New Kitchen Lighting

So for Christmas my family gave us gift cards for Home Depot,

I guess they know us well enough that we can ALWAYS use

them for the many projects we're always doing.

So next on our list of projects was to put in new

kitchen lighting. We wanted to get rid of the big florescent

box that stood out like a sore thumb.

So off to Home Depot we went with our gift cards in hand,

and went shopping for recessed lighting. We determined that 4

should be sufficient in our little kitchen.

With the help of Cheryl, one of the managers at our local

Home Depot (who just happens to live behind us...we should be

so lucky to have her and Jeff always there to help if we need anything)

she pointed us in the right direction of which ones we could use :

1. Ones that you can use next to insulation
2. Ones that you can install in the kitchen without going up into the attic.
3. How to take out the metal plate inside the fixture so its easier to install the light

4. How to pick out the face plate that goes around the fixture, with the ones easier to replace the light when needed.

So Scott used his Roto tool to cut out the drywall circles (with a handy circle guide I purchased for him last year), then he measured out the wiring to each of the holes and cut it to each length he wanted. He then wired nutted them together, then we placed the fixture up inside the ceiling, completing all 4 holes. Where the wires came out from the old light fixture, we capped it with a metal plate (according to code).

We then proceeded to drywall patch the holes where the old fixture hung from.

Then I took the drywall mud added alittle water to thin it out alittle and then took a plastic grocery sack wrinkled it up and then dipped it into the mud and blodded the ceiling in to match the rest of the ceiling. When the mud was almost dry, I then took a putty knife and flattened the spikes. (That is how I textured the ceiling a few years ago, now I learned they have a ceiling brush that does the work in half the time)

I then painted 3 coats over the old area until it all matched, I think it looks pretty good if I say so myself.

Then we put in the flood lights (65 watts), we used the ones with the reflective mirror looking stuff on the outside instead of the soft white surface. The reflective light puts out alot more light (makes it brighter) you can use the soft white if you want it more softer lighting. I like lots of light while cooking.

Old fixture

(Scott had already started before I took a before picture)

Finished look

Finished look
(see my window shutters I mentioned in my last post)
Just click on the pictures to enlarge

Meredith from: welcometoheardmont.com has posted the procedure on how to install them, they used the same kind we did. I hope she doesn't mind me posting her blog on mine but they done a great job explaining how to do them.