Bamboo Re-Do

I bought this vintage chandelier a while back on Ebay:

I don't know how old it was, but it was in terrible shape. A little yucky, actually, and definitely not in working condition:

But it was just $40, and I loved the bamboo look  For the past four years, we have been staring up at a metal plate above our bed where a chandelier was supposed to be.  We badly needed overhead lighting in the room, so I thought I'd try to make this battered beauty fit the bill.

Behold the magic of spray paint:

First, I had the chandelier re-wired.  I considered doing it myself and actually found some tutorials online for re-wiring lighting fixtures.  But ultimately it came down to this:  It was going to be hanging over our heads while we were asleep.  So I took it to a professional.

Once it was working again, I sanded it down lightly and gave it a coat of spray primer. Then I added two coats of glossy white spray paint (this was a multi-day process).

It's glossy and bamboo-y and adds just the right touch of elegant sophistication to our master bedroom.  And I love looking up at it and knowing that I took something that had seen better days and made it new again.

Part of me wishes I could have painted it a color other than white.  Wouldn't it look great in hot pink, or lobster red, or lemon yellow?  But as you can see, our bedroom is blue, and the whole "pops of bright color" thing just doesn't work in this room -- I've tried, and it feels forced and messes up the serene look I'm going for in here.  Maybe in a future house. 

Plus, I can't believe we went so long without an overhead light in our bedroom.  It's fantastic to have the extra light for folding laundry, and walking into the room is so much nicer now that we can just reach over and turn the glow on (the light is on a dimmer switch by the door).

This wasn't exactly a budget project.  Forty dollars for the chandelier wasn't bad, but the re-wiring cost $150.  With the spray paint, the whole thing cost about $200.  But every night, when I go to bed and look up at the beautiful glowing light and don't worry about it crashing down on my head, I know that was money well spent.

Linking to:
Twice-Owned Tuesday at House of Grace
Winter Blues Wednesday at DIY by Design
Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now
Hookin up with HoH at House of Hepworths 
Weekend Wrap-Up at Tatertots & Jello