What are my options with this kitchen lighting?

Trash that and get you some can lights

Had something similar on my kitchen preflood. Since we were redoing most of the house we pulled it down and did 4 cans with a fixture in the middle

Lookadem cocks fighting

Led

Lowe’s sells some led can lights that are made for remodels. They’re not the old large cans that are about a foot deep. It requires a $10 drywall saw and some very basic wiring knowledge. Super simple project.

Eta: these Lowe’s
I don’t know anything about this brand but these are the style I’m talking about. Cut a hole and the orange clips hook behind the dry wall. You don’t even have to mount them to a joist.

You can get led surface mount lights that look like recess lights. Very easy to install.

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You can get led surface mount lights that look like recess lights. Very easy to install.

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This and make sure they are dimmable and change your light switch to a dimmable switch.

Were your old light is, install a electrical jumper box and then run new wiring to the LED lights.

These are LED lights. Top side in attic. Do notice that the light has a closed in electrical box to tie in. A must!

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I was actually thinking you could use the existing switch leg and pull it back to the first light and then jump out the rest.

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You can. I recently did this using 'remodel' recessed cans with LED inserts. The remodel cans have clips just like you guys were talking about, so you're not nailing the cans to the ceiling joists like you would in new construction. Everything can be done from below. Just make sure you know where the ceiling joists are so you don't hit them when you cut the holes. Planning is key.

I removed an atrocious looking light just like the OP has, patched the drywall, textured the patches to match rest of ceiling, repainted the entire ceiling, and installed recessed lighting throughout the kitchen.

Really not a hard job at all. You don't even have to get in the attic. Just fish the wire from hole to hole.

One of these bad boys really makes life easy. You can get them at Home Depot for around $30 ( LINK):




ETA: If you do decide to do this job, a couple of words of advice:

1. Make DOUBLE sure your hole is not too big when you cut it. I screwed up one hole and had to cut a bigger area out, patch the drywall, texture, etc., then recut the hole. Luckily I was already doing other drywall patch work, but that mistake slowed me down for sure.

2. Cut the hole tight tolerance to fit the can. If you have to shave the hole a little bit, the backside of a drywall saw makes a good 'scraper' that can be used to widen the hole just a hair.

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The led surface lights that I am talking about only requires a 3” box that can be a cut in box if necessary. But the are really just surface mount lights that have a recessed look to them

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Yea, my dad bought a bunch of those for a rent house he's working on.

Like this?



I went with the can and the LED retrofit kit inside of a regular remodel can:

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I was actually thinking you could use the existing switch leg and pull it back to the first light and then jump out the rest.

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Yes, you can. BUT, code calls for a box so you don't have any exposed wire nuts. It's just a simple box with a cover.

Those lights I got, came from Homedepot. Can't find a link for them now. They were around $18 each. They are easy to install, just about plug and play. No ceiling box and rated for direct contact with insulation.