French Chandelier Makeover with Chalk Paint

We have been fighting a bad chest cold around here this past week. It hit me pretty hard and I was down for most of the week. By the time Saturday came I was ready to DO something even though I was still not 100%. 

I decided it was the prefect time to try and makeover the chandelier above our kitchen sink. I ordered a new light for the breakfast nook and so instead of spending more money on a new fixture for here I knew I could come up with an update that would work with the new breakfast nook light. I also knew it would be a fairly simple project so just perfect for the situation.

I apologize in advance for not the best photography here. I only used my phone for pics because I was feeling bad.

Here is an up close of what the finish looked liked. This chandelier already had a makeover 5 plus years ago. It use to be nickel.

Back then I had even painted the ceiling medallion to match.

To create the new finish I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Country Gray first. Then I stippled Old White over it. I did not want to cover up all of the Country Gray.

Next up I used a wet sanding block, squeezed out, in medium grit and lightly sanded away sporadically to reveal the oil rubbed bronze underneath. 

Next I needed to update the socket sleeves.

They were basic and I wanted to make them look like they had wax dripping down since the new breakfast nook light fixture had fancy socket sleeves. I just looked at one of the new light fixture sleeves and then replicated the drips with hot glue on to these.

After the hot glue had dried I used Old White to paint the  socket sleeves. I then added some clear wax and then dark wax to age them a tad. I had to be carefully because the chalk paint was not a huge fan of staying on the hot glue but I ended up getting it to work. Please note that I only use the recommended wattage for light bulbs in my chandelier which is 25 watts. If you use any higher you risk chance of fire in the base case on top of having the glue on there. I use this light 80% of the day and have not had any issues with the glue getting hot or melting. If you choose to recreate this in your home keep those things in mind.I am NOT responsible nor am I telling you to do this. I am just letting you know what I did and the results thus far.  

I put all the crystals back on and I stared at the finished product. It looked great but I was not in love with it. It had too much bling and I knew it would not go well with the other new light fixture.

I decided to drastically reduce the number of crystals strands and even placed some in different areas. I then added some vintage lamp parts to the base of each candle. 

After that I used my chalk paint again and painted the droplet crystals with Country Gray first and then old White. It took three layers of the Country Gray to cover the glass.There was no rhyme to how I did it. I just lightly dry brushed the top color on till I achieved the old world look I liked.

The ceiling medallion was achieved the same way. 

This project was a pretty simple one and cost me nothing!

I love how it turned out and I think it will go perfectly with the new breakfast nook light fixture. Oh, and yes, I know there are two different style light bulbs. This was not intentional. With being sick and having sick kiddos I was not able to get out and buy enough of one so I just used what I had!;)

Sharing at the following wonderful blogs:
Savvy Southern Style

Dwellings

Refresh Restyle

Between Naps On The Porch

Coastal Charm

A Stroll Thru Life

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

French Country Cottage