Hang an Elegant Pendant Lights in Two Easy Steps

Time: 3 hours
Cost: $75 to $200
Difficulty: Moderate
DIY Savings: Up to $200 to hire an electrician

By swapping a recessed can for a pendant, you can elegantly bring task lighting down from ceiling height to where it's needed. In this case, just above a kitchen sink.

To tie in with other accents, such as the chrome faucet and white tile backsplash, TOH chose a mini pendant with a polished-nickel finish and opal glass shade for $135 from a lighting shop (Schoolhouse Electric). You can find similar pendants at home centers for as little as $35.

Instead of calling an electrician, we used a $40 recessed-can conversion kit (The Can Converter) and wired up the pendant ourselves for a grand total of $175.

Step 1. Install the converter

Cut power to the fixture, and remove the bulb and can's trim piece. Then secure the can converter in the recess, as per the manufacturer's instructions, lowering the mounting surface so that it's flush with the ceiling.


Step 2. Hook up the pendant

Hook up the pendant by twisting the like-colored black and white wires together and capping each set with a wire nut. Wrap the fixture's green wire around the converter's grounding screw. Position the decorative mounting plate cover (included with the converter), and tighten the pendant's canopy below it. Secure the shade and twist in a new bulb.


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