Updating those Light Fixtures

Score on another light fixture from Lowes.  You never know when they will mark things down and their light fixtures can be a super deal if you hit them at the right time.  I’ve been lucky enough to score at least 4 others on deep clearance, just by being in the right place at the right time.  I even darkened this one slightly with my Sophisticated Finishes Blackened Bronze craft paint.

I shared the Sophisticated Finishes craft paint (that I get at Michaels)  in this post and you can see what the bottle looks like and how it works.  It works best over painted and textured surfaces like picture frames and painted metal.  I use a small craft paintbrush to apply it.

My foyer fixture is from Lowes, as is the track lights in the kitchen, the outdoor fixture hanging outside the garage, and another small little fixture that is in the masterbath water closet. All on deep discount.

EDITED:  And for those of you who are new and asked if I replace them myself! Oh yes, girlfriends! I have changed out each and every light fixture in the house with no help from my hubby. I taught myself how to do it by trial and error.  Always, always turn off the power and then it’s just a matter of rewiring black to black and white to white wires and attaching the copper ground wire.  I won’t tell you that it’s foolproof, because I have had many occasions where one almost kicked my butt. But, I persevered and conquered! 🙂 Some that I buy at yardsales don’t have the nuts and bolts to go with them, so I’ve had to improvise and use things from the hardware section.  I’ve painted many of those little nuts black to match the fixture after I got them up.  But, if you buy one from the store brand new, you shouldn’t have a big problem. They are pretty easy to do and after replacing more than a dozen of them, I’m getting to be an expert.

The only fixture I had help on is the foyer fixture in the 2 story foyer and my hubby stood on a smaller ladder with me on the taller one and we did it….barely, but it got up there. That was the hardest one I’ve tackled and only because of the height of the ceiling.  You can read about the foyer fixture here and see the dining room fixture that was replaced around the same time. This was before I painted the dining room when it was red.

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you’ll know that I’ve been on a mission for the last 3 years to replace all my builder’s brass light fixtures and I can happily say, it’s done!  This one replaced the smaller fixture in the downstairs blue guestbath that I picked up 2 years ago at a yardsale for $5 (you should have seen the brass ugly that was there originally, double yuck).

This was the last one, the floor model, hanging on the wall and I asked the salesgirl to please take it down for me, so she did.  Originally marked at $68, it was $17, less 10% for being the floor model, total was $16 plus change, yeah I can handle that.

So yeah, I’m trading up…again! 🙂 Hopefully the last time on this one.

Speaking of trading up, here’s the new yardsale chandy that I recently picked up for $8 in my office nook.  I’ve been waiting for just the right one and this is it!  It is the perfect size and doesn’t hang down too far and it’s just girlie enough for this space.  There’s even room on the curved arms at the bottom to hang some crystals if I find some and I think I just might do that.

Not sure if I will add shades or not, I sort of like it naked.

And backing up from my desk, it’s just adorable in here.  You can see my messy desk, I really do use this space.  Paint palette on the floor.

So, all my builder’s ugly bright brass is finally out of here (at least in the light fixtures).  I have one more trade-up in the upstairs guestbath that I’ll be showing you real soon.  In fact, that bath is getting a fun makeover that I can’t wait to tell you about.