Introduction: Over Sink Lighting Revamped Using Pallets and Old Kitchen Items
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About: Jack of all trades, master of none.. I have been a mechanic for 16 years. As a mechanic I am a plumber, an electrician, a welder, a computer tech, a diagnostician, and so much more.. In that time I have also b…
Hello, I think as a disclaimer to my ongoing house renovations I am going to add this disclaimer below:
Just a little background info.. Recently we bought ourselves a nice little chunk of land to do all sorts of projects on. It came with a 1979 manufactured house. Now the house is in great shape, it does need a little..... updating... It hasn't been touched much since 1979. Everything is a learning experience and thought some of you out there might be in the same situation and don't know how to fix your problem. Well, here is how I fixed mine..
I have more lights that need to be update, and they are also in the kitchen. This time it is the lighting above the kitchen sink. My wife had hated the light above her kitchen sink. I had to admit it was outdated globe style without the globe. It was just ugly. So while at a friends house for the first time she saw, and mentioned, what she wanted. They were contemporary new lights. It was a set of 3 that hung down.. But that was new, and with things like these we don't do new. Everyone can buy new, not everyone can have original. She left for the day, it was going to be a surprise. But I had some work to do cause I didn't prepare for it at all.. This is MY original....
Just a little background info.. Recently we bought ourselves a nice little chunk of land to do all sorts of projects on. It came with a 1979 manufactured house. Now the house is in great shape, it does need a little..... updating... It hasn't been touched much since 1979. Everything is a learning experience and thought some of you out there might be in the same situation and don't know how to fix your problem. Well, here is how I fixed mine..
I have more lights that need to be update, and they are also in the kitchen. This time it is the lighting above the kitchen sink. My wife had hated the light above her kitchen sink. I had to admit it was outdated globe style without the globe. It was just ugly. So while at a friends house for the first time she saw, and mentioned, what she wanted. They were contemporary new lights. It was a set of 3 that hung down.. But that was new, and with things like these we don't do new. Everyone can buy new, not everyone can have original. She left for the day, it was going to be a surprise. But I had some work to do cause I didn't prepare for it at all.. This is MY original....
Step 1: The Ugly Goes Away
So first for the safety note: When working with electricity, always turn off the breaker and make sure there is no way your going to get zapped.
So I removing this ugly light. (not the yellow fluorescent ones they were replaced in my other instructable https://www.instructables.com/id/Inexpensive-kitchen-light-upgrade-using-pallet-wo/ ) I was going to have a hole and a nice dirty, unpainted circle. I realized I needed a backing for these lights. Old wood seems to be hot right now, and even if it wasnt, we both think it looks good. I measured the area I needed and headed to the shop.
So I removing this ugly light. (not the yellow fluorescent ones they were replaced in my other instructable https://www.instructables.com/id/Inexpensive-kitchen-light-upgrade-using-pallet-wo/ ) I was going to have a hole and a nice dirty, unpainted circle. I realized I needed a backing for these lights. Old wood seems to be hot right now, and even if it wasnt, we both think it looks good. I measured the area I needed and headed to the shop.
Step 2: Building the Backing Plate
I had some aged pallets sitting around. Tore one apart that had the exact aging I wanted. Sure I could have used 3 pieces that were the exact length I wanted but I wanted character. I needed to split one electrical wire out into 3 forks and I didn't want to drill holes to run it above the existing ceiling. I had to have an area of space between the boards and the ceiling. I also needed to connect the boards together. I used a scrap board from the pallet to run across all 3 boards in 2 places. I left a space at one end to run the wires around it. Staples from the backside also helped hold it together.. I will be honest I learned in my other lighting project that I have side cutters that cut the back side of the nail off easily and should have done that here. Luckily the gap will home the nails I bent over, oh well out of sight out of mind.
So now I had a backing for my lights, but it would have a gap between it and the ceiling. That wasn't going to do so I looked around and found some newer wood 1x2 boards. They make for great contrast. I made a full border from these and the backing was complete.
