Chrome Chandelier to Antique Brass

Today’s post is a bedroom DIY project where I’ve painted a chandelier and replaced furniture knobs.

Background

When I first moved out on my own ~15 years ago, I was all about silver finishings and dark wood furniture. Everything had to match. Well, how far I've come because I would say for the last five years or so, I've been more into brass. Specifically, antique brass. Only one little problem…everything I have is silver.

Today, I'm sharing a DIY project where I painted an installed chrome ceiling fixture to give it an antique brass finish. I'll also share a simple furniture knob swap using knobs purchased from Amazon!

The Light Fixture

First up, the light fixture project! I just think this is such a pretty chandelier. I remember it being all over the blogs when I got it back in 2015. It was from Overstock, but it (or at least something seemingly identical) appears available elsewhere at the time of writing, like this Crystal Chrome Chandelier at Home Depot.

Chandelier Before

My current dilemma was that I just didn't want silver anymore, so my options were to a) replace it with a new light fixture or b) refinish it. The thought of refinishing it really scared me because it just felt like such a risk to take, potentially ruining a perfectly good light fixture. On the other hand, I didn't really want to buy a new fixture, and I really really didn't want to pay to have a new one installed.  Obviously, you're here, so I think it's clear which option I chose…

I already said I didn't want to pay to have a new fixture installed, right? So how was I going to paint the existing light fixture without removing it? I knew it couldn't be a spray paint because the chandelier is installed over my bed, which is unfortunate because I think spray paints always give the smoothest finishes. After scouring the internet for different products, I came across Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover Metallic in Oil Rubbed Bronze. I decided it would be the main product I use for this project.

Materials & Supplies:

• Sandpaper

• Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover Metallic in Oil Rubbed Bronze

• Foam brush (similar foam brush)

• AMACO Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Brass

• AMACO Rub ‘n Buff in Ebony

• Small craft paintbrush

• Chandelier clips

• Antique brass knobs

• Painter's tape

• Lint-free rag

Process:

Step 1: Take apart as much of the light fixture as possible.

I removed as many of the chandelier pieces as I could, which included the crystals, their hooks, the three rings, and their chains. I also made sure the light was off and removed the light bulbs.

Step 2: Sand the chandelier.

Next, I lightly sanded all of the chrome chandelier pieces.

Step 3: Tape off the chandelier.

I taped over the sockets, the cords, and the ceiling around the fixture.

Step 4: Paint the chandelier.

Using a foam brush, I painted all the chrome pieces except the clips. The clips were the only pieces that I didn't paint because I couldn't re-use them. I was going to, but most couldn't be bent more than once without breaking. Let the paint dry.

Step 5: Apply Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Brass.

I applied a small amount of Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Brass to a craft paint brush and lightly rubbed it over the painted chandelier. Using a light touch made it so that the Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Brass didn't fully cover the first coat of paint from Step 4. It dries almost immediately, but I did take a lint-free rag and rubbed over everywhere I applied it.

Step 6: Apply Rub ‘n Buff in Ebony.

I applied a very small amount of Rub ‘n Buff in Ebony to a craft paint brush and gently touched the chandelier in various spots. I found the Rub ‘n Buff in Ebony very different to use than the Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Brass. The Rub ‘n Buff in Ebony was much drier and didn't go on as smoothly. Rubbing the Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Brass with a lint-free rag in Step 5 seemed optional to me, but felt required for the Rub ‘n Buff in Ebony.

Step 7: Piece the chandelier back together.

Once all the pieces and parts were dry, I reassembled the chandelier using the new antique brass chandelier clips purchased from Amazon.

And there you have it. I'll admit, I wasn't so sure about the final result, but turns out, I just needed some time to get used to it and now I love it.

Chandelier After

The Furniture Knobs

To help bring the room together, I swapped out my chrome furniture knobs with antique brass knobs from Amazon. When I purchased these knobs, they came out to $5/each while regularly priced.  They were occasionally on sale, but when they were, there was a limit to the number that could be purchased at the sale price.  For that reason, I did purchase most of them at full price.

Old Knob

New Knob

What do you think?

I'm so happy with the result of both the chandelier and the knobs! But what do you think? Let me know in the comments!