Upgrading the flooring, swapping wallpapers for paint or getting new furniture are the typical pictures that pop into people’s heads when they spark the idea of a home makeover. However, changing the lighting of the space, not so much. While swapping old fixtures with new ones sounds enticing, it’s easier said than done. But what if there’s a loophole? A way to upgrade your lighting fixtures without needing hardcore DIY electrical skills?
The truth is, the answer is really simple, change the fixtures but keep the wiring. With that, you’ll be able to update your lights without needing an electrician to do it for you. Although it sounds limiting, there are many ways that you can go about with it. Also, what’s great about these ideas is it’s safe and foolproof. Here are some!
DIY #1: Jazz up the light bulbs or the lampshade
The simplest and most basic is swapping old lampshades and light bulbs. Coloured light bulbs can add a point of interest to a space, and there’s no shortage of them. There are a wide variety of colours, including blue, red, green, orange, amber, yellow, and even pink! Aside from light bulbs, changing the lampshade is another easy way to refresh your fixtures. Home décor stores never run out of new and stylish lampshades to spice things up!
Consider a smart colour-changing light bulb if you want to take it a step further. While it can be more expensive than the standard one-colour bulbs, it’s worth every penny! Just link it to your smartphone, and you can customise the brightness, flip through millions of colours, and use unique effects (if possible) to match your mood or event!
While light bulb and lampshade swaps are relatively minor changes, it still results in a massive difference.
DIY #2: Add plug-in pendant lights
Plug-in light fixtures are your best friend for easy and DIY-friendly lighting solutions. Since all you have to do is plug them in sockets, you don’t need to cut a hole in your ceiling and find the correct wires. Plug-in pendant lights are single light fixtures that dangle by a cord from the ceiling and only require an outlet to run. It’s the perfect answer for rusting and ageing fixtures that you need to get rid of. Plug-in pendant lights can make your space look modern and bright without having to experience the electric part of the process. Also, they can make an excellent task light and effortless to scale to the area where it’ll hang!
DIY #3: Incorporate plug-in wall lights
Another plug-in variety that you need to try is a plug-in wall light. It’s pretty straightforward to install, like hanging a picture frame on a wall! You can add it anywhere you prefer for as long as you have a nearby socket. Wall-mounted light fixtures can introduce decorative as well as symmetrical interest in a space. If you are worried about the cords snaking across your walls, you can always hide them. Try putting them inside a thin metal tube from the lamp to the socket. You can also use some wall art or furniture pieces to hide the dangling wires.
DIY #4: Use wireless LED motion sensor lighting fixtures
Since the innovation of the lighting industry, motion sensor lights have been one of the minor conveniences they brought. It’s easy to install, inexpensive and handy in dark areas like closets, pantries, attics, coat closets, shoe cabinets, and so on and so forth. You can mount them on your stairs, deck (depending on the IP rating), driveway, hallway, and many more others.
The only downside with wireless motion sensor LED lights is they can run out of batteries and are not that bright. Sometimes, depending on the battery, you can go through a pack within a few months. You may rethink purchasing this because the maintenance fee may end up higher than the price of the fixture!
One way out of the short battery lifespan is getting a rechargeable wireless light. Since they’re rechargeable, the only maintenance service that you need to do is charge your lights. Easy breezy!
DIY #5: Stick with puck lights
Puck lights are excellent and easy to install under cabinet lights. They are battery-operated or rechargeable, and some are dimmable with remote control. Typically, you have the option to stick the puck lights using its adhesive backing or screw it directly on the surface.
Again, battery-operated puck lights can eventually become expensive to maintain, while rechargeable ones just need a little extra effort to bring back to life. Either way, having puck lights are a great help to provide you with additional task lighting in shadowy areas of your home.
There you have it! Five simple DIYs to help you transform your home’s lighting without calling for an electrician. If you have any lighting needs, check out our website, Simple Lighting! We have a variety of lighting fixtures, including strip lights, under cabinet lights, plinth lights, and more.
