May 8, 2013

this little light of mine

So, I got a new chandelier for the dining room.

Would this be the dining room that just got a new chandelier last year? Yep, that's the one.

Now, before you go putting me in the loony bin for buying yet another lighting fixture for the dining room (this makes #3), let me state my case. It is a vintage bamboo chandelier at a wicked good price. I couldn't very well leave it behind once I saw it. What if someone bought it who wouldn't have taken care of it? There was a lady with a bedazzled purse and a scrunchie eyeing it at the same time my mom and I were fawning. I couldn't let this light go home with Mrs. Scrunchie, that's just mean. So really I rescued this light from certain doom. I'm a humanitarian. Me and Angelina.


The only problem I had with it was the color. I am a card-carrying member of the black fan club but I've already got a lot of black in the dining room and the walls are darker so adding this big and wonderful black light was just sucking the remaining light out of the room. And the black was hiding all of the great detail that made me love the light in the first place.

I wavered between something sparkly and something with more pop. But while I wavered, I made myself useful and primed.


Sparkle took over and I went with gold. I think I had spent a few hours play dress up with the girls before hand, so that might have influenced my decision. But the subtle, glam, vintagey gold I was looking for didn't happen.


Bust.

It was a little too Golden Girls for my taste. I suppose I could have taken some rub n' buff to the thing to tone it done a bit, but have you taken a close look at this thing? It has no fewer than 47 sides. It's a mathematical anomaly. It was hard enough to spray it, I wasn't about to hand rub the sucker.

I decided to go with what my gut had told me originally and go with my color pop. Why I ever tried to ignore you gut I don't know. My apologies. After something red, with a bit of orange in it, I went to Michaels to look thru the hard core arty spray paint and landed on Cadmium Red by Liquitex.

The color was perfect and the paint goes on wonderfully. It dries super fast and the odor is almost non-existant.


I will warn you though this stuff chips like a... it chips really bad. I wouldn't use this on anything that would get any sort of day to day use, but since people rarely touch my chandelier, I figure it will be safe.


So up she went, looking beautiful. All of her pretty details showing up so much better now in her bright red. But she was missing one last detail. This was the perfect piece to try out one of my favorite blogger 'I want to try that one day' DIYs.


Yep, I followed Emily's lead and added some polka dot fabric to my plain little candle sleeves. You can go to Recently for the full DIY but I will tell you this was easy as can be. All you need is some fabric, scissors and Mod Podge and you'll be done in 10 minutes.


I love my little lady. She is bringing it. 


So the moral of the story is this - ignore trends and always go with your gut. Your gut will never lie to you. And never pass up a good light because you already have one. There is always room for one more chandelier in your life.

What about you? Have you added something to your house only to replace it with something else a year later? Painted anything with 47 sides? Watched Golden Girls lately?

48 comments:

  1. I agree, you had to save it! and it looks beautiful...the sleeves are adorable :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. As they said, third time's a charm. I think you've found the best chandelier and best color for it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So pretty! I especially love the little details of the sleeves and round bulbs!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love it! So glad you went with a pop of color! Looks great! xo Kristin

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, I think in my case it is a sickness, I can't bare to leave things that are soooo good ... I feel like they need me!! Why I have a garage full of extra things ... thinking about a tag sale on my site!!! Love what you did ... the POP is perfect!! xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. ok so when i saw the first picture i thought, oh i hope she paints it red! i LOVE it!!!!!!!!! amazing! i want a little light of my own! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree, the red is way better than the gold! Especially for the style, it would really look a bit gawdy if you went with gold! red is perfect for you and your young, hip family!

    ReplyDelete
  8. OK, now I need to go back to Value Village to get the chandelier I left there. I only hope Ms. Scrunchie hasn't already got her hands on it!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. so glad you chose red in the end. It looks FAB! and I LOVE the polka dot fabric...so cute! I had never seen that before.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yep, I'm super obsessed. Like crazy. Pinned it! ;-)

    I would love this in canary yellow in my dining room! I love that you followed your instincts and SAVED this fixture from the scrunchie lady. No light deserves that!

    I added you to my blog roll on my new site! Love your style, girl!
    www.abbyminteriorsblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. OK we must be twins! I have an obsession with chandeliers! I don't have a favorite "style/period. I love so many. Every place where I can hang one ....I DO! And I use and love the little round bulbs.
    What you did with that chandelier is pure magic! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love the red!! So much better than gold!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, yes! I love the polka dot touch too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It looks absolutely incredible and this post was hilarious to read. I think the orangey-red is perfection. This light makes me the happiest.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This blog post stopped me in my tracks today! I love this! Such a great light fixture! The polka dots add just the perfect amount of whimsy! You nailed it! Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great light and I'm so excited Golden Girls is on TV Land. Like all the time. I really love that show - don't tell anyone.

    ReplyDelete
  17. LOVE IT! The polka dots really make it! Way to go, Elizabeth!