So now I had a backing for my lights, but it would have a gap between it and the ceiling. That wasn't going to do so I looked around and found some newer wood 1x2 boards. They make for great contrast. I made a full border from these and the backing was complete.
Step 3: Let There Be Light
So now its time to light things up. I found center and the place where I wanted to hang the other 2 lights from and drilled holes. Lamp cord was my preference for wiring, and I happened to have some from an old lamp that didn't look so new. I ran all 3 through the holes leaving a long cord on each one because I didn't know exactly how far down I wanted them to hang yet. I connected all 3 together along with a short cord that would eventually attach to the existing wiring. I wrapped each cord with electrical tape and stapled around that wrap on the backside to hold the cord in place so it wouldn't pull out anymore. I connected the wiring and screwed the whole thing to the ceiling.
I knew I didn't need 3 full sized lights so earlier I at the local home improvement store I had picked up candelabra bulbs and replacement lamp bulb holders. They are simple to wire in so I did so and found the height that I wanted.
I knew I didn't need 3 full sized lights so earlier I at the local home improvement store I had picked up candelabra bulbs and replacement lamp bulb holders. They are simple to wire in so I did so and found the height that I wanted.
Step 4: Lets Get Fancy
So now to make this thing pop.. Before her truck was out of sight I was grabbing keys and headed out the door for what I needed. Luckily there are multiple antique stores in town, but I also knew I didn't have a lot of time and didn't know exactly what I wanted. After about 6 stores I walked out of 2 different ones with what was going to make her jaw drop. A couple old canning jars and an old cheese grater..
I drilled holes in the middle of all 3 to the exact size of the bulb holder base. That was all that was needed for the grater, and would have worked for the canning jars but I wanted more.
I was hoping for some some really old looking brownish twine but no antique stores had any. So I went with some that we had around the ranch.. I wrapped it around quite a few times to try and hide the bulb as much as possible. I had to tie a few together and just left the ends of knots just sticking out. If I find some twine I like in the future I might swap it out.. might..
I also thought I had some barb wire on a roll someplace, I found out it was barbless. Twisted wires of that size is into easy to deal with. I wrapped it around the jar and then took it off and wound it a bit tighter so it would hold closer when put back on the jar. Still not exactly what I envisioned because it wouldn't wrap tightly together like the twine.. I might also change that later and use some rusty barb wire to wrap it up closer and tighter .. But I was running out of time, so it had to do for now.
I drilled holes in the middle of all 3 to the exact size of the bulb holder base. That was all that was needed for the grater, and would have worked for the canning jars but I wanted more.
I was hoping for some some really old looking brownish twine but no antique stores had any. So I went with some that we had around the ranch.. I wrapped it around quite a few times to try and hide the bulb as much as possible. I had to tie a few together and just left the ends of knots just sticking out. If I find some twine I like in the future I might swap it out.. might..
I also thought I had some barb wire on a roll someplace, I found out it was barbless. Twisted wires of that size is into easy to deal with. I wrapped it around the jar and then took it off and wound it a bit tighter so it would hold closer when put back on the jar. Still not exactly what I envisioned because it wouldn't wrap tightly together like the twine.. I might also change that later and use some rusty barb wire to wrap it up closer and tighter .. But I was running out of time, so it had to do for now.
Step 5: Put It All Together
I put it all together and wrapped the bases that were just sticking out in twine and wire and called it a night..
Even though they weren't exactly what I wanted I think they turned out ok.. She came home and noticed them before she even got inside (helped that I left only those light on).. She loves them and says it all the time.. I finished the kitchen lighting off later and replaced the main lighting with something more rustic.. You can find that instructable on here also..
Well hope I encouraged you to be creative and gave you ideas..
Me: On to the next project.
Even though they weren't exactly what I wanted I think they turned out ok.. She came home and noticed them before she even got inside (helped that I left only those light on).. She loves them and says it all the time.. I finished the kitchen lighting off later and replaced the main lighting with something more rustic.. You can find that instructable on here also..
Well hope I encouraged you to be creative and gave you ideas..
Me: On to the next project.
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Epilog Challenge V
