Saturday, April 20, 2013

PAINTING A BEAUTIFUL CHANDELIER FROM SHINY BRASS TO A DARKER METALLIC FINISH

Lorraine's brass chandelier was really beautiful with tons of crystals, very, very sparkly.  It had been in her dining room for several years and she was tired of the shiny brass.  So, she took allll of the crystals off and brought it to my studio and asked me to paint away the shiny brass.


This is a photo of the new finish I used to cover up the brass.  In my studio, she picked out the shades of metallic paint she wanted me to use and asked me to top it off with a reddish metallic coppery color, as a bit of contrast to the other metallic golds and bronzes.


For every single crystal on this chandelier, there were two or three teeny tiny brass pieces like the wires, etc.  Thank goodness!! she kept those and worked on those while I was painting the chandelier.  But, there were a few crystal pieces that were permanently a part of the chandelier and I had to very carefully paint several layers around those.  It wasn't easy!!


You can't see the finish I did, but this is the way it looked when she picked it up to take it home.  Those smaller scrollie parts were very delicate and not easy to paint, but I finally finished all of the layers.
After she put it back together, I got to go look and take these photos.  It really does look beautiful in her dining room.  And, the bit of darker contrast that I painted gave the base more contrast to the crystals.  
She's very happy with it, now.
The great thing about paint is, if she ever wanted it to be shiny brassy looking again, I could do that!

8 comments:

  1. Redoing this chandelier must have been a massive undertaking. I like the softer look of aged metal too. I bet your client is thrilled.

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  2. Yes, she's very happy with it. She did a lot of work, too, painting all of those tiny pieces.

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  3. Dear Lynda,
    I have the same chandelier. The antiqued finish you created is beautiful! What paint did you use?
    I admire all of your beautiful pieces- thank you for sharing the photos.
    Suzanne

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    1. Hi,
      I used those small bottles of metallic craft paints. I find them very durable and there are lots of color choices. The only prep I did was try to dust the areas that I would be painting. I used a rag and water because I was afraid a chemical might have damaged the original finish. I used long brush strokes for some areas and dot, dot, dot for some areas with a tiny brush. With the colors my client chose I was trying to show contrast between the colors. (If you don't like how it looks, brush a new color over it.) Also, she didn't like the high sheen of the brass, so I did not seal it with anything. Once the metallic paints have "cured" and dried to a hard finish, they should be ok for a long time. I would save your left over paint for touch ups if you ever need them.
      Hope that helps and thank you for your very nice comments.
      Lynda

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    2. Dear Lynda,

      Thank you!! I ended up using the small bottles of metallic paint as you suggested. It looks beautiful. I prepped with isopropanol (alcohol wipes) to remove dust and any oils and the surface dries instantly. This was as you pointed out a very intensive project!! It looks so much better than the original contemporary shiny gold brass. I'll send pics once I hang the chandelier (room is being painted right now).

      You are an inspiration to me and others. Thank you for your advice.
      Best,
      Suzanne

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    3. Thank you! I would love to see your new chandelier. Good thing about paint, if you decide some day that you want it to be shiny gold brass again you can do that, too. Thank you for the very nice remarks. Lynda

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  4. Hi Lynda-- finally!! My chandelier is hanging. (I decided to wait for renovations to be completed). Even though this was a super-challenging project, I love how it turned out!

    The new color is an antiqued gold with some copper hues in the paint. I made the candles a shade darker with a thin layer of wipe on gel stain. Like you, I love the contrast of the darker color with the crystals. Sharing some photos here and thank you again for the inspiration!

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    1. Hi, Your chandelier is beautiful and looks so pretty in your new bedroom. I love the brown and white?/beige? and your windows. It is a lot of work, but so worth it when your project is completed.

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