# Light fixture replacement...need ideas



## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

In our bathroom the white-ish walls are about the only thing that keeps it from being dark and dismal. We have these vertical tube florescent lights on either side of the mirror in the bathroom, but there's the chrome things that cover part of the bulbs (I'm guessing to direct the light more towards the mirror and less to the rest of the bathroom?) and it just doesn't do a very good job of lighting the place up. What do you guys think would cover up those marks the best--I'm sure some of you guys have seem these light fixtures, I think they're from the 50's-70's, and there's a lot of houses that I've seen that have similar variations of them--not that I can find a pic on the internet--in lots of ranch houses from the early years. (Our house was built in '64, and those lights are likely original.) I don't really want to repaint the bathroom, so I'm hoping to find something that will cover the old marks enough to avoid that.

I want something bright that doesn't have visible bulbs, because I plan to put in florescent swirl bulbs like these:









However, I am NOT looking for anything that remotely resembles this:









Anyone have any ideas for me? Or am I just going to have to get an over-the-mirror light fixture and paint my bathroom?


----------



## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

The problem is less that the holes are on the side of the mirrors. The wires are there too, and it's against Code to make the wires up and covering up the boxes. 

Just so we have some point of reference, what do you think about these type lights? Would these work, or is that what you're trying to avoid?

http://www.homeportfolio.com/catalog/Product.jhtml?superCatId=14&catId=456&avId=11521&prodId=190509

Now... how much light do you want? If you go with incandescent as opposed to flourescent, you will have more light, but it will also get hotter in the bathroom with the lights on.


----------



## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

Drabdr said:


> The problem is less that the holes are on the side of the mirrors. The wires are there too, and it's against Code to make the wires up and covering up the boxes.
> 
> Just so we have some point of reference, what do you think about these type lights? Would these work, or is that what you're trying to avoid?
> 
> ...


That light is essentially the modern version of what I already have, so it's not really what I'm looking for. I'd like something kind of unique, that doesn't use a florescent tube.

We would probably just pull the existing wires over to the top of the mirror and reuse them if we absolutely couldn't find something that went along the sides. I can't see why that would be against code--it's a huge mirror (about 5 feet wide and at least 3.5 feet tall) so we'd probably have two fixtures butted up against each other using both sets of wires.

I thought that incandescents were going to be off the market in February or something like that?  I hate those stupid CFL's(?) that take 20 minutes to come on, so I was going to go with florescents to avoid using the CFLs.

This one is more of the style I like, but it's not quite what I had in mind:










Except I would prefer that the bells went up instead of down (rotated 180*) so that the bulbs would be more hidden.

I REALLY _love_ this light:










However, it's going in the wrong direction for what I need, since it's for above the mirror and I need something for to the sides of it.


----------



## Frank4d (Sep 10, 2006)

Take a look at this website (if they don't have it, it probably doesn't exist. http://www.lampsplus.com/

I need to get my wife a bathroom lamp too. After painting, the bathroom light is a lightbulb hanging from two wires. She doesn't like it much.


----------



## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Yes.... let me clarify.. if you just re-direct the wire to the light, that's fine. Just sometimes, people "make up" some wires in a box, then cover it up. That's what I was talking about.

Just brainstorming..

1. Take the mirror off.
2. Make sure the power is off, and rerun the wire where you want it. You can knock out some sheetrock, as it will be behind the mirror (assuming its one of those big mirrors).
3. Get the light you really want. Get the light you love; get one pointing down (be sure and allow enough clearance for the trim for when you reinstall the mirror.)
4. Patch the holes on the side. Or... get creative and put up two little shelves on each side or something to cover up the holes.


----------



## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

Frank4d said:


> Take a look at this website (if they don't have it, it probably doesn't exist. http://www.lampsplus.com/
> 
> *I need to get my wife a bathroom lamp too. After painting, the bathroom light is a lightbulb hanging from two wires. She doesn't like it much.*


I don't blame her... Our kitchen and hallway light are like that, but they'll have to stay there until I can find some old fixtures to rewire and use. Light fixtures are so darned expensive, and sometimes people throw away light fixtures that would have a unique look for a room if they'd just update the wiring.  Guess that means more for me, eh? 

I've looked through that site, and I guess what I want doesn't exist.  That's alright, I'll probably figure out some way to rip off those chrome pieces and make what we have work for a while until we've scrounged up some cash to get ones like what I really want.

Speaking of painting, you wanna come paint my bathroom if I have to replace the fixtures with an over-the-mirror one?  I hate painting, and I will never break out another paint roller....but I have no problem with letting someone else do it for me.


----------



## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Farmgirl, here are two locals lighting companies. I know you have probably looked, but maybe you can see something here to give you an idea.

http://www.parkrowlighting.com/

http://lee-lighting.com/home.php

Lighting is pretty important in a bathroom, especially for women/girls. So, hopefully you can get something that will work for you.


----------



## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

I'm looking pretty heavily at this one for my kitchen--but only if it stays close to that price!

Vintage Pendant(?) Light


----------

