Updating the Over-Sink Light

Part of our ongoing kitchen refresh project was to update the kitchen lighting.  The over-sink fluorescent light was horrible.

Old over-sink light

Scored an outline of the old plastic on the new sheet

It is a recessed light which makes it a bit more difficult to replace.  The prospect of removing the old light, patching the wall board and installing a new recessed light was not very appealing.  Instead, I decided to update the current light.  Essentially it is a metal frame (painted white...poorly) with a yellowed, cracked and paint splattered piece of plastic.

The plan was to paint the metal to match our kitchen hardware and other light fixtures and replace the plastic with a new piece.

Painted screws to match fixture

Surpisingly, our local Lowes doesn't sell frosted polycarbonate - which is what I wanted to use.  Instead I got a purchase a sheet of fluorescent light cover ($5) with a plan to cut it down to the proper size. 

Laying the old plastic over the new sheet, I scored the new plastic sheet with a razor several times then slowly bent the sheet until cut-out broke free.

After painting the metal and even the screws, I replaced the new plastic and put it back together!


The refinished light looks significantly better!  Not 100% sold on the color I used on the frame, but that is easy enough to repaint if we decide to go back to white.

Refinished over-sink light

Mouse In the Electrical Box!

Dead mouse from the electrical box

I decided to quickly change one of the switches in Sarah's closet room.  Take a look at what fell out when I pulled out the old switch.  Somehow a mouse made its way into the electrical box and couldn't find its way out.  Judging by its remains, it had been there a while.  We haven't seen other signs of mice in the house, but we'll be on extra high alert now.