Do you remember sassy brassy in my front entryway? She’s been needing to come down for a long time now, but I haven’t found anything I’ve loved to replace her with.
Last week on my way back from Blissdom, I was sitting in the Charlotte, NC airport (love that airport because: free wifi!) waiting for my delayed flight and so I ventured onto Craigslist and found a seller in my my city getting rid of a bunch of brass fixtures for $5 each. This one caught my eye:
Girl, why are you looking at brass fixtures when you are trying to get rid of sassy brassy?
Because the shape (not the brass) kind of reminded me of these from PB:
Aw yeah…you know what I’m thinking. So, I emailed the seller and wondered if I could come the next day to pick it up. She said I was the first one that had called…wonder why?? :)
My trusty assistant and I took the screws off the bottom, removed the glass,
and then gave it a little oil rubbed bronze action out in the garage. {don’t forget to spray the screws that you just took off!}
If you’re having trouble finding either of these (my Walmart hasn’t been stocking them lately) guess where I found a bunch?
K-Mart! Who woulda thought?
This was the first light fixture I installed completely by myself, without my husband. It was very basic, everything was in place from the last fixture, so I gave it a go. I made my kids go in their room and shut the door when I turned it on in case it blew up.
It didn’t.
Yay!
As you can see, I left the glass out for a more casual look. Would you put it back in?? I go back and forth.
Love the price though:
$5 for the fixture
$3 for the spray paint =
$8. Wahoo!
Girl, why aren’t you working on the kitchen??
Because I’m doing an oil based primer and I have to do it out in the garage and it’s too darn cold. Drying takes forever. My husband said he’d help me when he has his spring break, so for right now, it’s on hold. But believe me, there are plenty of other projects to work on.
****************
oh, and P.S.!
Deal Alert at Home Depot! Behr Paint Brushes, Roller Covers and Applicator Kits are all 75% off using code BEHR75! Now, you do have to pay shipping (this deal is online only), but I got a bunch of new pro brushes, rollers, and a starter set for $20. Since there is going to be lots of painting going on around here…
{no affiliation with Behr or HDepot…I wish!!}
Happy Painting~
95 comments (click here to comment):
Oh girl I LOVE this!!! So easy and simple!!! It looks fabulous!!!! (I like it without the glass)
Thank you for your vote! :)
What a steal! And, I love it without the glass.
Great Job! it looks fabush!
Looks great!!! Love it! No glass for me either!
Melissa, it looks amazing!!! I love it without the glass too! Thanks for the inspiration. My front entry light DESPARETLY needs replacing too one of these days Have a great week and good luck with your kitchen!
Genius! You have inspired me to start looking at things differently.
I vote....no glass!
I love it! I am so proud of you for installing it yourself...I am terrified of electricity but I have been thinking lately that I should just get over that!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Leave the glass OUT!!! I have a fixture like this, but never thought I could leave the glass out! woo hoo! It looks great!!
It's so perfect! I like it without the glass, I'd leave it the way it is.
Melissa,
I love this. It looks fabulous. Can I borrow your assistant? LOL
Denise
Extreme Personal Measures
Looking Good! Nice job!
Susan : )
http://sanctuaryhomebysusancooke.blogspot.com/
That is fab!! What a wonderful eye you have and I vote for no glass!
Leave the glass out! PLEASE!! I love it!!! You are going to create a run on shiny brass light fixtures!! :)
Love the new light. It looks amazing. I love ORB, just the greatest stuff. Hugs, Marty
I had my doubts when I saw the before, but you made it amazing. Looks just like the Pottery Barn one. Nice!
That is the EXACT project I am trying to do too, but haven't had luck on CL yet!:) I vote for no glass also. The fixture turned out beautiful.
Great job on the electrical installation! It really isn't that hard, but the first time is a bit intimidating. And I like it w/ no glass, either.
Looks great!
Oh how I love when 320 Sycamore has been updated on the blog roll! Love that light fixture. Love that Craigslist. :)
And I like it without the glass.
We all have these things in our house that we are shopping around for...for the right price..for the right size...an idea to fill a blank wall...BUT
Does it bug you when you have things like that light fixture in your house, that YOU Know you do not like and want to replace but think when someone comes over to visit they are thinking Wow, that thing is ugly?? Does that bug you?
Why do I feel like I have to 'explain away' everything as I give a home tour to company.
You know? That would make a great post.
Do you expain that it's all a work in progress or do you just let it go? hmmm..
sorry for the brain dump on your comment section.
No glass for sure. It is perfect just as it is! It is way to cold in my garage to paint right now. I am itching to get out the rubbed bronze and start painting a few projects!!! My daughter laughs that I am addicted to black!
I am so jealous, I payed forty for mine thinking I got a good deal. You got me beat for sure.
Hurray!!! I like it with the glass OUT. :) Great job, girl. I need to head over the mountains and go thrifting with you so you can find me some good stuff too. :)
Heather~ that is an excellent question. I guess I don't really care anymore...I usually don't say anything, but if they are closer friends I usually show them the project I'm in the middle of and tell them "as you can see there's still lots of work, but it's coming along, blah blah blah" It makes me so sad when someone opens their home and food to us and then apologizes for what isn't done. Whose home *is* done?? I just love being there with *you*
Annie: Hey, $40 is better than $200! C'mon, you did great!
