The evening after we posted our plans for a mini-update to the master bathroom, Sherry and I jumped in the car to track down the blue pendant light she’d saved to her mood board. We wanted a soft sea-glass blue pendant to replace the builder-grade flush mount and add a subtle pop of color to our small bathroom.
We found the exact Shades of Light fixture we were hoping for at a local decorating outlet—two of them, in fact—marked down to half price. At around $80 it wasn’t the cheapest light we’ve bought, but the seeded blue glass created an uncommon and beautiful effect that felt worth the splurge. It seemed like the perfect way to lift a neutral, compact space without a major renovation.
One goal with this pendant was practical: the old flush mount sat wide and centered, making the ceiling feel crowded and unbalanced next to the shower curtain. In a tiny bathroom, a fixture with a smaller ceiling footprint and translucent glass would feel lighter and make the space seem less cramped.
We were excited by how the blue glass would read against our gray paint, white curtain, and chrome hardware. The pendant promised a soft, colorful accent—nothing garish, just character that would pull the room together.
Installing light fixtures is familiar territory for us, so we expected this to be a quick job. Instead we discovered a large, ugly hole in the ceiling once the old fixture was removed—clearly cut for a much wider mounting plate. That meant the new pendant’s smaller canopy wouldn’t cover the opening, so before we could hang the light we had to patch drywall.
Luckily we had leftover drywall from a previous project, so I cut a patch to size and used a drywall saw to open a neat hole for the fixture box. I then screwed scrap wood into the ceiling to create solid backing for the patch so it would sit flush and secure.
With the patch screwed in place it looked good but not finished—cracks and sunk screw heads needed attention. I sanded the edges and Sherry handled the spackling. She applied two rounds of spackle—each dried and sanded between coats—to build the surface flush and prevent any gaps or raised seams.
After spackling and sanding over a couple evenings, we primed the new drywall—always a must—and rolled on two coats of Rockport Gray paint, feathering beyond the patch to blend it seamlessly into the ceiling. Once the paint was dry the opening was unnoticeable and ready for the pendant.
Before installation we shortened the pendant cord to fit the low ceiling. I exposed the inner wires by removing the outer casing, then trimmed and stripped the wire ends so they could be connected inside the fixture box. Note: using a wire stripper is the preferred, safer method to remove the outer casing without stressing the inner wires.
Hanging the pendant was a two-person job—Sherry supported the light while I made the wire connections and secured the canopy. With the ceiling patched, the install went smoothly and the pendant now sits comfortably above the toilet area, far enough from the shower to meet local clearance codes. Ours hangs at about 6’10” from the bottom of the fixture to the floor, just above the 6’8″ minimum in our region.
In photos the blue reads brighter than it does in person; in real life the glass is a delicate sea-glass tone that complements our gray paint and white curtain without casting a blue tint. Because the bulb itself is clear, the light it emits is natural, and the seeded glass throws a subtle, flattering reflection on the ceiling.
Ideally the fixture would sit centered over the toilet area in front of the window, but this was a quick update and we didn’t want to open up any larger electrical or ceiling work right now. We may reposition the light during a later phase when we tackle new floor tile and more extensive changes.
Even with the unexpected ceiling patch, the update delivered exactly what we hoped for: a small, confident pop of color and a lighter-feeling ceiling that makes the tiny room breathe. We’ll follow up with bright white trim paint, bathroom-friendly art in greens and blues, and a few functional updates like a new white toilet and a privacy treatment for the window.
Our current to-do list for this space:
paint the walls so they have some contrastreplace the flush mount fixture- paint the cream trim bright white to match the switch and give a fresher look
- hang bathroom-friendly art in blues, greens, white, and gray
- replace the toilet with a classic white model
- add a privacy solution for the window
- remove and trim the door so it clears the floor register and allows a rug
- consider replacing the border tile in a future phase
- replace the floor tile down the road to break up the expanse of the current tile
Have you tackled any small, colorful updates lately? Did anyone else reveal a hidden ceiling problem after removing an old fixture? We learned that quick makeovers often come with surprises, but a little patching and paint can go a long way toward making a small bathroom feel more thoughtful and finished.
If you want to see where this quick bathroom refresh started and how the paint choice came together, check our earlier planning and painting notes. Also, in coincidence, this post goes up on “Light It Up Blue” day for Autism Awareness—just a timely reminder to support causes that matter to you.