Updating the lighting fixture and sink faucet in my guest bathroom that we’re making over on a budget of $300 as part of the One Room Challenge
Get caught up on my other One Room Challenge posts:
- I: Making Over My Guest Bathroom on a Budget
- II: Replacing the Bathroom Hardware
- III: The Battle of the Floating Shelves
- IV: How To DIY A Stunning Wood Slat Wall
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One Room Challenge Week 3
Whew! This week of the One Room Challenge I’ve been trying to decide on a paint color for the vanity. I’ve also taken on the task of replacing the light fixture and the sink hardware. And yall! This has been a test on your girl’s soul! If you haven’t already seen my vision for this guest bathroom makeover, check out this blog post. I talk all about my ideas and share some before pictures of the space.
If you’ve been following along on my Facebook or Instagram, then you’ll know I’ve been trying to decide between 3 potential paint colors for the vanity in the bathroom. You’ll also know that the lighting in my bathroom has been playing tricks with my eyes. The colors I swatched on the vanity cabinet, look completely different on the wall. And all of the colors look even more different in pictures.
The Problem at hand
I think that the lighting of the bathroom is the problem. All of these cool-toned blues are being misrepresented in the light of the warm bulbs we have in our bathroom. So I decided to mix up my schedule and replace the light fixture first to help make my paint decision. I also figured, while I was just going around changing hardware, I may as well update the sink hardware.
I ordered the light fixture and the sink faucet from Amazon and really did a lot of searching to make sure I wouldn’t blow my budget in one week. Luckily, I found the hardware I purchased for a great price and spent about $150 on these items. You may be saying, “But Taji, that’s half your budget!”. Yeah, it is, but it’s also the most notable items in a bathroom, so it was important to me to get it right.
Replacing the Light Fixture
So removing the old light fixture was a breeze. After I unscrewed the bulbs, it exposed the screws that hold the fixture to the wall. So I undid those, untwisted the connecting wires (I also made sure to turn off the power, of course!) took out a few more screws and it came right off. Ten minutes max!
Now putting on the new light fixture… That was a headache and a half! The mounting brackets in the wall were not parallel so it was making it really difficult to attach the new mount to the wall so that the fixture would be parallel. It took me about an hour of screwing and unscrewing things to make sure the mount was secure and the fixture bracket was parallel. I may or may not have had a small break down somewhere in the middle and an actual broken lightbulb in the end… But it got done! I also replaced the warm-toned light bulbs with cool-toned bulbs and it made a huge difference.
Replacing the Sink Faucet
The sink faucet proved to be difficult for different reasons. For obvious reasons, the brackets and bolts on the faucet were incredibly tight, making them incredibly difficult to undo. Luckily, after some helpful youtube videos I was able to figure out some different hacks for removing these bolts. It took longer for me as I had to figure out if the steps I were taking weren’t right or if I was just meeting resistance. Finally, after lots of tools and a spider scare, I got the faucet replaced.
There are definitely projects that humble me and remind me that there’s so much I don’t know about caring for a home. While I definitely have a better understanding of them now, I also have an increased respect for all the plumbers and electricians out there! If you have or know a plumber or electrician, make sure to write them a thank you note!
Now that I’ve survived replacing the hardware in the bathroom I was finally able to decide on a paint color. You’ll have to come back next week to see which one I chose. If you’re not already, make sure to sign up for the Melanated Maker DIY newsletter so you know exactly when a new blog is coming and can stay up-to-date with the weekly progress of this room. Also, make sure to check out the other one room challenge participants here.
If you want behind the scenes footage of how I accomplish this and all my other projects, check out my Instagram @MelanatedMakerDIY
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Frances Lucas says
Awesome upgrade!!
Bridget says
The new fixtures look great! I’m so impressed with your budget for this room!