Reinvent It: Salvage a Birdcage for an Eclectic Chandelier
Turn a dusty antique into an enviably artistic light fixture that looks more expensive than it is
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
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When Houzz user Dianne Rogers came across a dusty, cobweb-covered antique birdcage in Wilmington, North Carolina, she envisioned a fabulous chandelier. "It was authentic, old, iron and large — about 32 inches high, and it caught my imagination," she says. The new fixture is right at home in her "Carolina room," a comfortable covered porch with a vaulted ceiling and a fireplace. "It's a great example of a very simple DIY project with a big-impact result," she says. For less than $300, she now has a unique chandelier that looks like a million bucks. Here's how she did it.
Project: Birdcage chandelier
Cost: $150 for the vintage birdcage, $100 for the light fixture and less than $50 for paint, sandpaper and other supplies
Time: About 4 hours plus paint-drying time
Project: Birdcage chandelier
Cost: $150 for the vintage birdcage, $100 for the light fixture and less than $50 for paint, sandpaper and other supplies
Time: About 4 hours plus paint-drying time
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The birdcage was $150 and required a little elbow grease to give it a polished look. "Because the birdcage was old and made of iron, it had some rust spots," Rogers says. "We scrubbed it clean, sanded off the rust and then sprayed it with a few coats of matte black enamel Rust-Oleum."
by Pottery Barn
»
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Rogers found a chandelier small enough to fit inside the birdcage at Pottery Barn. The one shown is very similar to the one that Rogers used. "I bought the chandelier because it was rated for outdoor space," she says. (This particular chandelier is UL-rated for covered outdoor spaces.) Hers was red, and she painted it cream to match the trim of the room.
For painting, she taped up the electrical parts of the lights (where you screw in the lightbulbs) and used a cream-colored Rust-Oleum matte enamel. "Once it was dry I touched it up with a brush dipped in the actual color of the trim, which was very close to the color of the spray paint," she says.
For painting, she taped up the electrical parts of the lights (where you screw in the lightbulbs) and used a cream-colored Rust-Oleum matte enamel. "Once it was dry I touched it up with a brush dipped in the actual color of the trim, which was very close to the color of the spray paint," she says.
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"Once I had the chandelier, we had a hole drilled in the top of the cage and ran the lighting wires through it to a box in the ceiling," she says.
Because the birdcage is heavy, Rogers used a heavy-duty chain to hang it, which she painted black to match. It took Rogers' contractor and electrician about an hour to install and hang the chandelier. "It's on a dimmer switch, and we love it!" she says.
Tip: If you're working on your own unique chandelier shade or retrofit, choose a fixture that is dimmable so that you can adjust the mood lighting.
Because the birdcage is heavy, Rogers used a heavy-duty chain to hang it, which she painted black to match. It took Rogers' contractor and electrician about an hour to install and hang the chandelier. "It's on a dimmer switch, and we love it!" she says.
Tip: If you're working on your own unique chandelier shade or retrofit, choose a fixture that is dimmable so that you can adjust the mood lighting.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The new fixture fits the scale of the high vaulted ceiling and large trusses. "Our home has been recently renovated in a modern style, but I gave in to this more traditional fixture because it was perfect for the outside Carolina room," she says.
Houzzers, what kind of salvage projects have you been working on? Please share them in the Comments section; we'll be featuring one every week.
Houzzers, what kind of salvage projects have you been working on? Please share them in the Comments section; we'll be featuring one every week.
Ideabook published on Feb. 16, 2013.
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http://www.vintagerenewal.com/product/upcycled-hanging-light-birdcage?tid=63
When we got home, we were taking our furniture out of attic when I came across my daughter's old white parakeet cage and a light bulb went on. Grabbed some black paint and now it looks very similar to the antique ones. I was just thrilled to paint my cage!
Your light/cage is a clever idea.
Just saw the chandelier in the garage - my next project!
Project:
Drum Pendant Lighting fixture with more than one bulb. Contemporary in style. No visible wiring or chain.
Briefly, beginning with:
x 3 Second-hand Ceiling Fixtures obtained from a Thrift Store @ $4.00 each (Jackpot!)
that provides me with required parts , being
x 1 piece for a thin customized washer to support the Lampshade once in place
x 1 7" Pendant Shaft that would accommodate the depth of the Lampshade to be used
x 1 11" Pendant Shaft with a swivel end that will assist the fixture to hang straight
x 1 5 Light Chandelier Base, already wired and tested
Additional supplies --
x 1 16" diameter Drum Shade with Spider Ring (32" total circumference) x 10" deep
x 1 Electrical Drill with a special Bit. Photo included.
x 1 pkg. of Couplings (Female)
x 1 Ceiling Canopy Kit (Not shown)
x 1 Sheet of Fluorescent Lighting diffuser .. optional. For sizing use your lampshade as a pattern, cutting it within the lines as it will sit inside and rest on the lower ridge of the Shade.
x 5 Round Decorative Lightbulbs
x 1 Can of spray paint Primer
x 1 Can of Spray Paint
....and that is basically it. ☺
Overview and Tips:
When shopping, take a tape measure with you as fixtures and their parts come in many sizes. For example, with the collection of parts that I now have. Pendants Shafts range from 6" to 14" in length (but all the same diameter) and Chandelier Bases are very different in design.
The lighting fixtures themselves are extremely easy to disassemble and in the majority of cases, parts are interchangeable. I suggest during the process take a few pictures so you will remember what parts belong where.
The most time consuming part of this project was enlarging the hole in the spider ring of the Lampshade so it would fit over the ridge of the Shaft. (See photo, red arrows.) I enlarged the photo of the required Screwdriver Bit that I used as I don't know its proper name, but you will see that it is cone- shaped and is notched in increments to allow more control over sizing. I suppose the original hole of the lampshade could just have been cut out and a wired-on ring of some type could have been applied but I didn't want it to look like a patch-job. Also, I created a thin Washer to stablize the Lampshade in its positon on the Shaft which I probably didn't have to do. In other words, you could omit these two steps and improvise if you wish to.
The diameter of Chandelier Base will usually determine the diameter of your Lampshade. The size used for the 'original fixture' is a good guideline.
What will determine the look you want; is the length of Pendant Shaft(s) used and how far they drop, the type and design of Chandelier Base plus the dimensions and style of your Lampshade. I choose a Chandelier Base that was somewhat plain in design on the bottom, had the desired amount of bulbs I wanted and would not hang below the Lampshade once it was in place.
For those reluctant to purchase second-hand fixtures, I recommend that you only deal with reputable retailers (in Canada they must be thoroughly tested before they can be sold at Thrift Stores and the like) or have the Chandelier Base re-wired by a professional.
Sorry, no photo of completion as I am waiting for some warmer weather so I can prime and paint it before it is hung up but simply the Lampshade will be positioned, the two Shafts joined together with one attached to the Chandelier Base and the wires will be run up through them into the Ceiling Canopy. Hopefully the included information and photo collage attached is self-explantory and will assist you in creating a one-of-a-kind. HAPPY SALVAGING!
http://retech.org