    ReplyDelete
  18. The red is PERFECT for the style of the fixture...and for your room. Great job!

    http://simplymodernhome.com/

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have such a crush on the red/blue combo as of late. Your dining room is just so... happy! I can't describe it any other way. :)
    My husband hates that I feel the need to replace things in our house... particularly our rug. I just HAD to have it and now of course I HAVE to have something else. But hey, when I was looking for a rug they didn't have any beni ourain looking rugs in my price range. Now they have a ton. It's not MY fault I'm ahead of the curve!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am fully on board with going with your gut. When I don't I ALWAYS regret it. Your new chandelier is FANTASTIC. The color is perfect against your walls and I would be so sad to think of this piece of loveliness living in the same home with a bedazzled bag.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The red was a perfect choice! Can't say I'm opposed to the gold though.. I loved Golden Girls! The little round light bulbs are perfect too!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh my gosh the red is perfection! It looks divine against your wall color!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm so glad you painted it twice because you nailed it on the second color! I love how bold it is. Go big or go home lady! The polka dots are just the icing on the cake-too precious. Great job!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. LOVE this!! The red looks amazing! Confession: I DVR the Golden Girls. HAHA! Love them!

    ReplyDelete
  25. OH MAH GAWD!!! I am so so jealous, we are totally gonna fall out now. I am coveting thy neighbour's light fixture and I'm pretty sure there's a rule about that somewhere. I love it. Like my palms are all sweaty just looking at it. See, now, THIS is why I haven't replaced my pendant in my dining room because THIS THIS IS WHAT I WANT. Oh I'm so glad you saved it from Ms. Scrunchie. She didn't deserve this beauty - but your dining room looks tres perfect with her in her new dapper outerwear! Love it! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  26. Simply gorgeous darling!! Job well done!

    ReplyDelete
  27. That red is SO good Elizabeth! You can never have too many lights in my book! Or chairs!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Very nicely done, Elizabeth! Your talent is so fun and refreshing. I miss you. I haven't been around to see you since I have been hunting down more and more thrift/fashion blogs. You and Brooke from Inside Out Design are my only two home decor gals I follow. All the rest are photographers or fashionistas. Consider yourself lucky. hahahahahahaha.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Fantastic! It's so freaking good. Too good to live with scrunchie woman for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I'm glad you got the lamp and I love it in the red {also anything with polka dots gets my vote}! I have to say, however, I'm also down with bedazzling. Perhaps when you're ready for a change, you could toss some sticky diamonds on the lamp. :)

    I think between the two of us this week, we have the 90s covered....

    ReplyDelete
  31. That is AMAZING!!!!!! I love the red/orange color, so perfect for your room! Thank the maker you beat out the scrunch for it....I love when gems find a good home!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Ima have to say it. The polka dots sold me. That's all you had to do.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Oh honey, so good! Love the wee little polka dots...you did good girl!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Drooling! You scored one of my fave chandeliers!!!! That hot red is dead on perfect and that fabric is brilliant! Love!

    ReplyDelete
  35. What do you mean loony bin?!? You HAD to buy this chandelier. It is seriously amazing and you definitely made the right choice on the color. SO COOL!

    You should check out my DIY link up this week on decor-eat.

    Corbin
    decor-eat.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Looks awesome!!! If I found one like that I would snatch it up so fast!!

    ReplyDelete
  37. WHAT!?!?! That looks AH-MAY-ZING! What a find. You have a great eye--I love everything about it and everything you did to it. Total perfection.

    -Lane

    ReplyDelete
  38. Oh my GOSH this looks awesome!!! I love it!!! definitely good call saving it from that scrunchie lady- who knows what she would have done to it?? The tiny polka dots just make me want to die- in a totally good way! Amazing!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. I would have snatched it up, too! Great call on the polka dots, love that you did it with a scrunchie! I don't think I ever would have thought of that. And I totally have design ADD, too. I'm always buying something and replacing it soon after.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Love the new color on the light, and the polka dot sleeves are the best!

    ReplyDelete
  41. That looks awesome!! Such a great transformation. Loving the whole color scheme in there!

    Laura

    ReplyDelete
  42. me likey!! if only i could come across a little beauty like that for next to nothing....craigslist, here i come! :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. I absolutely LOVE your fabulous vintage bamboo chandelier!!! You absolutely did the right thing! And the Cadmium Red is absolute perfection. Great work!!

    XOXO,
    The Glam Pad

    ReplyDelete
  44. It looks amazing!!! I love the red and the unexpected pop of polka dots!! Fabulous job!!

    Dominique {ComfyCozyCouture.blogspot.com}

    ReplyDelete
  45. You are hysterical. And I couldn't agree more - that beauty needed to go home with you and be painted red! I have a bamboo one above my kitchen table, and it is plain ole white. I was too indecisive to pick anything more at the time. Now, I'm too lazy to take it down and spray it. Seriously, sad.

    ReplyDelete
  46. If you had not bought it the chandelier police would have knocked on your door......and they are serious about their job! I love it!

    ReplyDelete

I love it when you sweet talk me! It makes my day!
And please make sure you leave an email address so we can keep the convo going.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
09 10 11 12
Blogging tips