I recently was in New York helping my best friend from college with an apartment he had just purchased. As he just bought a large mortgage and is gutting the kitchen, he was loathe to spend money on the only somewhat outdated bathroom. The biggest problem was the rusty, dated light fixture which spanned the vanity wall, seen above. Replacing the fixture would also require changing the mirror and quickly become a big project.
After cleaning and lightly sanding the backplate (windex!!), we decided to use rustoleum spray paint in a metallic dark bronze finish. Edison bulbs were ordered online inexpensively for a quick update (found them
HERE). The look is very industrial and of the moment: think restoration hardware.
What do you think of this quick and easy update? We were happy with our improvement!
This is brilliant solution to those dreadful fixtures. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteWow - big difference on a dime! I think it looks great, especially since the original fixture was so ugly! Very creative thinking and well done!
ReplyDeleteEven just replacing all the bulbs would have been a dramatic improvement--little is as depressing as burned-out bulbs. The bronze paint was a stroke of brilliance; regular enamel paint would just have made it look as though you were trying to hide the rust, but the bronze makes the whole set-up look more expensive and luxurious. The old-fashioned bulbs are also a nice touch, especially since they are bright enough to really light up the room.
ReplyDelete--Road to Parnassus
Parnassus, TOO BRIGHT! We had to install a dimmer switch as well -haha.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this! I never would have considered merely changing the bulbs. One small change made a ginormous difference!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I don't think I am going to paint the armoire...it feels like blasphemy! LOL!
xo
Andie
Looks great! I love the Edison bulbs....need to see where I can use them. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Stefan!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. It looks purposeful, not at all like a budget fix. Well done.
ReplyDeleteLooks great! I have the same light fixture and every time I look at it it makes me mad. I'll have to try something like this.
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say, Stefan? You are ... a ... genius!
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I've looked for spray paints at places like Walmart and been disappointed by the lack of color options. Then I discovered that my local art supply store has dozens of colors, matte and glossy.
Mark - Home Depot on the UES of Manhattan had an amazing selection of rustoleum spray paints!
ReplyDeletekerry - paint is nearly free and it's a fun project!
Love it. All my bathrooms have those old fixtures. We are trying to pay off the mortgage before we reno the bathrooms, so this is a nice fix!
ReplyDeleteA great example of how a lighting adjustment can be an inexpensive yet very effective improvement.
ReplyDeleteLove what you've done. Bright idea!
ReplyDeletepve
Genius move. Painting it bronze was so smart - really , w/those bulbs your friend could leave this as is. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteWell it no longer looks like Ms Minelli's dressing room, but other than that it looks great.
ReplyDeleteThomas, that was the point -haha!
ReplyDeleteA fantastic and very clever update to the dreaded apartment bathroom fixture. Good job!
ReplyDeleteawesome...looking bright,great idea.
ReplyDeleteLove the transformation!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!
Grant
grantkgibson.com
I love!!!!!
ReplyDelete