Extend Your Chandelier With PVC

Where have I been you might be asking???

Well, actually, I've been back working at the apartments...

Not necessarily where I want to be, but it's where I need to be.

Oh, the "joys" of being a landlord/owner...

Today, I'm going to show you what hubs and I have

been up to in our "spare" time...

He put up our gorgeous chandelier that we purchased to go over the pool table. I am LOVING it!!

The room is really coming together!

Hubby did all the work, I really can't take credit for any of it.

Well, there is one tiny part I can....you'll see later.

So, we had no ceiling fixture in the pool room.

Hubs had to run electric to create one.

{Disclaimer here: We are not an electricians, and do not claim to be experts on this installation. This is not a tutorial.

Please do not attempt, if you do not have experience in this area.}

Hubby is an awesome handyman! He has worked with all kinds of things, from concrete to framing to electric and plumbing. We have been doing home improvement projects for almost 20 years.

This was challenging,

but we usually just jump in with both feet and see what happens.

Here we go!

Hubs had to run wire from the fuse box.

Ok, I don't even want to know what he's doing there.

But, I am assured that he's not working with live wire!

Then through the basement....

First up, was to wire the switch to the light.

It was easier to run it above an existing outlet, because there is already access there and you know where the joists are to attach the switch.

Hubs is drilling a test hole where we want to put the switch.

I have to tell you a VERY funny story. In our house, we are a little weird...

We like to sneak up and scare each other.

Of course, my son, is the probably the best at it.

But I got hubby here REALLY good!

I was standing there taking the picture. Then he started making all kinds of noise drilling and vacuuming. Then I yelled... OH! GOD! He practically had a heart attack. Little did I know, he was a little nervous about working with the wiring. At the apartments the day before, he was working with the electric and kept finding live wires and blowing breakers. So, needless to say, he was a little jumpy. Then on top of all of that, the handy drill he's using, (which I won at Haven 2012 :) has a little light that illuminates the area your working, and that went on at the same time I yelled.

(I couldn't have planned that perfect timing)

So, all of that combined... Hahaha!

I have to say, I couldn't stop laughing!!!

Oh, no don't feel sorry for him.... He's gotten me PLENTY of times!

Back to the chandelier.

Ok. Fish the wire up.

Put the box in, switch in.

Light switch done!

Yes, I know I'm skipping a lot of steps, but that's the boring part, and this isn't a tutorial. :)

I'm so glad hubby is doing this.

It's all kinda blah, blah, blah to me...

Next, run the wire from the switch back down to the basement and up the wall to the ceiling.

What in the world? Three joists? Oh, great, we found the 2nd story wall supports. :/

He worked with it.

Hubby got the wire up the wall and ran it under those joists. He just cut a groove in the drywall to hide the wire. Easy enough. He's so smart!!

Then he wired the fixture mount to a 2x4, and we were good to go!!

He had a very good friend come over and help him. This fixture didn't have the standard mounting hardware, so they figured it out together.

Here it was finished. I'll call this flush mount. It stayed like this for about a week.

I felt it was way to high. I wanted it lower to the pool table.

We spent that week trying to figure out how to do that.

Here's what he came up with. Hubby was the brains of this project. He extended the threaded rod, by screwing a couple of them together,

but how in the world were we going to cover them up?

We needed something light weight and cheap.

PVC pipe! Perfect!

He cut it, this was my tiny part...

I painted it to match. :D

First, I started with a solid coat of a dark brown spray paint, then I got out my box of acrylics. I dabbed on black, silver, pewter, and gold then a little more black. I think it's a pretty good match.