Unless you just finished building a new home….chances are pretty high that you have at least one light fixture in your home that isn’t exactly your style. If you live in a home that is at least 10 years old, then those chances go up exponentially. Because tastes in light fixtures, much like paint colors, change over time. The fixtures that were installed back in the 90’s might not be what floats your boat in 2015. And that’s okay, seriously! If you get creative, there are plenty of ways to update your lighting without shopping at Restoration Hardware and calling in an electrician.
I can vouch for this. In the last few weeks, I’ve transformed two different lights for use in my home. Both of them were freebies that had seen better days, and just needed a bit of TLC. That nifty sputnik-style light in my family room? It started out as an Ikea fixture that I got for free from a Craigslist ad. The other lights I’m featuring today have similar backstories. Make sure you click on the links to see the before pictures, because you’ll be shocked at how dowdy these pretty lights used to be. I give you 5 Ways to Makeover a Light.
1. Cover It
There’s a certain style of flush-mount light fixture that was popular 15 or so years ago that is now reffered to as the “boob light”. Ha! Hysterically Ever After updated theirs with the addition of a lovely textured shade.
2. Restyle It
“All I did for this fan was take the glass shades off, attach light cages, and swapped out the regular bulbs for Edison bulbs,” Crazy Wonderful writes, explaining how she restyled an inexpensive ceiling fan to go with her industrial-chic aesthetic.
3. Bling It
Hammer and Heels wanted a fixture that felt more sophisticated and glamorous. Mission accomplished, thanks to some beads, a wire basket planter, and some serious creativity.
4. Switch It
A friend passed along and old glass pendant light to me. I switched out the smoked glass panels for some rustic wood and got this paint stick pendant light for my mudroom.
5. Paint It
Painting this metal chandelier a cheerful shade of yellow was just the jumping off point for this makeover. Matsutake also used doilies to add a pretty scalloped trim around the bulbs.
Is there a specific light fixture in your house that could use a makeover? Did any of the makeovers give you a “lightbulb” moment about how you could give new life to your old lights?
