I have a confession to make. I lied to you.
In my defense, it was only a lie of omission. And my heart was in the right place. Do you remember a few months ago when I posted Mila’s nursery reveal? And it looked like this?
You might’ve wondered to yourself, “Self, why is Kelly only posting pics of the room from a low angle? Is this some kind of new-fangled artsy photography trick? Why can’t we see the ceiling in any of these photos?”
The answer? Because this was happening:
That is some completely offensive ceiling fan action. Now, I live in the south. I “get” the need for ceiling fans. But this one was an obnoxiously dark eyesore and we never used it anyway. Time for an upgrade!
I took this little chandelier which I picked up at the Ballard’s Outlet for $20-something…
And turned it into this.
…for only $2 plus the cost of a can of spray paint.
First, I strung that bad boy up to a tree outside to take a “before” pic and spray paint it… at which point I became the victim of a serial photobomber.
My husband is 30, guys. Thirty years old. Is thirty-one the magic age when husbands finally grow up?
When the photobombing insanity ended, I pulled out a can of spray paint and got this:
I liked how it looked with the new color, but I wanted it to be a little more blingy for my high-stylin’ baby girl.
I don’t know: maybe you can. Maybe you can.
One Saturday when we were yard saling, I found these bead things:
I think it’s supposed to be a beaded curtain of some kind? Not sure. But I thought I could rework some of the turquoise beads for the chandelier, and it was only $2 for the whole bag. I took the existing chain off the chandelier:
And tied the beads on to the existing hooks.
Then I decided I wanted some beads on the bottom too. So I unscrewed the ball thing on the bottom. I cut four strands of beads, removing one from the center, and laid the center opening over the part of the chandelier where the ball screwed in, and reattached the ball back over the string.
Then I just hot-glued the other end of the beads to the chandelier. And I was all done!
…Except for installation. I hired my photobomber to remove the old fan and install the new chandelier.
And ta-da!
I totally dig the way the light shines through those iridescent beads.
Mila’s a fan too. She gives it two chubby sweet baby thumbs up.
Do you forgive my lie of omission? Or were you kind of impressed by my artsy ceiling-fan-omitting photography skills? At what age do husbands grow up? Have you ever made over a chandelier?
Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
My husband is 32…still waiting 🙂
*Sigggghhhhh* 🙂 My dad is 55. It’s not looking good.
That looks adorable!!! So creative.
My husband turns 31 in a couple weeks… I’m not holding my breath… (maybe working daily with high school kids contributes to their issue?? :))
P.S. I’m still so in love with those colors in Mila’s nursery. I’m totally going to steal them for a room in the basement (if we ever get it finished)
WOW! it is gorgeous, kelly! and we have fans in our rooms and sadly they must stay- we use them too much! mine is on right now….
and how cute is mila! i love her! and i think today my outfit will be inspired by her.
I recommend adding a top to the outfit though. Unless you’re just hanging around your house, in which case — rock it. Totally rock it.
Kelly, I just love this room so very much. The new chandy is the cherry on top! Love the color and the beads! Mila is a lucky little girl (and such a beauty – her topless/tutu photo is the best!!)
What a great transformation, the chandy is uber cute now! My photobomb attacks usually involve dogs or kids, never a hubby. Interesting. 😉
Once again….AMAZING. I can’t believe how cute it turned out!! I wouldn’t have thought about doing that with the beads. Also, you are funny. The end.
Gorge chandy! Gosh, I love that room. The pale pink wall, the statement drapes, the wall art. But, tell me when that tiny little mushy newborn got so strong and independent?! It seems like yesterday she was born. Time is a funny thing.
Gosh I know. What is the DEAL?!
Love it. The room feels compete now.
Love the new chandy. Much better! I hate that we need our ceiling fans, I much prefer a chandelier – in just about any room! Love the blue color.
HAHAHA!!! I feel like I would really like Andy if ever we were to meet. And the chandelier looks awesome! Perfect in that space and definitely better than the ceiling fan. And now you don’t have to limit your photography!!
OMG, that is adorable and you are so creative! I pinned this:)
Totally. Beyond Belief. Hopefully never. Many times!
Happy Monday!
I love it! I just painted a chandelier in my daughter’s room and guess what colour it is??? Turquoise also. I am trying to come up with a great idea for beads but have struck out so far. Beautiful job Kelly.
That looks great. I love the color. I just picked up that color spraypaint too.
Hahaha! You’re husband is a lot like mine! I don’t think they’ll ever grow up 🙂
And I love the chandy! It’s super cute!
How fun is that??? So cute.
I’m gonna let you in on a little secret… I stayed in that room for 2 nights and didn’t notice that there was a ceiling fan. In my defence, I was dead tired when I hit the mattress each night, but still.
I appreciate your selective vision. You can stay here anytime. 🙂
It’s beautiful!
Now as far as when men grow up….asked my mom, when my dad was 72 and my spouse 54, when exactly was it that they grew up. She looked at my dad, sighed and said she’d let me know when she found out….At which point the 2 boys dashed outside to fire off a home made cannon in the back pasture.
