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Home » Buy and hold real estate investing properties » 4th House: Raised Bungalow Build » Budget Friendly Lighting for the Whole House

4th House: Raised Bungalow Build

Budget Friendly Lighting for the Whole House

Lighting is one of those things that you can easily go over budget when building a house. But by choosing a combination of some less expensive lights, DIYing a few of them, and adding a splurge fixture or two, it can really make a difference on reducing the overall lighting budget. We have been building our house since April 2016, and by the time we got to lighting we were nearing the end of our budget. Here’s a quick little tour of the lights we chose for our house.

*This post contains some affiliate links*

Simple Chandeliers

In the mudroom I wanted something kind of fancy. I originally upcycled an old brass chandelier, but it was one of those Pinterest fail projects. I didn’t really love how it turned out, and that ceiling is so high in the mudroom I thought it wouldn’t be a great idea to hang something that I didn’t love. I found this simple black chandelier from Lowe’s for under $100.

mudroom-chandelier


Statement Chandelier

My biggest splurge on lighting was for the one in the front hall. I loved the jar lights we used above our fireplace in our last house, but I didn’t think the rectangular shape would work here. Then I found this one on overstock.com (Mariana cognac glass pendant). It was perfect, and even though it was a splurge for me it still wasn’t crazy expensive. Shipping to Canada was a lot of money, but fortunately I live close enough to the border that I could ship it to my United States mailing address then pick it up.

This was not the easiest light to install. First of all, those are thirteen foot ceilings. Tony and I were both perched at the top of a ladder. I held the light, Tony did the wiring. And then of course Tony didn’t have the proper tools handy and had to search the house for a flat screwdriver while I held the light up there (it’s heavy!!) I kept telling myself that Survivor challenges are way more difficult, and if I ever wanted to be on Survivor I couldn’t drop that light.

front-hall-jar-pendant-light


Pot Lights

Upstairs in the living room we went with eight LED pot lights. When we were planning our house we wanted to make sure that every room was well lit. Dimly lit rooms make me depressed, so we wanted to avoid that. These pot lights are spaced about three feet apart, and it is more than enough light. These lights are about $35 each because they are LED light bulbs. We are also not the best at turning off lights, so even though these are more expensive than other light bulbs, we will save on electricity costs.



Pendant Kit

In the kitchen we also added five recessed lights, and two hanging pendants. These pendants are made from pendant kits that I got from Home Depot for less than $30 each. And the shades I swiped from my dad’s workshop. They are vintage white porcelain garage lights that my dad got at a yard sale 30 years ago. I think they are the perfect size for above the island, and even though they were some of my cheapest lights, I think they still provide a nice focal point in the kitchen.

kitchen-pot-lights

island-vintage-pendant


Dining room light

The light in the dining room I bought from a Habitat for Humanity Restore for $35. It was originally a brushed nickel, but I spray painted it black to match the rest of the lights in our main living area. I don’t love this light, it’s a little crooked and I think it hangs too high (thought no one has hit their head yet which is a bonus!) But if we ever want to upgrade this light in the future I won’t feel too bad about replacing it for only $35.

upcylced-light


Ceiling fans

In the bedrooms we wanted ceiling fans and bought the same plain and simple one for each of the bedrooms. We got them on sale at Lowe’s for less than $100 each. In the master bedroom we also added four LED recessed lights that are controlled by a separate switch.

Master bedroom
Blue bedroom
Pink Bedroom


Bathroom lights

For the main bathroom I wanted something a little more special and sparkly, but something that would also provide a fair bit of light. I chose the Maxine vanity light from Rona with eight light bulbs, and I think it checks off all those boxes.

maxine-vanity-bar-light

For our en-suite bathroom I bought this light (affiliate link) from Lowe’s. That room is still a work in progress and I don’t have pictures yet.


Hall lights

And in the hallway and walk-in closet I picked out simple dome lights. You can’t go wrong with a light like this for $20 from Home Depot.

hall-dome-light

Outdoor lighting

And finally, for our outside garage lights we chose three galvanized steel (affiliate link) outdoor lights, also from Lowe’s, that were one sale for $25 each.

galvanized-garage-light


Whole home lighting on a budget

In total we spent about $2000 on lighting and fixtures throughout the house. Since we chose some less expensive fixtures in some areas, it meant we could spend a little more on statement lights. All said and done, I’m pretty happy with the lights we chose, but if we ever change our minds we can always upgrade in the future!

Does anyone else have a “Survivor” light installation challenge? I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was tired and sore and not overly happy.


 

 


12 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. SammyandSufi says

    December 10, 2016 at 10:46 pm

    This is so pretty! I have to say my favorite is the first one, they just have a cool modern/old vibe that I can’t quite understand 🙂

    Reply
    • Jessica Vanderveen says

      December 11, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Red House Style says

    December 11, 2016 at 7:41 am

    They all look fantastic together! A great lesson in mixing high and low priced fixtures for an overall gorgeous effect!

    Reply
    • Jessica Vanderveen says

      December 11, 2016 at 12:09 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  3. Gail says

    December 12, 2016 at 9:40 am

    I love all your light fixtures but my absolute favorite is the one in your front entry – the “survivor” one!!!

    You are so talented in how you make everything work! Don’t know how you find the time to do all this!

    Reply
    • Jessica Vanderveen says

      December 12, 2016 at 10:00 am

      We can get so much done when grandparents watch the kids!

      Reply
  4. Clarissa says

    December 15, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    I love the front entry light!! <3

    -Clarissa @ The View From Here

    Reply
    • Jessica Vanderveen says

      December 15, 2016 at 1:19 pm

      Thank you, it’s my favourite too!

      Reply
  5. Tianna says

    January 13, 2017 at 6:58 pm

    your lights look lovely! I think everything is coming along so nicely with your home! xx

    stop by and chat with me 🙂 http://storybookapothecary.com

    Reply
    • jessvanderveen@gmail.com says

      January 14, 2017 at 8:07 am

      Thank you!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How To Build A House | The Vanderveen House says:
    December 31, 2016 at 10:39 am

    […] weeks we’ve been focusing on finishing up the interior. This included installing all the light fixtures, some trim, some hardwood, some closet rods and organizers, tiling the front hall, working on the […]

    Reply
  2. 6 Inexpensive Ways To Increase Curb Appeal • The Vanderveen House says:
    July 13, 2017 at 9:29 pm

    […] are so many options now for exterior lighting for any budget. Light fixtures are fairly easy to install and won’t break the bank to add newer or larger light […]

    Reply

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