Comments on: Deciding on Lighting Placement at The Merc and What I’d Do Differently

By: April B

April B — Tue, 08 May 2018 02:20:08 +0000

Oh my gosh, I’m loving the progress of the Merc and I can’t wait to see the sconces installed!
Our house has some pretty stupid light/switch choices. I think a previous owner was a DIYer that maybe shouldn’t have taken on the lighting projects. There is a wonderful ceiling fan in the main great room that I love and we only recently realized (after almost living here for 2 years) that the weird double switch in our front bedroom operates the fan and it’s light in our great room. We thought the light had blown out until my toddler was playing with the switches one day and the light magically turned on in the other room. There is also a double switch in the master that we can’t seem to figure out, one switch works the light/fan and the other doesn’t do anything and you have to walk halfway into the room to turn it on. While the switch next to the door operates all the bottom outlets in the room. So at least I can turn on the floor lamp before walking into the room.

By: Monica

Monica — Sun, 06 May 2018 19:18:14 +0000

In reply to Jan. In a number of the houses I have lived in in Massachusetts, NY and Connecticut a wall switch controls only one plug in a two plug outlet, which allows you to turn lamp on and off, but allows the other 1/2 of the outlet to be used for something that you don't want turned off or on with the switch!

By: Kerri

Kerri — Fri, 04 May 2018 14:46:14 +0000

I have a lone wolf switch in my laundry room, 6ft high (no kidding) that lights exterior corners – it’s the only switch for those corner lights. We’re open concept and the area next to the dining room table lights that overhead light. But the recessed lighting over the dining room area? No, that switch is on the other wall. The backdoor switches light the back porch, the boat house, and power the boat lift. The fourth switch on that panel? I’ve yet to figure out what it’s for.

I love your blog and I’ve enjoyed so much following the Merc reno. I can’t wait for a tour!

By: adriana

adriana — Fri, 04 May 2018 03:52:02 +0000

In reply to Brittney.

Brittney – are you living in my house and I do not know it?
How many gray adapters do YOU have? I buy them like junk food on vacation so I never have to look too long for them.
And – the light switch to nothing! Hello! What were they thinking? They may have switched it out for a two prong plug.

By: Kim Olea

Kim Olea — Fri, 04 May 2018 00:55:44 +0000

We have a switch that no one can figure out what it turns on and off. Also we have light switches that can be turned on and off at two ends of the room. Great, I know, but I would like to figure out how to get them all in the same position on the plate, like all up or all down…nope, can’t do it! Agh! Makes me crazy!

By: Brittney

Brittney — Thu, 03 May 2018 22:48:47 +0000

We live in an old house right now and it has plenty of charming little quirks, like NO outlets on the exterior of the house, very few outlets with the third grounding prong place (like for TVs) and one mystery light switch that doesn’t go to anything. Remember that Friends episode where Monica punches holes in all the walls trying to figure out what that switch goes to? Yeah, that’s me, lol.

By: Allison

Allison — Thu, 03 May 2018 22:27:13 +0000

At some point, outdoor lighting was added in our backyard (not by us). I can only assume the previous owners did it as a DIY or else used the cheapest electrician they could find. The only way to turn on our backyard lights is either all the way in the back corner of the master bedroom or all the way in the back corner of our three car garage. Neither of which have any backyard access. (sigh)

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 03 May 2018 22:24:59 +0000

I love your updates! My favorite class in design school was lighting. I also had no idea how involved it could be, but creating lighting plans is so much fun for me. I love a good lighting plan!
My house is old and in New England, and for some reason people here love putting light switches on the OUTSIDE of rooms. I grew up in PA and did not experience this until moving here. That was over 10 years ago, and I’m still not used to it. I also have a super helpful non-functioning switch in my front closet that my electrician told me is completely disconnected from anything, so like, why is it even there? The outlet in my garage only works if I turn on the outdoor garage lights. And writing all of this out is giving me anxiety, sooo, back to you!

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 03 May 2018 22:04:41 +0000

We have a few outlets turned sideways that are controlled by the light switches. So you can plug a lamp into them and turn the light on and off that way. Took us living in our house a few years to realize the difference between our up and down outlets and our sideways outlets.
Or maybe everybody has this and we missed the newsflash?!?

By: Heather Hoyt

Heather Hoyt — Thu, 03 May 2018 21:27:38 +0000

I have no overhead living room light and no outlet controlled by a switch in that room. The only switch for my kitchen light is over by the side door, so I have to walk through my kitchen to turn on/off the light. The only light that is controlled by switches is the hall light, and my hall is very short and we rarely actually use the light. I’ve never lived in a house with normal switches or electrical.