Create Dramatic Day to Night with $10 Lights {Guest Post}

This wonderful post is another provided by Sue Mertl.  She shows  you how to get great night lighting for the right price.  Be sure to pin this DIY post, because you’ll definitely want to try it for yourself.  Be sure to visit Sue’s blog for more interesting DIY projects.  

Over the last 30 days, I’ve been part of a challenge group tasked with redoing a complete room (in their own houses) within the month of April.

Custom draperies were made from ready-made panels. Here

An old TV cabinet was halved, refinished, and installed as a kitchen cabinet. Here

The bay window walls received a no-miter, no-nail board and batten. Here

Oh, yea. It’s been a busy month. 🙂 And, this is the last post before the full reveal. *Bittersweet*

Just in case you haven’t seen the ugly before….

..It all started here, in this cramped little nook just off to the side of the kitchen.

I don’t think there was one single square inch of space that wasn’t long overdue for a redo.

But…now….it’s all brand spanking new….right down to the weather-stripping on the windows. 🙂

Oh, yes. I’m completely stoked about that! *Energy Savings*

And, all of the work…totally completed by Yours Truly. *Taking a Bow*

And….30 days later….the room to the left now looks like this …..

I know!! Right?

Honestly, I come down the stairs in the morning and think I’m in the wrong house.

But wait…….there’s more…….

In the evening, when daytime turns into night. Yowza!

It makes me glad that I was working on a budget….otherwise I might have missed this fun little lighting updo.

And…ohhhh. Wouldn’t that have been a cryin’ shame?

And, here’s how it works:

First, almost all traditional lighting options were abandoned. No dimmer switch, no sconces, no overhead chandelier. Only a canned light was left in the overhead ceiling. I did this for two reasons: (1) Budget – Buying light fixtures and having them installed is a total budget buster. And, (2) This area needed to be opened up and made to look bigger and brighter. Having light fixtures would have stolen the overhead visual space. Huuuum. I couldn’t have that, now could I?
Then, to give the impression of traditional lighting, I installed these reclaimed fixtures on both sides of the bay.

They were leftovers from an outdoors redo and had been collecting dust in the garage for many, many years. The fact that they were the perfect size and color just rocked!

So, I scrubbed off all of the dirt, taped the wires into the fixture, and screwed the fixture into the wall……just like it was a picture or any other accessory.

If I ever want these little beauties hardwired, all I have to do is call an electrician to come on over and git’er done.

Easy peasy.

To create visual interest in the evening, I bought a $10 package of battery-operated LED lights (here). Each package contains three lights.

They are small, lightweight, and give off a boatload of light.

Simply install the batteries and push the center to activate the light.

For the eat-in area, two lights were placed on the right and left window sills at midlevel. These were pointing up.

Then, one light was attached under the table…..pointing down.

Honestly, I’ve had these lights all over the area……under the chairs, inside the glass vase, on the floor, on the ceiling pointing down…..and with every change, the room looks totally different.

I am really looking forward to the next dinner party. I may put the food on risers and pop some of these lights underneath. And….don’t get me started on the holidays.

Yea…..they are just that much fun.

Well, now that I’ve spilled my big little lighting secret, it’s time to get this post up and prepare the post for the full-room reveal.

Hope you have enjoyed reading about these adventures as much as I did walking you through them.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by….it is a joy to have you here.

 Until next time,