Do you guys want the good news or the bad news? I pretty much have all bad news so I’m feeling a bit discouraged. One Room Challenge Week 5 is a lighting nightmare among many other nightmares. My cat Phil who made an appearance on the rug last week suddenly became ill and died over the weekend. I’m absolutely devasted, I’ve been crying for four days straight. Dealing with FedEx sent me into full breakdown mode on Monday. They have been impossible to deal with and also it’s been impossible for them to do their job which is to deliver my packages. UGH. There is some good news before I move on to the lighting nightmare — the wallpaper arrived!
I’m going to tackle the wallpaper over the weekend so hopefully, that helps me feel better. Right about now I’m ready to throw in the towel though. Thank GOD they extended the challenge by a week because there is just no way that I would be ready to do a photoshoot for a reveal. I had a friend come by last weekend to help me get the new fixture up but what we found when we took the old fixture down is trouble. The wiring has not been updated in who knows how long and the hole in the ceiling is larger than the canopy of the fixture. I know what you’re thinking, a ceiling medallion, right? WRONG! The wires are hanging out lower than the ceiling so we can’t get the fixture flush. It’s been impossible.
This is the original fixture without the glass bowl over the top. Sorry, I forgot to take that shot.
This is what was underneath the fixture. This possibly couldn’t have gone any worse.
This is the closest we could get the fixture to the ceiling and we ordered a medallion that we thought would cover the difference but it didn’t work. This was not a DIY project. Changing light fixtures is easy when the electric is modern but we have no idea what the hell to do. I made an appointment with an electrician on Saturday afternoon. Fingers crossed he can figure something out.
If we can’t come up with a way to make this fixture work then we’re going to have to put the old fixture back up. That is disappointing to me because I really loved the new fixture and it completely transforms the way the hallway looks. The wallpaper will look great but there isn’t a ton to do with the hallway so losing one of the main focuses of the design plan makes the end result less impactful. I also can’t return the fixture because I put it together and threw away the box. I had no idea that something this awful was going to happen.
I’m sick, my cat died, my car got a flat tire, and this challenge is turning into a failure. Please send all the good vibes my way to help me get through it. If you have any solutions I would LOVE to hear them. Please tell me in the comments below. Hoping for a better tomorrow and a completed Hallway Refresh. xo
Firstly, I am so sorry about the loss of your cat. Such terrible news. And I’m so sorry this week has been hard for you.
My question is whether the old gas light pipe is what’s causing the new canopy to gap? Because I had this issue in my house, and I legit cut that shit off with an angle grinder. I am not a professional and I take no liability, sooooooo, it’s just what I did. Anyways, it worked for me and I was able to put a new light up.
Good luck! The fixture is beautiful.
Hey Madeline. Thanks so much, I’m taking it pretty hard. It was sudden and unexpected and he was my best friend. He was my shadow so there’s a big void in the house for me right now. I think that is actually the problem. The house is old and electric has not been updated. I’m having an electrician come tomorrow and I will bring that up. Thank you!
Oh Natalie, I am so sorry to hear about Phil. He was a beautiful cat (loved the pic of him on the rug) and sounds like he was a great comfort to you. Sending positive thoughts and strength to get through these other challenges. You can do it!!