DIY Network

Living Room / Dining Room: Installing an Eyeball Lamp From "DIY Lighting Design" episode DLTD-101

In this segment, host Denise Dillon and the workers get started on "lightening" up the bungalow home by adding a recessed can light above the fireplace, rope lighting to the China cabinet and bookshelf and a dimmer switch for the dining room ceiling light, seen here!

In this segment, we install an eyeball lamp.

Materials:

Tarp to cover floor
Ladder
Electrical tester
Safety goggles
Hole saw
Drill
Fish tape
Wire cutter
Hammer
Vacuum
Nail gun
Screwdriver
Recessed can (see Resources, below)
Optional: fish tape

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

1. Start by making sure you're safe. Take the electrical tester to the attic where you're doing the wiring. Then go to the breaker box in the basement and turn off the circuit.

   Note and Warning: Even though this project isn't that difficult, since wiring and electrical work is involved, you may want to hire a professional. If not, please make sure you turn off the power before starting the job, and be careful!

2. Once this is done and you know you're safe, you're able to locate where the rough-in can (figure A) is going to be in the ceiling. The recessed can, in this case, will illuminate the niche above the fireplace.

   Tip: To minimize the dust, while one worker is cutting out the hole in the ceiling, another can vacuum the dust with a mini-vacuum.

3. Clear out the living room and lay protective tarp on the floor.

4. Using a hole saw to cut through the ceiling where the recessed can will go, and of course, there needs to be a switch for the new light. A remodeling box (figure B) allows you to put an electrical box into an existing wall.

5. Cut a hole in the wall for the remodeling box, and then it's time to run the wires.

6. The next step is to get a hot feed from the circuit in the attic. Bring the hot feed down inside the wall into the box and attach to the switch. Feeding the wires isn't always an easy task. Fish tape, which is simply a stiff steel wire used to direct wires, can be of great assistance during this process.

7. Feed the wires from the attic through the wall to the switch and through the hole to the recessed can. Very simply attach the white wire to white wire and the black wire to black wire (figure C).

8. Once the wires are connected, push the can up into the ceiling and using the spring-loaded clips, secure it in place.

9. Next, the workers tackle the bookshelf. First, they have to remove the old wooden shelves where they will drill a hole through the cabinet into the wall for the rope-light wiring.

10. Then the clips for the rope lighting are attached into the inside of the cabinet. And the rope lighting just snaps into place (figure D).

11. With the rope lighting in place, the glass shelves are put in.

    Note: By replacing the wood shelves with these, the rope lights will illuminate the length of the bookcase.

12. The same rope lighting is installed in the China cabinet in the dining room. The workers just drilled a hole and dropped all three cords down the back of the cabinet and p lugged them into an extension cord in the back.
    

    Figure E

    Installing a Dimmer Switch

    Remember that the globes in the dining room are going to be replaced, but with the four bulbs, the light can be harsh, so a dimmer switch is being installed.

    Safety Alert: Make sure the power circuit to the wall is OFF.

13. First, remove the old switch. Back out the screws, pull the old switch away from the wall and cut the wires. Be sure to cut the strip the wires about 5/8" from the end.

14. With push-in connectors (figure E -- on right) you don't have to move the wires around. Simply plunge it into the small openings in the back. Loop the ground wire, which is the bare wire, around the ground screw, which is green, and tighten it down. Tuck the wires in and push it back into the wall.

15. Re-attach the switch plate and you're done.

In the next segment, Dillon and guest Doug Weiss lighten up both rooms!

Next: Tubular Skylight Installation.

RESOURCES :

Lighting Products for Living Room / Dining Room Episode

4" recessed can hole saw
SKU: 530-814)

Eyeball Recessed Can
Halo 4" non-IC remodel housing
SKU: 523-138

Halo spot light (40 watt R-16)
SKU: 352-683

White mini eyeball trim
SKU: 797-027

Remodeling box
SKU: 202-460

Outlet
SKU: 221-826

Switch
SKU: 614-032

Switchplate
SKU: 616-363

Wire
SKU: 376-537

Glass cut for shelves

Rope lighting
Hampton Bay Rope Lighting Kit
6' SKU: 361-682
2' SKU: 360-779

Hampton Bay Mounting Clips
SKU: 405-292

Lutron Dimmer Switch with Toggle
600 watt SKU: 253-683

Wallplate
SKU: 223-401

Picture Light
House of Troy (battery operated)
SKU: 819-187 (Expo)

Halogen plant light with spike
SKU: 407-311

14" tropical foliage
SKU: 601-810

Ivy
SKUs: 904-473 and SKU 626-558

Sideboard lamps
Murray Feiss bronze buffet lamps
SKU: 226-808 (Expo)

GUESTS :

Douglas Weiss
Douglas Weiss Interiors
Atlanta, GA
Phone: 404-875-5544
E-mail: doug@douglasweiss.com

Peter Brannigan

PB Construction
Decatur, GA
Phone: 404-379-3512
E-mail: bluekobalt@aol.com

Reg Massey
PB Construction
Decatur, GA
Phone: 404-379-3512
E-mail: bluekobalt@aol.com