How to hang a light fixture from a recessed light

I've been having fun with the small hallways we have in this house. Our home is very open but has a few of these little spots that I want to make special. I feel the same about smaller spaces like powder and laundry rooms -- they are the perfect spot to do something dramatic and fun! 

I've already given the hallway off the kitchen a makeover: 

You can read all about that at the link above. I LOVE that wallpaper and am so happy with how that space came together. 

I shared another "hall" last week that's next on my list: 

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It's an area off our foyer that transitions to the basement stairs and bathroom. Our foyer is a calm and pretty spot and I want to continue that feel into this area.  

I showed you how I added the art light without electricity: 

And the next step was to add another lighting hack to dress up the space a little. 

I've shared this easy adapter before when I worked on the hallway pictured above. Did you know you can easily change up a recessed can light to hang a pendant light? You just need this light converter: 

You just unscrew the existing light bulb, then screw in this instead. You can adjust the length of the cord to whatever you want. 

Then you use this white part at the bottom to attach your new pendant cover:

This works for a pendant light fixture (like a glass cover or shade), but you can also adapt a recessed light for a regular hanging fixture using this converter: 

If you want a heavier or bigger light fixture that's what you'll want to use. 

I've always loved the look of basket pendant lights and found this one at IKEA: 

But when I got it up, it just didn't work. This space is small, but it still needed something more substantial. I think going small in a small space only emphasizes the smallness. Got that? ;) 

This is the second time I've tried a basket light and I'm realizing it's just not my thing. I tried though! So instead, I went to the basement for the lamp shade I have from IKEA. 

It used to hang in that wallpapered hallway I shared above, but I hung the white version there instead. (Both are from IKEA.) I've always loved the color on this one and the cut outs are so pretty! It worked SO much better!: 

I just love these shades! I just remembered I also have one above our tub!:

I love the detailed cut outs -- they're slightly different for each color. 

I also really like the gold lining -- it's a beautiful detail, especially when the light is on:

You can use a regular bulb, but I find bigger, globe bulbs like this one look better in a shade like this. 

You may notice I also painted the ceiling in this small area. It's a light blue called North Star, at 50 percent: 

If you love a paint color but would prefer it a little lighter or darker, they can adjust that for you at the paint store. 

This is the same color I used on the foyer ceiling right next to this space: 

The light shade is a really pretty grayish green color that works perfectly with the art in the hallway: 

The next step for this little makeover is the biggest one! I hope to share that one with you soon! 

These converters are an easy way to add a little flair to a space with a recessed light. No electrical experience needed. :) 

This lamp shade trick for ceiling fans is another great hack!: 

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The perfect {cheap!} bins for organizing cabinets and drawers

This is the time of year that the list of projects I want to accomplish before the holidays gets reeeeally long. I always want our home to function well and look it's best during the holidays!

I get the urge to declutter and organize more than ever in the fall -- more so than in the new year. I think it's because I know more STUFF will be coming into the house and I want to clear out beforehand. 

I've been focusing on some places that I haven't touched much since we moved in. I followed the Konmari decluttering and organizing method years ago and it has served us SO well. But I'm realizing I kind of threw stuff in cabinets and haven't touched them since, so I'm addressing a few spots. 

Remember this pretty cabinet makeover I did in our master bathroom?:

This cabinet has served us so well! Our bathroom is bigger than our last one, but has a lot less storage space. 

This cabinet has been a perfect spot for our towels, bathing needs and general bathroom stuff. And it's pretty!: 

I've just been throwing items in the drawers since I added that cabinet a couple years ago. It was getting to the point where we couldn't shut them, so I knew it was time to address this spot: 

Has anyone else been watching The Home Edit on Netflix? Every time I watch an episode I want to go tackle a drawer or a dresser or a room. 😂

They talk a lot about corralling items in bins, which is a practice I've followed for years. I think they use too many bins sometimes, but I can definitely get behind the thought! 

The problem is, the bins they use from the Container Store are not cheap. I LOVE that place, but I was looking to spend a whole lot less. Thankfully I discovered these inexpensive bins at Target a few weeks ago: