and it’s not too yellow. Just replacing your bulbs can make a world of difference which by the way, I would do before you start entertaining new paint colors even if you’re not ready to replace fixtures yet, because the light in the room dramatically affects the color on the wall.
Second, evaluate your light fixtures and ceilings fans. Do you have shiny brass gold? You can spray paint it or buy a really decent new one for less than $50 from Lamps Plus or Amazon. Or maybe you have white can lights that are no longer white like in my case? I simply replaced the light bulb and the “can trim” and brought my 1974 house into 2020! You could also consider replacing the trim and the lightbulb with an LED conversion kit. Evaluate your current home, budget and goals. I found this article helpful in my own assessment and decision. Trust me, this is a worthwhile investment…then move on to the eye-level updates!
Investment
$2 per trim kit and $2 per bulb = $4
20 minutes per can
Supplies* (for 6” cans)
Trim kits - count how many you need. Measure the opening across the bottom. Most cans are 6”. Some may be as small at 4”.
LED flood lights (size specific depends size of can; these are for 6”). Make sure they are dimmable if you have dimmer switches everywhere like I do. Plus, they are really bright, so if you don’t have a dimmer switch, you might want one after you replace the bulbs! :)
Steps
Turn off lights (can leave power/breaker on).
Remove the old bulb.
Can light trims are installed in the ceiling with little springs. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to unhook the old springs and then reinstall the new ones in the same way. You do not need to turn off the power to do this since you’re not actually messing with the wiring.
Install new light bulb and turn the switch back on. Viola!
Click here for my how-to video for more information.
Enjoy the Project!
Playlist | This is Thomas Rhett by Spotify
Wine | Bread & Butter
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