Chandelier Makeover + the Best Brass Spray Paint
Slowly but surely, we’ve been chipping away at the breakfast nook refresh plans we’ve had on the docket since February.
It’s a space that has been a tricky one for me since moving into the house, and even though I like the farmhouse look, I’ve felt conflicted about having that style in this house just because it doesn’t seem to “go” in our traditional colonial.
It sported a super rustic, practically falling apart table at first.
(Some affiliate links are provided in this post. Full disclosure here.)
Then we swapped out the table for something more modern.
And we realized the table was just too big for this tiny space and created a traffic jam before swapping it for one we finally feel like works. (Sometimes it takes a few failures to get it right, right?)
Then, a few weeks ago, after having zero luck on a not-too-expensive less farmhouse-y chandelier, I found a brand spankin’ new one for a suuuuuper discount on OfferUp.
I’m a total newbie at OfferUp and have only just recently discovered it as an alternative to Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, but so far I’M A FAN! (Not sponsored… just throwing it out there, if it helps.) But I’ll share more about the thrifting tricks I’ve learned on it later.
I discovered the PERFECT modern-meets-traditional brand new chandelier and offered the seller $100. It was originally $330 retail, so it ended up being a deal I couldn’t walk away from.
The only problem was it was brushed nickel. And I really had my heart set on aged brass.
So it made for a good Trash to Treasure Transformation Tuesday project for this month. (You can see more thrifty makeovers at the bottom of this post.)
I’m a total do-do and forgot to take a before picture, but I managed to grab a shot from my IG Story video before going at it with spray paint.
I’ve tried out around 8 different brands and shades of gold spray paint in a search for the perfect one that looks like the real deal (other than Rub n’ Buff from this light fixture update, which isn’t as easy to apply) and FINALLY found a winner!
Supplies Used:
- Frog Tape (or whatever brand of painter’s tape you prefer)
- Krylon spray primer
- Rust-Oleum Modern Farmhouse Metallic Gold spray paint
If I’m ever painting a light fixture, I always cover any bulb sockets and wiring with Frog Tape to make sure no paint gets in and causes electrical issues later.
Even though a lot of spray paint cans say “paint + primer”, I never ever trust it. Because the finish is never great without a primer coat first.
So I gave the whole thing a coat of Krylon spray primer (I’m not partial to any particular brand really though).
Once the primer was dry, I did 3 thin coats of the Rust-Oleum Modern Farmhouse Metallic Gold spray paint (because it’s better to do multiple thin, even coats than to have a one drippy, gloopy thick coat).
Gorg! How’s that for the easiest, fastest Trash to Treasure ever?
To be fair, this one wasn’t trash at all, but if I found it on a secondhand site, it counts, right? I’m always a bit leery of thrifted electrical fixtures though because you never know what kind of wiring issues they might be hiding that could be potentially dangerous.
So now we’re going places with this breakfast nook’s new look!
I found those vintage soda shop bentwood chairs on OfferUp too, and now that this new, smaller table is in here, I think I might paint them black instead of keeping them the orange-y wood. What do you think?
I’m still working on a replacement for the antique banister planter wall for something less farmhouse style too, but that planter is definitely going somewhere in the backyard because it’s way too cute.
Home wasn’t built in a day, right? We’re always a work in progress around here.
If you want to see any of the other Trash to Treasure Tuesday transformations this month, you can find them all below.
Clockwise from top left:
Prodigal Pieces | Confessions of a Serial DIYer | Girl in the Garage | Artsy Chicks Rule
And if you want to see all of the Trash to Treasure transformations from months’ past, you can find them all here.
Love how the new light turned out! Its beautiful!!
The chairs painted would be perfect.
I would white wash the chairs and cover the seats with light gray buffalo check seat covers! No black!
Are the shades new or were they with the original fixture? So nice perfect timing I want to paint my bronzey looking fixtures! Ty
Hi, Kimberly! The shades came with the chandelier. 🙂
Yes- black chairs! And will you keep the seats?? And I LOVE the light fixture. You have such amazing vision!
Love the new table- looks great and once you get those chairs painted to “ground” them it will be incredible. Well done.
I was delighted to see the new table and the white one gone. Trust your gut – ALWAYS!!
Love the new light fixture, and the color is perfect! And I agree, the chairs would look perfect painted black! <3
Yes…..those chairs would look perfect with black paint!
Oh where did you find that table? I need one that same size and that one is SO CUTE!
I’m pinning that spray paint color..one never knows :). Paint the chairs black…Yes! This is coming together so well, and I’m excited to see next steps.
Looks great! You are so talented. Yes on the black chairs. Can’t wait to see them.
Loved the bistro chairs but these will look great in black.
Question: how high is the light fixture and would you consider lowering it a bit?
It’s 30″ from the tabletop, which is the typically recommended height. This ceiling is slightly lower than 8 feet so it’s tricky getting that right.
Love the light fixture and can’t wait to see the chairs in black, great table too!
Your little dining area has been reincarnated many times! The white table was scrapped and the cute French bistro chairs. Where will they migrate to? Those bistro chairs are awesome!
Haha! Yeah, it’s been a LOT of trial and error in here. The French bistro chairs were luckily outdoor chairs, so we found a new home for them around our pool in the backyard, so it worked out perfectly!
I change things up all the time too! But then I KNOW when it is JUST RIGHT!! That’s when it stays for a long time! Love the look! Yes, I would go with black chairs too.
Thanks for the tip on the primer coat first. I won’t skip it again!
Yes! Sometimes there are just those tricky rooms that throw us for a loop. I had to learn the hard way about not skipping primer. 😉 That paint + primer stuff is totally misleading.
The chairs look rattan. You can paint them? Special paint?
I don’t think they’re rattan, but as far as I know, even rattan doesn’t require special paint. Fusion Mineral Paint is usually my choice for a lot of furniture though. I’ll be using a paint sprayer on these so they get an even coat and I won’t have to worry about getting a brush around all of those spindles.
Gorg, indeed! Love the new fixture in that space! And I vote yes on painting the chairs black…they will look amazing! xo
Thanks, Christy!!
It all looks great!! Love the new table so MUCH ♥️… And the chandelier color is perfect.
The chairs in black will just pop!!! Can’t wait to see it!
Love the idea of a soft black on the chairs. I still like the wall planter where it is once the chairs are painted, but I tend to mix styles in my home.
As they say, 3rd times the charm right? I love the new fixture with the clean lines. That’s a gorgeous spray paint! 😍
So true! It was a SUPER lucky find!
I love this table so much more than the white one! But I agree you need to get rid off the orange in the chairs 😀
I agree! They’re just begging for a coat of black paint. I’m busting out my paint sprayer to go at them tomorrow. 😉
Yes, painting them black would awesome! just what they need!
Yeah, the orange has GOT to go! Haha! I can’t deal.
I agree. I would spray them white, and reupholster them in a nice fabric.