TGIF, Friends! We recently had a chandelier installed in our master bathroom. This one is special to me since it was my very first chandelier purchase many, many years ago. Come see how this simple brass chandelier was transformed into a sparkly crystal beauty!
I purchased this chandelier over 20 years ago at an antique store for $15. It was missing several key components such as bobesches and crystals. Also, it was missing a piece on the bottom which covers the wiring. I took it to an electrician and had it rewired. As luck would have it, he had a brass piece that fit perfectly underneath to cover the wiring and gave it to me for free since I was such a good customer. Trust me, I gave him lots of business!
I had this chandelier hanging in my dining room for years until I found one I liked better. You can read about the replacement here: Crystal Chandelier via Consignment Store
The old chandelier ended up in my treasure room until we moved into our new house. I decided to “bling” it up a bit for its new location. See the small arm hooks near the top? Well, I wanted something a bit more substantial so I decided to look for larger and more ornate arms. I was able to find a set of 8 brass arms for around $40 on eBay.
This type of chandelier is easy to revamp with a screwdriver. The arms are attached with a single flat head screw.
Here is a side by side comparison of the two different size pieces. The original is on the left and the new one on the right. Naturally, what I like about the larger one is it holds two crystals versus one. Always a plus!
Then, after the new arms are attached. Already the fixture has more dimension and scale.
This is how the fixture looked right after the electrician hung the chandelier in our bathroom. You can see the chandelier is missing the bobesches but I was able to find crystal ones on eBay.
This is after I added the crystal bobesches. You can find them on eBay or Amazon for around $3 to $5 each and you can also buy them as a set.
Eighty eight crystals and several lengths of chain later, and here it is in all of its crystal glory!
Each of the glass crystal bobesches holds five crystals each, giving the chandelier extra sparkle and beauty.
I honestly can’t tell you how much I paid for the crystals. Most of the ones I used for this fixture are pretty large and I robbed another chandelier of its crystals to use on this one. As I’ve confessed before, whenever I find vintage crystals for sale at a good price, I snatch them up. It’s nice to have extras in my stash! One never know when another chandelier will pop up.
I used 25 watt bulbs because I had them on hand. Once I put the chandelier on a dimmer switch, I may increase the wattage.
And the view from underneath…
So my little $15 chandelier is one of my favorite purchases ever! This beauty lead to my life long love of crystal chandeliers. Since then, the women in my family have developed a love of crystal chandeliers as well! They all have at least 3 or more. And another before and after the crystals…
Speaking of chandeliers, check out the one I’m redoing for my sister! Here is the before:
And a sneak peek of the chandelier after a coat of black paint. Next comes the gold leaf! Then crystals! Hopefully next week I can share the completed chandelier!
Thank you for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! xoxo Dell
