Yes, that was an electric slide reference. I’m sure my mom is laughing and my brother is rolling his eyes, promising never to read this blog again.
Let’s talk electrical updates: installing a capiz chandelier in the master bedroom, adding a few extra outlets, and trying to minimize drywall damage while running wiring. After last week’s post about our four new outdoor sconces, we mentioned we’d also had some wiring work done inside. Here’s the full rundown of what we added, where it went, and how much it cost.
We’ll begin with the prettiest result so far — the new light in our master bedroom.
We had electricians add ceiling fixtures to all four upstairs bedrooms. We prefer overhead lighting for both style and convenience, but none of the bedrooms originally had ceiling fixtures. Fortunately, the job didn’t require tearing up drywall beyond the single hole for the fixture box because the electricians were able to repurpose the existing switches, which previously controlled wall outlets in each room. That meant we didn’t need to install extra switches, and we don’t accidentally switch off things like the cable box or a sound machine when leaving a room anymore.
We haven’t chosen fixtures for the kids’ rooms or the guest room yet, so for now we’ll install simple white metal covers to minimize that unfinished blue-circle-with-wires look until we find the right fixtures. The master fixture, however, was ready. It’s the Large Lotus Pendant we ordered from World Market a while back when we bought our hallway lights. It was going out of stock, and we grabbed a 25% off deal, which brought the price down to $112 with free shipping.
When it arrived, we realized it didn’t include a light kit — a detail we’d missed on the website. World Market’s light kits come only in black or silver, so we hunted for bronze options at Home Depot and Lowe’s. We found a couple of kits designed to pair with decorative glass shades, but they had the finish options and hanging hardware we needed, including a ceiling canopy.
The Portfolio-brand pendant kit from Lowe’s, in an “aged” finish, matched the capiz fixture best and was the only one that fit properly. The capiz ring was slightly small to screw on traditionally, so the kit rests on the fixture’s flared part and nests the cord and shade in place. Once we confirmed that setup would work, the install was straightforward — possibly the quickest light installation we’ve done here, under fifteen minutes. And, miraculously, John didn’t poke himself in the face with a metal petal; I wasn’t so lucky.
The fixture takes a single 60-watt bulb, adding a nice layer of light to the two bedside lamps we’d been using. Having overhead light you can switch from the doorway feels decadent — like getting a dishwasher after years without one. Small luxuries suddenly feel huge.
Now for a quick overview of the entire electrical job. The crew worked over three mornings, avoiding the hottest parts of the day since attic and crawl space work gets brutal. Here’s what they completed:
- Installed ceiling fixtures in all four upstairs bedrooms via the attic
- Converted bedroom switches to operate the new ceiling lights instead of wall outlets
- Installed four sconces on the veranda, controlled by an existing living room switch
- Safely terminated old radio/intercom wiring in the veranda
- Installed a ceiling fixture in the downstairs office and converted the existing switch
- Added a floor outlet beneath the floating desk in the office
- Added two additional wall outlets in the office
Update: For those asking about the office floor outlet: it was a simple addition because the electricians could come up through the crawl space. They wired it from below, drilled a small hole in the floor from above, and installed the outlet cover. It didn’t take long and the finished result looks tidy.
We received the bill this weekend: about $1,500 total. Materials were $270 and the rest was labor. It was one of our larger electrician bills, but consider the scope: nine fixtures across six rooms, three new outlets, several switch conversions, and an intercom termination. When you break it down, it averages roughly $100 per item, excluding the converted switches and the terminated intercom. If we’d hired electricians to address each room separately, the total would likely have been higher because they’d need to access the attic multiple times. Bundling jobs into one visit saved us money by reducing repetitive setup time.
Being present during the work paid off too. We were able to suggest an alternate wire route that avoided numerous ceiling holes in the office. Instead of running wires through multiple joists and cutting nearly ten drywall openings, we realized the wires could run parallel to a fixture-box joist, be snaked down the wall, and then routed through the crawl space to the wall switch. That approach required only one small hole in the ceiling and a few wall openings near the switch — much easier to patch and far less visible than multiple ceiling repairs.
Another small win: we asked the electrician to place one of the new outlets just under the surface of John’s desk where they expected a hole while routing the wire. He agreed, so the hole became a purposeful outlet that helps keep cords out of sight. The original outlet was tucked behind a shelf anchored to the wall, which meant a large power strip used to sit on the floor beneath the desk. We added another outlet below the light switch to avoid running cords across the room to the outlet under the window; these small adjustments improved functionality and reduced visible wiring.
The painting in one of the photos is a monster Clara brought home from art camp last week. It’s quickly become a favorite, and it may earn a more permanent spot on the wall — one that doesn’t depend on masking tape.
We’ll update you with fixture choices and installs for the office and the remaining bedrooms as we find pieces that fit. If only we could raise these ceilings a foot or two to open up more fixture options — the joys of eight-foot ceilings.
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