Tips for Replacing Light Fixtures

Do you have a light fixture or chandelier that needs to be updated? Or maybe it just needs to be cleaned? We replaced several light fixtures over the year. Our entry builder grade chandelier included a Nerf bullet from a decade ago. I shared our new light fixtures here and I wanted to share a few tips for replacing light fixtures.

If you are on the fence about the costs to replace light fixtures these tips for replacing light fixtures might answer some of your questions.

TIPS FOR REPLACING LIGHT FIXTURES

1. Photograph your existing light fixtures. I find a photograph provides a neutral opinion of the chandelier or light in a room. Try it… it works.

2. Go Big & Take it Home. When we met with the lighting designer she encouraged us to purchase a larger light fixture. If we hated it we could return it for a smaller fixture. We straddled across the kitchen sink, with our new light in hand, to visualize the kitchen sink light and space.

We knew immediately the larger size filled the space. And, that same light is now a kitchen conversation starter.

3. Task vs. Mood Lighting We made a costly mistake when we replaced our builder grade dining room with these light fixtures. We assumed we wanted the light to shine down on the dining room table, but what we needed was a well-lit dining room.

Ironically, the opposite was true when we installed a light fixture above our kitchen island. We needed task lighting for the island whereas we preferred mood lighting in the dining room. We purchased this light fixture online, but Pottery Barn sells a similar one here.

4. Glass, Wood & Metal I loved the idea of glass chandeliers and purchased two similar to these glass pendants several years ago when I saw them in a friend’s house.

I did not anticipate the layers of dust in full view every time we used the chandeliers in the dining room. We recently upgraded to this dining room chandelier and love the mixed elements.

5. Installation For a nominal fee our electrician removed our original light fixture (the one with the Nerf bullet) and installed our new one. The light fixture required a two-story ladder and the nimble hands to balance and install simultaneously. Make sure to tell your electrician if the install requires an oversized ladder.

We love our new light fixtures. We staggered the purchases to manage the college cash flow expenses. The wood and metal chandeliers were purchased from Urban Lights in Denver.