Dining Room Light Overhaul
Life in the dreamhouse continues with another quick and inexpensive update. If you are a very keen observer, then you spotted the dining room light in “Spiffing Up the Living and Dining Rooms.” If, however, you missed it, then here is a little reminder…
Remember these little brass numbers all lit up with their fancy, glass globes? Your grandmother probably had/has this in her dining room. Now, don’t get me wrong…they are fine and dandy if that is what you like. But since I was overhauling the room, I needed to include the light fixture.
I easily could have just ordered a new fixture, but where is the fun (errr…challenge) in that? I wanted to update the dining room light in my little 1960’s bungalow without it looking like it came out of another time zone, so I decided to go for a look that included a drum or barrel shade. This is a very classic look with clean, neat lines–no fuss involved. And although the lines are clean, there are many fun choices for fabrics.
This look is currently very “in” so finding a shade was the easy part. I actually found two shades that I liked…one from Home Goods and the other from Pottery Barn Outlet. Both shades were under $40.
So how did I do it?
I started by removing the old light fixture. It really doesn’t require an electrician. Just be sure to turn OFF the power at the breaker box. Be sure to label the wires that are connected to one another. That may seem obvious or even unnecessary with newer fixtures, but it is a good habit to form.
Take apart the fixture so you can easily paint it. I put tape over the light sockets and removed the chain. Then I found a place to hang it outside so I could spray it. I used a dark bronze paint that blended nicely with the beading on my shade.
The next task was to figure out how to attach the shade. By simply removing the loop at the top of the fixture, I was able to slid the fixture on and replace the loop.
After rehanging the fixture, this is my “new” look.
Not too bad for the cost of the shade and a can of spray paint. And what did I do with those glass globes? Well you can find them at the local Goodwill Store!
Take a look at this Pinterest page for drum shade ideas for your dining room light fixture!