The renovation on my boys’ room is long done (thank goodness), and we are all enjoying this new space.
So much went into making this room what it is. From tearing out the walls, insulating, dry-walling, painting, and laying new flooring to totally transforming some pretty nasty furniture into really useful, attractive pieces. The end result was well worth all the work.
Lighting is key for any room makeover and this room was no different. I showed you how we took an IKEA light fixture and attached it to a modified ceiling fan,
and now My Better Half is going to show you how we repurposed these old, thrift store wall sconces to be used autonomously above each bed and around the room. We did this by rewiring them to have their own pull chain, and here’s how:
The switch installation needed a 3/8″ hole, so using a piece of wood as a backstop, we used a hand drill to carefully create the opening, making sure the location was centered directly on the bottom of the light housing.
As you can see, the hole had a “burr” so using a countersink drill, we ran it slowly inside the circumference of the hole to remove the rough stuff. A small round file would also do the trick.
These fan light switches are available at most home improvement stores for around $3. They are durable and can safely handle the electrical load of a normal light bulb.
Following the instructions included with the switch, push the threaded stud through from inside to outside, being sure you can pull the switch chain without binding.
Screw on the decorative retaining nut and give another test pull on the chain…just to be sure everything is free. Hold the wired sconce in the position where it will be finally located and push a nail or screw straight into the drywall though the mounting holes to mark where you will insert the drywall anchors. Using the manufacture’s directions, insert the anchors and finish the electrical connections by using wire nuts to join the switch and wall wires. Don’t overlook double checking your work to be sure the connections are tight, the sconce is grounded, and the switch functions before screwing the housing to the wall-mounted drywall anchors.
Almost any hard wired sconce could be converted into a fixture controlled by a directly mounted switch with a few dollars, basic tools, and a half hour investment.
Happy Wiring!
Such a good idea! Thank you so much for the tutorial – it explained the details. Have a great evening!
Great idea. I am trying to do the same adaptation to a sconce with no switch. A picture of the actual wiring connections would be helpful as well. Thanks , Kim