Awesome job!! Thanks for the heads up about the deals!!
Amanda~ Like anywhere else, it's completely hit or miss. I haven't found anything on CL for months, and then this came up. I'd still love for you to come though :)
Thank you all for loving without glass so I don't have to climb back up there and put the glass back in!!
I am sooooo afraid of doing lighting it isn't even funny. I have THE ugliest light fixture in my foyer but it is up pretty high (cathedral ceiling) that most people don't notice it. But I do. I wish you lived closer, I would have you come over and help me with this!!!
Great job!
Looks so great! You are so talented at seeing the potential in "ugly" things that can be made pretty!
Awesome light fixture! I've seen stuff like that on blogland and I totally want to give it a try. Question--did you use the nickel and the oil rubbed bronze or was the nickel spray paint for something else? I've never used either but have wanted to give the oil rubbed bronze a try. Really awesome job!I think I like it better than the PB version.
I bet if that craigslist seller saw this post, they would really regret not keeping the fixture! Looks so wonderful! Nicely done.
Terrific result! I like it without the glass.
Jeannette
Glass is SO over rated...I like it alot without! Great job, girl!
Heather, you are too funny ;D I'm the same way and have to explain away with all of my excuses about everything.
Cindy, I'm so addicted to black too! I need to chill out with the black, but it just keeps coming...Yikes!!!
What a great deal! It looks awesome! I'd go glass-less too ;)
Melissa, that is fabulous!! I absolutely love it! I did something similar in my mud room, did you see it? It's all about the shape of something, not the color. Color can be changed! You have the "eye". :)
xoxo
Looks fabulous and modern. Someone's trash... your treasure! You created a special piece with a bit of elbow grease. I do like it without the glass.
I. LOVE. This. TRULY! I had a "Wowwwwwww" response when I looked at the after! I'd better check craigslist now before all of these hideous brass fixtures are snapped up! FANTASTIC!! And I like it without the glass, personally.
I vote for no glass! It looks great.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been struggling for YEARS on what to do with my brass light fixtures (very similar to the ones you bought on craigslist). I think mine might look pretty decent painted and with glass removed. Oh how I love this post!!! Your fixtures look great by the way ;)
Wow, wow and wow! How great that you could see its potentional!
Megan
oops so spelled potential wrong!
Oh my goodness- I love this!! It's brilliant! I really love the look of it and I especially love it without the glass- looks more legit! Like more Potterybarn-esque, if you will! Great job!!
I was going to ask if the glass was in or not, Melissa; I like it the way it is pictured. You did a great job and kudos to you for seeing the potential! It turned out great! I had to laugh at telling your kids to go in their rooms and close the door. You were brave to hook this up on your own. I haven't tried that yet myself.
Great find! I have a ceiling light I'd like to try to spray paint - did you have to do any prep work to the fixture or just spray it?
LOVE LOVE LOVE THE LIGHT FIXTURE AND DON'T PUT THE GLASS BACK IN, I LOVE HOW IT LOOKS...DON'T YOU?
Super, super cute! In fact, I couldn't tell at first if it was your photo or a catalog photo!
I vote for keeping the glass out. Looks terrific.
I LOVE it! What a great find! I vote to leave the glass off
Love the light fixture!
Love it without the glass!
Love craigslist!
Love spray paint!
Love YOU for always sharing bargain/deal info.
that is amazing just the way it is! wow!
I love it! It's so beautiful! I've been on our (crappy) craigslist looking for brass fixtures for the past 5 minutes! :) I like it without the glass. Thanks for the inspiration!
Louis~ I just used the ORB for this one.
Journey~ I didn't do any prep work, just a couple of light coats. No one ever touches light fixtures and they are usually high so no one can see up close.
Would never have thought it'd turn out like that! Definitely without the glass! Good job.
That is an awesome transformation! You are clever Melissa. I'd go without the glass....I just bought a light from Lowes for over my kitchen table that is very similar and it doesn't have glass - less to clean! (You know how the glass gets cloudy/dusty after a while.) Hooray for a $5 project!
Hi Melissa, Your new lights look soooo great!! Funny, we are working on our basement and I did the same thing with a fixture I found at a garage sale for $2.00. It turned out great, but I cannot hang it just yet as the space is not quite ready. Such a great idea!! There are a lot of those fixtures around, so it should be not problem to find them. Love your blog, girl!!
That looks so great Melissa!! And I love it without the glass! I never would have thought to do that. You are way smarter than me though.
Wow! Such a great deal! It looks very lovely in such a cheap price! Nicely done!
Adorable! Love it without the glass. I am going to be trolling CL now for a similar fixture for my laundry room. I remember the first time I installed light fixtures... I sent my kids to the next room with the phone and told them to call 911 if anything happened to Mommy. I think I scared them for life. LOL! We still joke about it now that they are alot older. Excellent inspiration, thanks!
