I’ve been wanting a new chandelier in my dining room for many years! At first it wasn’t in the budget with all the house projects we faced so we gave the original a coat of paint & some new shades and it was actually pretty cute for the time being! It’s funny how so many years passed…even though I was always kind-of looking, we just never found the right replacement. Honestly I almost always feel like there’s NEVER an ideal time to make a big purchase…but my latest desire to make a change had me pounding the pavement to find “the one”! Much to my husband’s dismay, I occasionally get these urges for instant change…and then I’m on a mission to make it happen! Unfortunately for me, sometimes my mission has many stumbling blocks…including cost! But my quest for a chandelier allowed me to re-visit a suggestion from my husband…why not use the one hanging in the basement? Well, my first reaction wasn’t that pleasant. Years ago my in-laws brought us this old chandelier they found in an alley in Washington DC…you can imagine what this thing looked like! I thought it was one of the ugliest lights I had ever seen…but I knew I could do something with what was left of its crystals…so we kept it. Tucked away in our workshop gathering even more dust than it came with, I eventually depleted it of all of its drippy, teardrop crystals using them in countless Giggle projects. But my recent desperation allowed me to take one more look…and we released it from the dungeon. Hmmm…maybe I COULD work with this. I have learned after years of junking never to judge by first appearances! So i was off to get new candle stick covers, light bulbs, and yes, more crystals! Luckily I had several acquired in my Giggle inventory and I was able to piece together much of what had been missing! A quick trip to the antique store and I finally had enough to put this baby back together again! Lots of elbow grease later we actually had a new chandelier! My hubby is happy ’cause he was always partial to this thing–I’m happy ’cause I finally have something sparkly and unique! And with a history that will definitely spark an interesting conversation, this semi-new chandelier was just what we were waiting for!
take a fresh look at what you already have…
some new-to-me sparkle in my room…
and how i wish i had taken pictures of this fixture while it was humbly hanging in our basement! but i didn’t! i’ve been kindly scolded by one of my girlfriends for not taking “before” pics more often. but i confess that i get so excited about the completion of a project that i really forget to snap some photos during the process! so i apologize for not being able to share the significant transformation! i can tell you that it had black, dusty candlesticks, and was practically crystal-less, and covered with rust and dirt. to me the shape resembled a metal octopus–am i painting an accurate picture here? plain and simple…it WAS ugly! but it has now been transformed with just a little elbow grease and a few new sparkles…and just in time for the holidays! take a peek at my semi-new chandelier…
unique, recycled, vintage…all the things i love about it!
shimmer and shine…even with it’s little imperfections!
and the shape has now totally grown on me! all the wonderful light bulbs and candle stick covers are from Gross Electric which is a wonderful place to go if you need help refurbishing a light fixture!
a little work gave a discarded beauty new life…