the prettiest schoolhouse lights.

You guys, the older I get, the more I realize how much it really is the little things in life that have such a massive potential for giving us joy. For example: our new schoolhouse light. If you’ve been following along over on instagram, you know I’ve been in the process of redoing our (dated) breakfast nook during the month of January. I’ve been refinishing a new antique table for the space, re-trimming the windows, painting, etc, etc… But more on that later.

Last night we replaced the ugly 90’s fan that I have loathed since the moment we moved in with this pretty matte black 4-light schoolhouse chandelier. I cannot believe how long it took me to replace that gross old fan (that I could never get properly clean) with something that would spark joy every time I walked into the space. It cost about $100 and about an hour of time and the entire space feels completely different. Such a small thing, and such a huge difference.

And I get why I procrastinated doing it. There’s not a light switch in the room, so we used to have to use a pull chain to turn the fan light on, and I didn’t know how to solve that problem without ripping up a bunch of sheetrock, (which I wasn’t ready to do) and it felt like Pandora’s box. That is, until I decided that I was just going to figure out a way to replace the fan with a light fixture I love. It turns out, it was easy! We installed a simple pull chain mechanism (a part that costs literally under $4) into the light fixture and wired it into the ceiling. It added maybe an extra 10 minutes of work, and now I feel extra joy about the update because I came up with the solution myself. (Even Craig was impressed!)

So what did I learn from this little experience? A couple things.

First, don’t let the problems in a space or situation keep you from taking action. Determine what you are going to do; when you do that you’ll find the solution. Problem solving doesn’t happen stagnant.

And second: Do small things with great joy. You don’t have to do a big many thousand dollars remodel on your space to really make it feel fresh and fill you with joy. A $50 can of paint, or switching out a dated light fixture can work wonders. Enjoy the small simple changes, and make them with great joy!

Okay, now let’s talk schoolhouse lights and why I went with one. Schoolhouse light fixtures have a great and storied history as their beautiful milk-glass shades were developed to protect teachers’ and childrens’ eyes from the harsh glare of lightbulbs in the classroom. They’ve got a classic-meets-industrial feel, without feeling trendy, are neutral and are a great way to add character to any space. (Plus I literally go weak in the knees for anything with milk-glass, it’s just so beautiful.)

As I am bringing our 230 year old farmhouse back to life and up to date, it’s really important to me to honor the era and history of our home and schoolhouse lights are a great way to have our light fixtures feel fresh but also fit with the age of our home. For the breakfast nook, I wanted a true matte black fixture with 4 lights because it is the only light source in the space and I hate dingy dark spaces. I fell in love with this one while browsing around Amazon looking for the perfect fixture, and was thrilled when I saw the price. I would have easily paid 2-3 times as much for this chandelier, but if I can find a great piece for less, I love a good deal.

If you are looking to update some of your lighting sources, I definitely recommend considering a schoolhouse style. Below I’ve rounded up the prettiest schoolhouse lights in every price range (some as low as $30!), and in everything from sconces to pendants.