Sunday, October 2, 2011

Project Eight- Modernizing an Outdated Light Fixture

The light fixture in the hallway of our Montreal apartment was pretty pathetic looking and did not provide any light, so I thought I would find an inexpensive (and brighter) replacement. I found the below fixture (which looked brand new) at The Habitat for Humanity Re-Store for $4 and it came with both light bulbs! Obviously, I did not like the fake brass but knew I could change that.

Before


Taping the glass off on the inside of the fixture was a bit of a challenge...



After



What you will need:

- light fixture
- matt black metal spray paint (or whatever colour you prefer- I wanted it to look like cast iron so matt black was the way to go)
- scrap paper
- painters tape
- scissors

How to do it:

Begin by cutting your scrap paper to cover all areas of the fixture that you do not want covered in spray paint (e.g. glass, etc.). Use the painters tape to make sure that the paper is going to stay in place and not allow any overspray to get into the covered areas. Next, hang the fixture in a well ventilated area, for example, I hung mine from my outdoor laundry line. Make sure you are not close to anything that you do not want overspray on. Shake the spray paint for a minimum of 2 minutes and then spray the fixture in several, light coats. Wait a few minutes between coats to make sure that each coat has dried enough that you will not create runs. Spray the fixture several times, making sure that it is thoroughly covered and allow the fixture several days to dry before handling.