Ceiling Fan Makeover

     Do you have a ceiling fan (or other fixture) in your home that "dates" your house and makes you cringe every time you see it??  Me too.  When you think about replacing it though, do you automatically think of all the other (better) things you could do with that money, especially if it's still in perfectly good working order?  Again, me too.  Updating a ceiling fan by paying $150-200 for a new one just isn't in my budget.  Spending a few bucks on some spray paint, however....

     Yes, you read that right - spray paint!  One of the miracle tools for DIY-ers the world over.  Spray paint has come a long way in recent years; there are formulas for plastic, metal, rusty items, wood, outdoor furniture, and more!  Now, technically the photos in this post are from our old house - but it's a makeover that I'm itching to do to all the fans in this rental home!  (Looks like I may be calling the landlord soon....)

   I did this to 2 identical fans in our house (in our playroom and master bedroom) and redid them identically other than the glass globes.

Before:  (the shiny brass and yellow-ish glass make me shudder)

After: (the one in the master bedroom)

     It's really simple.  The hardest part is getting the fan down & back up (and since my hubby was working out of town when I did these, my sweet brother took care of that part to save me the trouble).  Once the ceiling fan is down, unscrew and take off the fan blades and light globes (and light bulbs).  I also used some masking tape to cover the vent areas around the motor so they didn't get clogged with paint.

     Then, take it outside to paint!  With spray paint, it's generally best to do multiple light coats (to avoid drips).  I used Rust-oleum's metallic spray paint in Oil-Rubbed Bronze.

     For the fan blades, you could paint them too if you wanted - mine didn't really bother me once the metal was the nice dark bronze color though!  Since both fans had outdated yellow antique glass globes, I chose to get replacement ones at Lowe's.  For the bedroom, I stuck with round ones (see the "after" picture above), but in the playroom I splurged in these awesome square ones!  (see the "after" pic in the photo collage below)

     One afternoon of work - and every time I passed by them it brought a smile to my face!  Do you have some easy fixture makeovers that would have a little impact on your budget, but a big impact on your happiness with your home??