really having fun over at Polyvore! find me: dandelioncotton
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Overhead Light Re-Do
everyone has at least one of these in their house, right? right? oh, please don't tell me i'm the only one... actually, i've got TWO. ugh. yeah, i'm not a fan of this brass 'n glass style from the early '90s, plus they were clashing with my rich oiled-black hardware and old-world rustic light fixtures that we installed all over the house when we re-did the place three years ago. something needed to be done, and done cheaply.
i scoured thrift stores and discovered this breath-taking antique pendant that i was able to take apart and use in place of the other globe. a REAL score for $10!! (that black ceiling collar used to be the brass one that went with the ugly globe, see below for it's transformation)
so what happened to the other one? well, i couldn't find another stunning antique globe, so i came up with another solution using stuff i had layin' around. employing a can of matte off-white and a can of satin black spray paints, this globe got the tszuj-ing (pronounced "jooj-ing") it needed. tada!
it has a softer glow now and a 20's vintage train station vibe that fits with the rest of Campbellstown nicely. it blends in with it's beauty, rather than sticking out like a sore thumb... that you hurt in the 90's. and it was so easy to do!
more details? mkay, here's the break-down.
1. turn off the power (at the breaker) to your fixture. (don't come whinin' to me 'cuz you got yourself killed while tszuj-ing.)
2. remove glass globe, carefully, and shake out the bugs. (oh you know they're in there. you've been lookin' at 'em for years... again, i can't be the only one.)
3. clean and dry globe thoroughly.
4. remove light bulb, then detach brass fixture collar from ceiling and disconnect from power. clean collar and sand off any old paint. stuff light bulb hole with tissue to keep paint out.
5. using 3-4 thin coats, spray-paint outside of globe with white paint, allowing time to dry between coats.
6. do the same to the fixture collar using the black paint, but avoid getting paint into light bulb socket. also, spray the screws and hardware if they show.
7. after all has dried, reassemble the fixture collar and (carefully) test the power. if all is well, reattach the newly-frosted globe and enjoy that "vintage" glow!
note: this method would also work for other fixtures like those flush-mount dome type....
from lowes.com
happy tszju-ing, y'all!
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