Everything You Need to Rewire a Light Fixture

Do It Yourself

We've spotted lots of period and vintage pendant lights at secondhand stores lately, and we're digging them for a couple of reasons: (1) They're often inexpensive, and (2) they're a snap to fix. This one, from the early 1940s, would look perfect in a small entry hall or over a modest-sized dining table. The glass shade is in good shape, so all it took to get it ready to hang from a standard electrical box was a new socket assembly and some basic rewiring. Practically every piece of an old fixture can be rebuilt on the cheap, so if you stumble across one you like, grab it. Here's the gear you'll need to get it working again.