Changing out lighting isn’t nearly as difficult as I thought.  In truth, it’s a matter of taking off the old fixture, attaching 3 wires together and then screwing the face plate into place – couldn’t be easier!

Have I ever mentioned that I hate fixing things?

I do.  I’d rather build something completely new than fix something that’s broken.  I can’t explain it other than to say that I don’t find gratification in fixing something that’s broken – or at least not the same joy I get in creating something from scratch.

Suffice it to say I try to leave any and all fixing to Hubby.

Like our powder room lights:

swapping out sconces, replacing bathroom sconces, how to replace a sconce, update bathroom lighting

It’s a tiny powder room, so it’s difficult to photograph – I apologize.

I know you’re thinking “just change the bulb” – and I have, three times at $14 per bulb.  It isn’t the bulb that’s the problem – it’s the fixture itself that’s broken…

and has been for nearly two years.

Why is it that it’s called “nagging” when you ask someone to do something and they don’t, so you ask again?  Is it really “nagging” if the to do still isn’t done two years later?

We need some derogatory terminology for lazy men – because at this point I don’t think it is at all legitimate to call my asking “nagging”.

I won’t lie, bathroom sconces (any lighting really) are expensive.  Swapping out bathroom sconces means that both will need to be changed so they match.  Add to that the fact that the (faux) grasscloth wallpaper was hung around the fixtures and that the mirror is adhered to the wall and you can see how changing out a bathroom sconce (or at least these sconces) could be a bit of a production.

swapping out sconces, replacing bathroom sconces, how to replace a sconce, update bathroom lighting

I finally took matters into my own hands and bit the bullet on buying two new bathroom sconces – with roughly the same dimensions as the old ones so I wouldn’t have to change the mirror or wallpaper.

My Step-Dad came over to help me with the installation – not because it was difficult, but more because I was nervous about getting electrocuted while my children were consumed with Roblox.  (they can not be counted on to do anything while gaming, so an ambulance would be out of the question).

After turning off the power (please remember to turn off the power!) to the powder room, we unscrewed and removed the old sconces and cross bars.

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The wires had twist on wire connectors, so we undid them and the old sconces were down.

We installed the new cross bars that came with the sconces we were swapping out, although I think we could have left them up and worked with them.

We connected the ground wire on the new sconce to the ground wire (copper) in the wall and then matched up black to black and white to white, using twist wire connectors to tie them together.

swapping out sconces, replacing bathroom sconces, how to replace a sconce, update bathroom lighting

swapping out sconces, replacing bathroom sconces, how to replace a sconce, update bathroom lighting

Tuck the wires back into the wall, replace the fixture front by attaching the screws on the face plate and project swapping out bathroom sconces’ is/was done!

swapping out sconces, replacing bathroom sconces, how to replace a sconce, update bathroom lighting

It was ridonculously easy – swapping out bathroom sconces was not even worthy of a week’s worth of “nagging”. Ugh!

swapping out sconces, replacing bathroom sconces, how to replace a sconce, update bathroom lighting

So Hubby, now that I know how easy this is, you run the risk of me changing out more lighting in the house!  CHA-CHING!  (That’ll teach you)

And yes, I guess I need to ‘get over’ my aversion to fixing things – but besides killing spiders and reaching high items what else are men good for?

(Kidding – I have two kids, so I know another use for them. wink, wink)

Have a great one!

 

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