Which eyesores? The ones in our hallway, of course. If we were going to the trouble of installing board and batten, we didn’t want a boring light fixture, a yellowed ceiling vent, or a flashy old doorbell ruining the view. Here’s an overdue rundown of those smaller updates you might have noticed in last week’s big board and batten reveal — the little changes that make the whole space feel finished while we slowly add crown molding to the playroom, guest room, and this very hallway.
Swapping out the light fixture, replacing the doorbell, and repainting the ceiling vent were all fairly small jobs, but together they had a big impact. These minor upgrades were distracting before; doing them at the same time as the major trim work made the finished hallway look cohesive and intentional. It’s true: the devil is in the details, and after addressing those details the hallway finally looks like it belongs to the stylish board and batten below.
Let’s start with the light fixture. The one that was up before had been moved in from our laundry room — it had been doing the job but wasn’t really our style. We’re big fans of using what we already own when it makes sense, but this time we kept our eyes open for a fixture that fit the updated look better.
For a while we considered freshening the existing fixture with spray paint and maybe adding a painted stripe to the glass shade. But then we found a discounted industrial-style fixture at a local lighting outlet that reminded us of the outdoor-ish lights we’d used in the guest and hall bathrooms. It had the right vibe, and at the marked-down price we couldn’t pass it up.
With the power off, the swap was straightforward. I removed the old fixture, copied the existing wire connections onto the new fixture, and mounted it. Small job, big difference. Forgive the incandescent bulb in the photos — it was the only one I had on hand at the time — but you can already see how the new fixture reads as a purposeful design element instead of a mismatched afterthought.
Next up: the doorbell. The old one looked like it belonged in a sitcom set from decades ago. It worked fine, but it screamed “dated” every time you walked by. Our previous house didn’t have a doorbell at all, so wired doorbells were a bit new to us. Still, we wanted a simple, unobtrusive wired bell that wouldn’t draw attention away from the fresh trim and paint.
We spent an afternoon trying different options and testing chimes in the store — a surprisingly fun little shopping trip that one of our kids loved. We picked a wired unit that was inexpensive and understated. When I removed the cover of the old bell with the power off, the innards were straightforward and used the same connections as the new model, which made the swap easier than I expected.
Following a simple “do what you undo” approach to the wiring (turn off power, note where each wire is connected, then transfer those connections to the new unit), I installed the new doorbell plate. Its footprint was slightly smaller than the old one, which left a small exposed area temporarily — but since we planned to paint the wall as part of the board and batten project, that wasn’t a problem. The finished change is subtle but elevates the whole entry area and even gives the wiring system a fresher appearance.
As soon as one area looks updated, nearby imperfections tend to stand out more. That was the case with the yellowed metal grate covering the whole-house fan vent. It had become dingy over time and suddenly looked awful next to the new trim and fixtures. My spouse climbed up on a stepladder and painted the grate with leftover ceiling paint from the basement. She used thin coats applied with a brush — three coats in total — so the fan still operates smoothly and looks clean.
Much better.
And yes, the doorbell still works — as does our backup “doorbell” that goes off whenever the real one chimes: our dog, who announces visitors with enthusiastic barking. More recently, in another home where there was no existing doorbell, we installed a wireless video doorbell instead. That was a quick, five-step project and gave us added convenience and security.
Do you ever find that one small update triggers a cascade of nearby fixes? It happens to us all the time: upgrade one element and suddenly everything adjacent looks worse by comparison, which sends you down a productive domino effect of improvements. Little projects like these are quick wins that elevate the whole space without a major remodel.