When we asked our readers to take a brief survey at the beginning of the year, we asked if you’ve seen something in our house that you would like to know more about. One reader was wondering how the lighting in our master bedroom worked. Let’s start at the beginning, the trim.
We decided to install crown moulding over the doors and windows of our master bedroom and adjoining bathroom. Ben had a great idea, why not install rope lighting on a dimmer switch above each? I said, “Sure. You’re the one doing the wiring, so if it’s a pain, you have yourself to blame.”
You see, I have a tendency to come up with tedious projects that Ben has to complete, so this was all him. Guess what? It was a pain. But I already said that. Why was it a pain you ask? Well, dear friends, because each window and door has a header above, made of 2 by 4s, to give the structure strength. So, Ben had to drill through finished sheetrock, through each header, then fish his wiring through his holes.
Once he ran the wiring, it was easy. Ben wired outlets, all set on a dimmer switch, inside each crown piece.
(Please disregard the dust, its there for moral support, though I did vacuüm inside for you. Oh yeah, you see the traces of red, that’s not blood, it’s paint. Yeah, Ben wanted our bedroom burgundy. So, we painted it, then quickly painted it again).
Then, we bought basic rope lighting from Home Depot. Home Depot has tons of rope light options, but we chose five 6 foot lengths. Why 6 feet? Rope lighting isn’t especially bright, so we decided to double up anything that was shorter than 6 feet. Next, plug the lights in. Luckily, the windows and doors don’t look any brighter than the closet. After tucking the lights down in the crown moulding, Ben used plastic fasteners to keep everything tucked neatly in its place.
Here, you can catch a glimpse of the crown construction. Ben cut the crown pieces to size, then applied glue to the joints and nailed in place. Ben always goes a little overboard to make sure things he builds are super strong, so he cut scraps of wood to match the angle of the inside corners. Then, he nailed the crown into the blocks and they’re like a rock.
The room glows with the lights on at night.
Please note: If you are not an electrician or comfortable working with electrical systems, please do not attempt this your self. This post is not a step-by-step tutorial, just a guide on how Ben created our lighting. We are not liable for any damages or injury.
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