You are such a genius! I would not have thought of this or attemoted it! Looks So good!
Without! Be unpredictable :) Love the way it turned out!!!
That looks so fabulous! Great find!
I feel like I need to say with glass just to give a shout out for the glass! Just kidding~it looks great just the way it is Melissa, but honestly,I think it would look just as great with the glass! I can see why you went back and forth. To me, it's the paint that makes the most difference.
Melissa -- it is fantastic! I wouldn't put the glass back in. No way. We have a contract on a foreclosure in our neighborhood that needs SO much help. I need to start scoping CL for brass light fixtures to paint! Thanks for the inspiration.
It looks great! My light make-over didn't turn out so well... My hubby washed off the "frosted" paint that hid the light bulb. I bought new spray but he grabbed the wrong can and coated it with the nickel spray paint by accident. NOT a good look-we're on the lookout for a replacement.You've inspired me to look on Craig's list!
Beautiful! Glass out definitely.
Looks great, leave the glass out- you'd just have to clean it! :) And thanks for the HD code- I jumped right over there and ordered 3 packs of roller covers! woo-hoo!
It looks great
Looks terrific, love that you did it for so little money, too
Great light at a great price. My wife and I have done that with other things. We painted a mirror for our living room which turned out great. Keep blogging. I look forward to reading more in the future.
Matt
www.mychicshanty.com
Now this is just to darn FUNNY! I have that same light fixture in my foyer...well I did until a couple of months ago...I took it down and replaced it...I have plans on painting it for another place in my home...thanks so much for showing me how it's going to look:)
Blessings,
Linda
I love it! I never would have looked at the original light fixture and thought to do what you did! I'm so inspired. ps. I like it without the glass :)
It looks great! I wish I could take all of our ugly brass down in our Air Force base house. bleh!
Love your light, sure gives me an idea for over my sink in the kitchen, maybe I can find one at yardsales when they start up in the spring!
Rondell
Way to go, Melissa! Sassy Brassy doesn't have a chance in your house. :)
I think the fixture looks great without the glass. Does the PB fixture have glass? If so, I'd probably was that glass up nice and clean and put it back in. If not, I'd probably just toss the glass. (I'm such a copycat!)
It'll be wonderful to see your kitchen progress this summer. Until then, don't worry--we'll be back to see your beautiful white cupboards whenever you're ready. :)
What a fabulous makeover! I agree with the others that it looks great with the glass out.
I'm stopping by from Amanda's party. I've visited here a few times before and love your blog. Your home renovation projects are inspiring. If I'm guessing correctly, I think I went to school in your town.
SHUT UP! fabulous! I would leave the glass out :)
well done! love how you transformed it completely!
OMG!What a great find. It turned out great and I would keep the glass out. Thanks for the heads up on the spray paint at Kmart. I have been wondering where it went to;)
Cheryl
LOVE the new light and I would definitely keep the glass out of it. I love it just the way it is!
I'm super inspired now! I have a fixture just like that in my front entry way that i HATE. I love the idea of removing the glass!
/weekend project here I come!!!
Gorgeous! I would have had a hard time seeing past the brass in its original state.
Very nice! I wish I would have thought about that when I replaced my very own sassy brassy! But, I wound up going with this flushmount. I like it, but I wanted a lantern look like yours originally.
http://ak2.ostkcdn.com/images/products/P12256839.jpg
Looks awesome, and thanks for the heads up on the painting supplies! I ordered a three back of paintbrushes, can't have too many around the house.
Love! I love it without the glass too. Also means no cleaning the glass.
I like your new one better than the PB ones! That is sooo clever of you and hanging it yourself...wow!
Sa-weet! Love it!
I am a brand new follower of your blog... found it a few weeks ago now I guess. My husband is probably getting tired of me talking about all your wonderful ideas on "320 sycamore". I just love everything you come up with and I really love this light fixture, I honestly couldnt' have imagined it turning out so beautifully. I LOVE it without the glass for sure!!
Wow, you are brilliant. I have a fixture just like the one you just got, and what a great idea to paint it the ORB. If I do it, I will certainly give you the credit! Great job.
Best,
Gloria
Charming makeover.
How did You Take the glass out? Was it easy???? I Have a brass fixture but the glass isn't held in by screws? Do I dare to break the glass????
Just found you. No glass! :) I am now searching my craigslist for a light to do this to. Thank you.
Loving the light, loving the price, the fact that you did the install on your own, and totally loving it without the glass.
NO GLASS!!!
Although its been said many times many ways.......Without the glass! AND we love it!
I love the look, and have a similar fixture in my entry way. My issue is that I'm trying to get away from any fixtures that use those candle bulbs, as I'm trying to go 100% CFL bulbs now. I know they make candle CFL bulbs, but I've yet to try them yet. Would love to see this with some energy efficient bulbs in there!
http://takethesidestreet.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-10-light-fixture.html
here is the same fixture with the glass left in.
I have this exact same fixture in my garage that I bought at GW for $8. Now to decide glass in or glass out and black or ORB! And where to put it - entryway or front porch.
Looks great!! I love your blog; it's one of my favorites!
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