Changing Dated Hanging Light Fixture

Installing a new light fixture in our breakfast nook to replace the old one has been on my to do list for ages. It was one of those things that just kept being pushed to the end of the list though.

We finally took the time to get rid of the old, dated fixture and replace it with a new stylish one that goes great with my decor.

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I’ve wanted to replace the old light fixture with something that goes well with the copper accents that I have in the breakfast nook and our kitchen. For the longest time, I couldn’t find one that I liked that would work well in this space.

Light Fixture Installation

The old light fixture is builder grade and it was put in tons of homes that were built in the early 2000’s. I’ve looked at it since 2004 and wanted to replace it! But, like I mentioned, it never rose to the top of the to do list.

Leaving this light fixture in place always made this breakfast nook look dated. Once I started adding copper accents throughout the space and in the kitchen, it looked even worse.

Over the years, I’ve often looked for just the right fixture, but since I hadn’t found it, I lived with the old one. On a recent search, I found the fixture that I wanted and this task rose up to the top of the list of things to get done.

I purchased this Kira Home Sonoma Light Fixture (affiliate) from Amazon. It was reasonably priced for the look I wanted. I love the patina and the round barrel style.

While I do all of the home decorating, my husband is the one who handles small home improvement chores like installing a new light fixture.

In order to install a new light fixture, you need to have a basic understanding of how home electrical systems work. My husband learned the basics from an electrician decades ago when he worked as an assistant.

*The following instructions are based on our knowledge and are meant to serve as a general guide, not complete installation instructions.

How to Replace a Hanging Chain Light Fixture

• Turn off the breaker.
• Open links on chain using needle nose pliers and slip joint pliers.
• Once link is opened, unscrewed the nut on the canopy and allow it to suspend.
• Disconnect wires from the light by removing the wire nuts.

• Once the wires are disconnected, pull the light fixture down.
• Remove old mounting plate.

Once the old fixture had been removed, we were ready to install the new one. The following instructions were included with our new fixture. Any fixture should have similar instructions when you purchase it.

We followed the instructions for assembling the fixture before mounting it. When we unboxed it, it looked like lots of parts. My husband always insists that every item be taken out of the box and counted to make sure all necessary parts have been included before he gets started on any assembling. He learned from experience that sometimes the manufacturer leaves things out.

Putting the fixture together was pretty simple. The included instructions had a step by step guide. You’ll notice we did this on the floor of our family room. It’s hot in South Carolina! If something can be done indoors instead of in the garage, we do it there.

Every fixture will be assembled a little bit differently, but reading the instructions first is always a good idea.

I mention reading the instructions first because my husband didn’t read them all the way through. He assembled it completely before realizing that the canopy (cover plate) had to be added prior to adding the rod. He thought it would fit over the rod. It would not.

• Install new mounting plate.
• Support the fixture on ladder tray.
• *Run the wires through the screw collar loop and through the canopy (cover plate). This is not pictured, because we had to back track and redo this step.
• Using wire nuts:
  • Connect the ground wire to the ground wire in the junction box or ground screw in the junction box.
  • Connect the black house wire to the fixture hot wire using wire nuts.
  • Connect the white house wire to the fixture neutral wire.

• Place all wires and wire connectors back into the junction box.
• Slide canopy and threaded ring up towards the screw collar loop until it’s flush against the ceiling.
• Secure in place by screwing threaded ring into screw collar loop.

• Turn breaker on.
• Add blubs.

I couldn’t be happier with how this looks in our breakfast nook. This is the perfect choice to go with other decor in the space and in the kitchen that is just off of this area.

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Changing Hanging Light Fixture

Supply List for Installing a New Hanging Light Fixture

• Ladder
• Pliers
• Screwdrivers
• Light Fixture

Do you have that one thing in your home that you’ve been wanting to replace for ages? Have you managed to check it off of your To Do list?

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