We rarely talk about our hall bathroom. In the 17 months we’ve lived here it’s only been the subject of two brief posts — once when we removed a towel bar and another when we fixed the toilet. We even used a very similar color scheme in the guest bedroom, so we decided not to commit to that same color here. That left the hall bathroom a bit in limbo, but recently we finally made a small, satisfying update: new lighting.
The original fixture wasn’t terrible, but it felt very builder-basic and gave off a backstage makeup-room vibe with its long row of bulbs above the long mirror and vanity. We wanted something with more height and personality that wouldn’t look too delicate above the large mirror. Our plan all along was to swap it for something we liked better and donate the old fixture so someone else could use it.
We browsed local stores off and on for over a year and a half, but nothing clicked. Then, about a month ago, Sherry spotted a light on a flash-sale site that had the dark bronze finish and an industrial-outdoor feel we liked. The style echoed a few other fixtures in our home — the outdoor fixture we’ve used inside the guest bathroom and the front porch light — so it felt like it would fit in nicely.
At $60 (marked down from $100) it was less expensive than many of the options we had dismissed at the big box stores, so we went for it. The new fixture sat on the counter for a few weeks before we finally installed it, which only made us more eager to get it up on the wall. The mirror’s position meant I ended up photographing myself in the process more than once, and the bathtub forced me into some awkward tripod poses.
As usual, I turned off the power to the entire house before touching anything because our fuse panel isn’t labeled precisely. I removed the glass shades and bulbs and unscrewed the old fixture from the wall. Behind it was a large metal mounting plate covered with dust and old paint drips — the sort of thing you don’t notice until the fixture is down.
After a quick lead-paint test with a stick we keep on hand, and a reassuring negative result, I used a palm sander to smooth the ridges and unpainted patches left behind by the previous fixture. We’ll repaint that area when we pick a color for the room, but painting is a future task since we haven’t settled on the right shade yet.
The new fixture arrived ready to assemble. I installed the mounting bar first — the included screws didn’t fit our junction box, so we grabbed different screws from the hardware store — then connected the wires and secured the fixture to the wall. Once the metal shades and bulbs were in place, the new light was finished and ready to shine.
We’re pleased with how much character the fixture adds. The two 100-watt bulbs provide plenty of light for the small bathroom, and the dark finish complements the darker accent tile already in the room. The industrial, slightly worn look gives the space a sense of age and authenticity without feeling too country. It looks sturdier and more refined than its price tag suggests.
The taller profile of this fixture fills the space above the mirror more effectively than the old, wider fixture did, and it balances the tall shower curtain on the other side of the room. The little distressed details make it feel less mass-produced and more like a well-loved piece, which is the aesthetic we’ve been collecting throughout the house.
We donated the old fixture to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, so the swap is complete. There’s still a lot on our to-do list for this bathroom — framing the mirror, choosing paint colors, updating the vanity and hardware, treating the window, and adding art — but installing the light feels like a meaningful step forward. The room isn’t finished, but we’re inching towards a look we like.
What have you hung in your bathroom — art, new lighting, mirrors? Any favorite bathroom paint colors or tips for ordering lights sight-unseen? We were a little nervous buying a fixture without seeing it in person, but we’re glad we took the chance and happy with how it turned out.