DIY Industrial Lighting Sconce

This may be one of the greatest DIY projects ever blogged about.  Thank you Daniel from Manhattan Nest for this wonderful and affordable Ikea Hack!

FRÄCK Hack


Posted by Daniel on Aug 10, 2011 http://manhattan-nest.com/


So when I decided I really wanted some cute wall-mounted accordion-style bedside lights to go over the new floating teak shelves, I didn’t even hop on my Google machine to try to find some. I knew they’d be pricey, or ugly, or both, and the chances of finding matching vintage ones that wouldn’t cost a month’s rent seemed slim. Besides, I already had a plan. Or, well, an inkling of a plan.

Say hello to the classic IKEA FRÄCK bathroom mirror. We’ve all seen them. We’ve probably all used them. We might even have one, or several. They’re only $4.99, but they’re well-made and super handy for small spaces or a beauty regimen that is more advanced than mine.

That’s a pretty cute light, am I right?

Making these lights was really, really easy. You just need a few simple parts, about 15 minutes, and less than $20.

1. IKEA FRÄCK mirror, with the mirror part thrown away (it just screws on and off of that threaded part at the top)

2. Lamp socket, the kind with a hole on the side for the cord to escape.

3. Adapter Nut

4. Plug

5. Wire. Any lamp wire will work, but since I generally have a phobia of exposed wires and this is, by definition, exposed, I ordered some cute twisted red cloth wire from Sundial Wire. It’s only $1.40 per foot, the shipping was really fast, it’s cute and really nice quality. I’m tempted to order the 250-foot spool, you know, just because. I’ll use it eventually.

6. Tools: flathead screwdriver, wire strippers.

If you’ve never rewired a lamp, just know that it’s basically the easiest thing ever and there are about 8 trillion tutorials on the internet on how to do it. As I am not anything approaching an electrician, I won’t bore you with my retelling and lack of proper terminology. Still, step 1: wire that socket. Any good lighting supply store and most hardware stores should have a good selection of sockets, make sure you get the kind that has a hole for the cord to escape through that’s NOT the bottom hole, since that’s what holds it onto the accordion part. After it’s wired, put the socket back together.

This is the most important piece, and also the tiniest: the adapter nut. At least I think that’s what it’s called. This is the piece that adapts the threaded part on the IKEA accordion base to the bottom of the light socket, so they can screw together tightly. I got mine by bringing the accordion to a lamps store and the employee immediately finding the right piece, so I assume most lamp/lighting/hardware places should have them.
After the adapter nut is screwed on tight, gather the cord in your hand and screw on your light socket.

After the socket is in place, thread the cord through the back of the FRÄCK hardware, between the wall plate and the supporting rod. I made those terms up. I only draw special attention to this because you’ll want to decide which side you want your loose cord to hang on—since these are for bedsides, I wanted the cords to hang on the outside of the accordion, so the cord is threaded in opposite directions on the two lamps. All of this will make sense if you’re actually doing it. My ability to form legible sentences is failing me.
Then, just wire the plug. Again, this is SO EASY (even if you’ve never done it). A monkey could do it.

Once it’s all put together, hang it up and you’re done! I chose to top ours with 25W chrome-tipped bulbs. They aren’t terribly bright, which is how I like a bedside light. All moody n’ shiz.

When they’re not in use, it’s nice to be able to just push them back towards the wall, where they’re completely unobtrusive. Also, having something wall-mounted instead of a traditional tabletop lamp frees up space on the nightstands, which are only about 8 inches deep. More room for books or glasses or mugs or your crystal balls or… I don’t know your life.

Thanks again Daniel, this Red Vault writer will be making her own very soon.  They are perfect for my Son's room and I am rather smitten with the red cord - ties in nicely to The Red Vault, no?

Let us know, dear reader, if any of you complete this little weekend project.