Sunday, February 17, 2013

Painting a Chandelier

I found this chandelier during a trip to a local consignment shop. It was hanging and I almost didn't notice it. The dark color, the dinginess of it - it faded into the background. It had been there for several months, so I was able to negotiate the price down to $25.



I'd been on the hunt for a chandelier to make over. I wanted one that was delicate, yet not too feminine. I love the blingy, crystal-adorned chandi's out there, but figured my hubby wouldn't be crazy about something so girly. So the simplicity of this one above looked like it could work. And I was hoping that with a paint job and new candle covers, I could give this a weathered look, similar to these below.



I adore similar light fixtures found at places like Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. So I was hoping I could get close to the same look, without the price. 

What do you think - did I come close?





I started by painting a base coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey. Then I dry-brushed on Coco followed by Old White. Next I clear waxed the whole thing. Normally I don't think its necessary to wax a light fixture like this, because the paint won't risk getting wet, touched or damaged. But, I wanted to age this with dark wax, and I prefer how it looks when its applied over clear wax, vs. straight on the paint.  I used a cloth to apply the clear wax to the entire thing, wiping it away. Then I used a small brush to apply dark wax more sparingly. Afterwards, I painted and waxed new candle covers. It was only when I started to put new bulbs in did I realize one of the sockets was damaged. So, it will have to be repaired before I can hang my new chandelier. Now to find myself an electrician!


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