Brass Chandelier Makeover

I wasn't completely happy with the 
French looking chandelier in the kitchen. 
I liked it but the scale was off.  

 I really needed a five arm 
fixture instead of a 3 arm. 
I wanted something I could transform with
spray paint and crystals. 
You can read about  my dining fixture here.
I went to one of my favorite junky chandelier stores. 

They had about 5 blingy, brass, 90's fixtures to choose from at the Re-Store. They had some nine arm chandeliers but they would have been too big.
They had some 3 arm lanterns.
I sort of wanted a lantern but I went more traditional and classic. 
I found one 90's fixture that was sturdy and it had 5 lights. None of the arms were bent.

It had good bones and some detail that I thought would look cute ORB.

I stopped by Lowes on my way home and got a package of long crystals and new candle covers. I planned to recycle the crystals off of the old one. The whole thing only cost $35.00.
I hung it out in the yard on my shepherd's hook. 

I did many light coats with Oil Rubbed Bronze Metallic from Rust-Oleum. 

I didn't want drips.

I took the big ball thing off of the bottom. 

I was able to put a new plate and finial in place of the ball. 
The other two fixtures in the room were a little on the brown side of bronze. 
They didn't match anymore.

 I didn't want to take them down and possibly mar my new ceiling, 

so I sprayed the Rust-Oleum on to a piece of paper and dabbed it on the fixtures with a brush. 

It took some time but now they are more black than brown.

The scale is correct. 

Brass Chandelier Makeover

It provides more light

and some sparkle.

I love it with the newly painted cabinets. 

Sprinkled with chandelier love,

Katie
Linking with,
Debbie Doos 
French Country Cottage   
Funky Junk Interiors

  

Candelabras

The formal dining room doesn't get used much at my house unless we are hosting a dinner.

It has been used for puzzles, scrapbooking or just plopping stuff on the table. I am always on the look out for unique and fun stuff to decorate the space so it can look pretty and dramatic. The great thing about our dining area is that it is almost always neat and clean, which is good because it is the first room seen from the front door.

I was at my favorite thrift and I saw two lamps. 
I was so confused by them. 
They were reproduction lamps based on French Empire Antiques. There were candle arms that were designed to hold real candles under the shade.
Wouldn't real candles burn a lampshade? 

The ones that I found were pot or cast metal from the 60's. 

Pot metal was like the resin of today. I think many affordable lamps were made this way.

Would you be able to look past the ugly of these?
It took me three trips to the thrift before I could. 

 I paid $10.00 each. That is the going rate for lamps at my thrift store. 
As soon as I got home I dismantled the lamp. 

I unscrewed the lamp socket,

and cut off the cord.

I was left with a hole at the top of the lamp.

I screwed in a finial that I picked up at Ace Hardware. 

Be sure to hold the nut at the bottom to tighten the lamp. 

Out to the yard for spray paint. Orb of course.

Now I have two candlabras instead of wacky lamps. I thought $20..00 a little high for very outdated lamps, but  I think it pretty good for these.

 I added some crystals.

They looked fabulous burning when trick or treaters came to the door.

They look so good with the spray painted chandelier. Read about it here.

 What do you think? 

With the candles they stand about 2 feet tall. 
Sprinkled with drama,

Katie
Linking with,
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
&Time Travel Thursday @ The Brambleberry Cottage 
& Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life 
&Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

  

It's In The Details

I hope that you are having a lovely week.

I have been spending the last few weeks paying attention to details.

Since I embarked on my ORB paloosa. 
I finally, finally got knobs and pulls for my cabinets.
We have lived in the house for almost 19 years and it is shameful that I have never added knobs. To be fair the knob selections at the time were ugly!! 

Here.

But I am sure that in all that time there would have been something I liked. I would have thought it was something my husband would have insisted upon because he will make me spend money when I am being cheap. But... it turns out that he thinks they are something to get caught on while working in the kitchen.???
Can you visualize an infomercial like I can?
"Are you always getting caught on your cabinet knobs? Well now there is...."
 We both think this is funny now. I almost had to be doused with water to stop laughing. It was just some random thought that must have popped into his head. I am usually the one coming up with random thoughts. It was nice it was him for a change.
I had know idea that he had a knob phobia. 


He let me get the knobs. I spent a few weeks (yes, sad it took weeks.) picking out three different types for various functions around the room. I like a variation to 
add interest. 

 Knobs for most of the cabinets. I got these at Target. They were $14.98 for 10. 

 Pulls for the drawers. 

They were a beast to hang. Get them here.

I got this other kind of pull for interest. Get them here.

I love Kilim Beige by Sherwin Williams.

The island got these. I hope Mr. Bill doesn't get caught on them!

I love how they came out.
To de-orange the cabinets a little, I "aged" them with black oil based paint.
I brushed it on in the crevasses and corners and then wiped it off while
 it was still wet.
I think it tones down the orange a bit.
We got a bid for painting the cabinets $1800.00.
We have been doing repairs to the trim outside
and fixed the hole in the ceiling.
Both of these blew our wad, so no painted cabinets for now.


I got all of these knobs and pulls for about $100.00. It makes opening the cabinets so much easier. Imagine that.
I don't know what took so long. Do you ever do that? Live with something for a ridiculously long time? Blogging has helped me evaluate some of 
my "living with" tendencies. 
Sprinkled with knobs and pulls,
Katie
Linking with,
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/05/feathered-nest-friday_10.html