I’ve been ever so slowly updating the office/guest room for the past….ummmm…year! We’ve  been in “hunker down and save” mode these past several months. That said, I hope to someday post some killer “after” pics but for now here are a few inexpensive updates anyone can do.

1) Add a $20 rug…I found this lovely one at Ikea…Our dogs are like magnets to a new rug…They are the official rug “flatten squad”. 

2) Update the room’s lighting…I traded out an old sit-a-top desk lamp for this plug-in Target pendant on clearance for $24. (Luckily I had a left over gift card handy so it was a freebie) I also washed, ironed and re-used hand me down drapes from the master bedroom.

3) Go crazy with drum shades! Total cost ($23 thanks to a few Ross finds and some connector pieces at Home Depot)

#1 light update, here is a lamp given to us for free…[Sigh] the difference a drum shade can make…

Before  After

#2 shade update, modernize an old ceiling fan with a drum shade…

Very easy project…Just see the following steps:

1) Find a triangle or old standard drum shade (not the kind where the shade attaches to the bulb base)

2) Based on the light fixtures you intend to hide, find an extender piece that will allow for enough space and hanging length. (Consider switching out or adding longer pull chains). You will also need some hex nuts and couplings. These can all be found in the lighting section of Home Depot normally next to the fan light kits.

3) In our case we flipped the shade over and secured it to the base of the fan light using a coupling and hex nut. Then adding a chain extender to the bottom chain, slid the chain through the shade extender and coupling. Next I screwed the shade extender into the coupling at the base of the fan. (See pics below)

4) We tested it to ensure the fan did not actually hit the shade. We also allowed enough air space between the lights and shade (After all we don’t need a fire hazard in the new home)

Yay! Instant update for a fraction of the cost of a new fan light kit.