How I Replaced My Can Lights with Gorgeous Pendants
Our hallway had those standard can lights that are totally functional, but kind of boring. I knew I really wanted something for that space that had a little more charm and personality, so I swapped out our can lights for these gorgeous Amazon pendants. Honestly, it completely transformed the look of the hallway.
The best part? I didn’t have to rewire anything or hire an electrician. I just used this can light converter kit and did it all myself. Seriously, it’s a total game-changer for renters or anyone who doesn’t want to do major electrical work.
Here’s how it works:
Turn off the power at the breaker.
Remove the can light trim
Unscrew the can light from the ceiling (similar to a light bulb)
4. Open the converter kit and separate the metal bracket pieces that are screwed together. You will need the expandable bracket first.
5. Expand it to the side of your hole in the ceiling. Tighten the middle screw to lock in the adjusted size and screw the two side screw into the actual can light hole.
6. Now you’ll need the other metal piece. Using two screws from the kit, it will screw directly into the adjustable bracket.
7. The green wire hanging down is the ground wire. Using the flat head screw driver, loosen the screw. Attach it to a metal piece inside the can light hole and screw it tight to secure it. Tuck the wire out of the way.
8.Put the metal cover up by lining up the two spaces and twisting it in place.
9. Now screw in the piece that looks like the bottom of a light bulb with a black and white wire attached.
10. If needed, install the ceiling medallion to cover the metal plate (optional).
11. Now you can install your pendant light! Follow the directions for your specific light.
It’s such a simple project, but it made a huge difference. The pendants bring in so much more style than the old can lights ever did, and now the hallway feels less like a pass-through and more like a designed space.
If you’ve got recessed lights that could use a little personality, this is one of those quick wins that looks way more complicated than it actually is.