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At some point, they became ubiquitous on ceilings of bland office buildings, hotel chains, and, most notably, rental apartments everywhere. If you haven’t noticed them before, you will now. If you are aware of them, chances are, you’re not a fan. We’re talking, of course, about flush mount dome light fixtures—better known as the boob light.
While there are valid reasons for their utilitarian design, the presence of the finial—that would be the nipple part of the fixture—is the reason you look at the light and say “yes, that definitely is a breast, but not necessarily something I need hanging from my ceiling.”
Fortunately, it’s not hard to switch them out. In a recent article for Architectural Digest, Hannah Roberts describes how to replace your boob light with something else. Here’s what to know.
Free the nipple
So you’ve found a replacement light fixture that’s more your style and you’re ready to make the transition. First, turn the power off at the breaker. Then twist the finial until you’re able to remove it, along with the glass dome shade, Roberts says. If the fixture doesn’t have a finial, carefully twist the shade itself until it comes off.
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Remove the ring
Next, find the screws that are attaching the ring part of the fixture to the ceiling, and remove them using either a drill or screwdriver. From there, Roberts says that the fixture will be hanging from the now-exposed electrical wires.
Deal with the wiring
Here’s Roberts to walk you through the wiring part:
You should see three wires coming from your fixture: The “hot” (black), “neutral” (white), and “ground” (copper). Take note of the way the wires are attached to one another, as you will need to match this during your installation. Disconnect each of them from their ceiling counterparts, making sure to hold your fixture to avoid it falling on you in the process. Once all three wires are separated, the rest of your boob light should come away from the ceiling easily.
If you’re renting, be sure to keep the boob light in case you need to reinstall it before moving out.
In with the new
Now, it’s time to install the new light in your life. Start by screwing in the new ceiling bracket (here are more detailed directions for that). Then, it’s on to the wiring once again.
Here’s Roberts to explain the steps:
If each of the wires on your new fixture has about half an inch of exposed metal at the end, go ahead and attach them to the ceiling wires: First the hot wires, then the neutrals, then the grounds. If not, use electrical pliers to carefully strip away half an inch of insulation at the end before attaching.
Once the wiring is done, finishing installing your new fixture according to the instructions. Then pop in the lightbulbs, turn the power back on, and bask in the light of your new, non-boobular fixture.
