Last week I mentioned that light fixtures are like jewelry for your home and can sometimes be an affordable fix to an otherwise dull space. Well, here is your step guide on how to take a cheap-o light fixture and make it look mighty ex$pen$ive (© Ke$ha).
1. Find your chandelier. I found a brass chandelier on Craig’s List for $20. Chances are, there is already one in your house/your parents’ basement.
2. Set your chandelier in a box that can support it during the painting process. It should be able to slightly rest on the sides and not touch the bottom so you can paint all the angles without sticking to the box. Then either use painter’s tape on the candlesticks or remove them completely and tape up the sockets so that no paint seeps into the electrical parts. Then give the fixture a quick wipe down with soap and water to remove any old dirt, dust, etc. so you have a clean surface.
3. After drying the soap and water off, prime the fixture. I used Rustoleum Ultra White Primer. Rustoleum is great on metal surfaces and comes in a spray can, so it is super easy to use. You can find this at your local Home Depot for about $4. Once your first coat is dry, flip over the fixture to hit the areas that were previously on the box and another areas you may have missed. BE CAREFUL: remember the method “less is more.” If you overspray, you run the risk of having hard to see drip marks harden onto your fixture. Have a rag handy to wipe up drips.
4. Time to add your color! I chose a light teal color as this light was going to be a focal point in my family’s beach house. I would also recommend using a Rustoleum product in this step. Spay the first side, let dry, then flip to spray the bottom and let dry. And again, remember: less is more. You may want to add a very light coat of spray polyurethane to make sure it is sealed.
5. Step 5 is the last – and optional – step. Adding some BLING. Since this fixture would be in a cottage, I wanted to add some shabby chic-ness to it with some crystals. I found a lamp supply dealer online who happened to be in my neighborhood. I bought varying size prisms for each tier and a string of garland to drape around the center. The tricky part was attaching these pretty babies to the light. After some serious brainstorming, I ended up using very thin earring hoops from Hobby Lobby. They were the perfect finishing touch to this beachy glam chandelier.
Et voila! You have a custom chandelier in the wheelhouse of $30.
The Artesian Project 