You Don’t Have to Remove That Boob Light — Here’s How to Transform It with Kid Art
I’m going to offer you a free parenting tip: Don’t remove the flush mounted lighting in your children’s playroom and replace it with a glass pendant fixture. Unless, of course, you feel like removing it shortly after installation when your child throws a toy and comes this close to shattering said light fixture.
Am I speaking from personal experience? Maybe. But here’s what I will divulge: I wish I had done something like this instead. Digital creator Jordana Nicholson (@jordanaclaudia) recently shared a social media post showcasing the easy-to-install light cover she uses in her own home. It’s not just an incredibly practical solution for a kid’s bedroom or play space — it’s also a bona fide design choice.
Nicholson’s post features a shade placed over a ceiling light in her daughter’s room. The shade is covered in her child’s sweet hand-drawn images of butterflies, rainbows, and flowers. “It makes her feel so proud,” the creator writes in the caption of her post. “And it completely changed the vibe of her room.”
The light cover comes from Tulip, a brand that designs easy-to-install light fixture covers that even the least handy among us (it’s me, hiiii!) can put in place — no contractor required.
While Tulip sells light covers in a whole range of shapes, colors, and prints, there’s an entire section devoted to kid-friendly light shades. Nicholson’s social media post features one of these picks: the paper lantern-inspired Gem Natural shade in the Art Kit variety, which retails for $169.
The kit includes the shade itself, an installation kit, a ceiling mount, and a set of fabric markers that the brand calls “kid-safe.” Those markers can be used to doodle all over the shade, which can then be easily placed over any ceiling light that is 15” or less in diameter and 13” or less in height. The Art Kit also comes in two other styles: The Drum Natural, which fits over any ceiling light 15” or less in diameter and 5.5” or less in height (sleeker and shorter), and the Lamp Natural, which fits over any ceiling light 15” or less in diameter and 10” or less in height (ideal for rooms with higher ceilings).
All these options are playful and fun in a “I-don’t-take-my-home’s-design-too-seriously” kind of way, and they also do double duty: Tulip’s shades soften harsh lighting and cover up any dated ceiling lights you may have in your home (boob lights, anyone?). This road is also far less hazardous and breakable than the glass pendant fixture I initially had placed in my home (seriously, what was I thinking?).
Commenters on Nicholson’s post are gushing over this adorable light shade. (“Le obsessed with this!! So much joy in one light, wowowow,” enthuses one. “LOVE giving the kids creative freedom like this! Teaches so much! 🥰” says another.) I get it: This really is so cute and adds such a personal touch. And the best part? I know any little one would feel immense pride to see their own masterpiece displayed so prominently.