I love unique light fixtures, but most of them are ridiculously expensive! We bought a few new light fixtures for our home, but when it came to the ceiling fans I wanted to try to update them myself. All it took was some paint and changing out the lightbulbs! This is a super easy tutorial that can make a big impact when trying to update a home on a budget.
Living Room Before:
This is the fan that was in the living room when we moved in. I could've updated this fan and it would've looked fine, but I decided to swap it out for an extra fan that we had because I wanted all of the bulbs to point downward rather than to the side. Other than that, the fans were very similar.
I started by putting painter's tape on the exposed wiring and sockets, and spray painting the fan with an oil-rubbed bronze color.
I waited for it to dry and then applied another coat or two.
Once it was dry, I flipped it over and repeated on the other side.
The last step was to switch out the lightbulbs for Edison bulbs which really gives it an industrial feel. They don't give off quite as much light as some other bulbs, but since they're exposed and not covered by the glass bowl I don't notice much of a difference.
Oh wait, I forgot the last step is actually to hold the fan above your head for an hour while your significant other tries to figure out the wiring. Then as the fan starts to feel heavier and your arms are shaking like limp noodles, rest the ceiling fan on the top of your head while you contemplate why you ever started this project in the first place, if you will ever have a living room light again, and if you'll need couple's therapy following the installation. OR, you could leave it to the professionals.
Just a suggestion😁
Living Room After:
Bedroom Before:
I forgot to take a picture until I'd already taken the bowl off. I get ahead of myself sometimes. Speaking of getting ahead of myself...Can you see where I painted the entire room except behind the headboard when Dane was out of town? Didn't think that one through.🙈
It's hard to tell from the picture, but the fan was originally brown with gold brushed on the base.
Bedroom After:
I didn't get any pictures of the progress, but I did this one a little bit differently from the first. I didn't want to deal with the hassle of taking the fan down, so I taped off the ceiling around the fan and painted it by hand. (I covered the bed with a tarp first to catch drips). I used a black glossy paint for this one. It was a bit harder to find Edison bulbs for this fan because the bulbs needed to be much smaller, but I ended up finding some at Lowe's.
Whether you spray paint or use a brush, it's a pretty easy project! (Minus the wiring debacle-haha) I'd say if your fan isn't installed yet then spray painting is the easier, faster route. If you decide to paint it by hand then expect to see some brush strokes. We almost always have our fans on so we never notice any imperfections!
I hope this gives you some inspiration for updating your own ceiling fans!
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