Bad news… my hubs is 54 and is a bigger kid than my teenagers. 🙂 Just get used to being the grown-up in the relationship! ha!
I ADORE this chandy!! You’ve got some mad DIY skills, K!
And Mila rocks that topless look even better than Kate Middleton…lol!
xo Heidi
The chandelier is stunning. I am in love with the color!! It looks so great against the white ceiling. I hate ceiling fans, but there is no getting away from them in the south. I would die without the one in my bedroom.
Good luck on the hubs maturing. My dad is 72 and still acts 12 most days.
love the new chandelier and ADORE the curtains, Kelly!
Love! So pretty. I forgive your lie of omission.
I think sometimes these guys just feel insecure in their blog husbandry. Like oooh honey take a picture of ME now. Please? You already have 85,924 pictures of our house.
I’m sure that was Andy’s intent. 😉
That’s too adorable! I have yet to find a chandelier that warrants a make over. Maybe I’m looking in the wrong places! Your husband is great. If he makes us laugh, I’m sure he’s making you laugh even more!
He totally makes me laugh, and roll my eyes. Lots of eye rolling. 🙂
LIAR!!! But I’ll go and tell you that I can totally pull of the topless tutu look and we’ll be even. 🙂
Love the new chandy!
So cute! I live in Austin, and I just couldn’t get rid of any of my fans. Well, I’m going to get rid of this really weird mini fan that’s in my kitchen. SO weird and ugly.
Love this! Pinned! Oh, and husbands never grow up. Ever.
Adorable…as usual! I can’t manage to get rid of my ceiling fans because I love the feel of them, but I hate the look! Our master has 3 of them…yes 3. I’m dying to fet rid of even 1!!!
It looks so good!! And I for one am glad I am not the only person who may not be 100% done but *MUST* get the reveal out because you are just so darn excited with how good it looks!
Great makeover and such a big improvement in the room. Spray paint can make a huge difference – here’s my chandelier makeover from last year:
http://goofymonkeys.blogspot.com/2011/11/blue-chandelier.html
I totally forgive the omission – aren’t we all taking a great shot of a room with a huge mess behind us?
As for husbands….when mine grows up, I’ll let you know!
Loving the tutu look for Miss Mila, she’s totally pulling it off. Pretty sure I couldn’t though if I could add a Flashdance-eque off the shoulder sweatshirt, I’d be dancing with the best of them!
Pinned that chandy, too cute for words.
Jessica
Hmmm…a sneaky omission to deflect attention from the REAL omission – that of the finished laundry room we have yet to see. (Sneaky, crafty girl.) Love that lighting, can’t believe Mila is growing like a weed (albiet a gorgeous, flowery, non-nuisance-y one), and I’ve completely given up hope that my hubs will ever grow up. (On a serious note, you and yours are still in my prayers. Don’t forget to take care of you.)
Kelly, thanks for dropping by and leaving your sweet comment. Also, I just wanted to tell you that I’m thinking about you over the loss of your brother. I lost my sister last November so I totally understand the un-imaginable “tipping point” that losing someone close to you causes in your life. Although I refused to believe it at first whenever someone told me that every day it gets easier, I do believe now that it is true. Not necessarily easier but less “raw”.
I would recommend a book for you or anyone in your family –
It’s called “I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye” by Brook Noel and Pamela D. Blair. I still pick it up and read it when those raw edges start fraying once again.
I won’t say “hang in there” because I HATE that comment. This next year will be a year “of firsts” for you and your family. First Thanksgiving with him; first Christmas without him, first birthday…etc. Eventually you will stop counting those firsts and can hopefully get to a point of remembering all the “lasts” with love and thankfulness.
Sorry to leave such a personal comment but I’ve just been thinking an awful lot about you. You can read my story about my sister on my blog. It’s pretty much dedicated to her.
Jaye
Love the chandelier! And I can see why you originally omitted it in the photos. Apologies accepted!
Not sure if husbands ever grow up! But on the other hand, neither do wives.
I think not all husband and wives ever grow up. However, there are some days that you can say they never grow even my mom and dad when I was a kid they have argument like a child when they do some DIY projects. Thanks for sharing….:)
Love it! It turned out so cute and the beads really make it special! What a lucky little lady 🙂
I’m tots diggin’ it! Just the right amount of bling, yo. One string more and it would have crossed the line…
You’ve a good eye, girl!
I can’t believe how much you spend on this whole project. Amazing! Looks high end! I love the color you chose. Pretty!!!
Kelly,
That is amazing. Seriously. I love the blue with the bling….perfect combination. What a great addition to the nursery!
Have a blessed and wonderful day.
karianne
I so love this room and all is forgiven for the fugly fan!! You are also a genius with the addition of the strings of beads – it looks absolutely fabulous in the room 🙂
Also, the answer unfortunately is that men remain children all their lives. They only stop playing with toys (in public) due to social mores. My other half actually told me that if you put a woman into a room with Barbies, she’ll probably be bored after 20 minutes. Put a man in a room with a bunch of toy cars and he could happily entertain himself for hours. FYI, he’s 39.
PS. I did have to laugh at the pics – your hubby is a riot!! And your daughter is just so stinkin cute.
PPS I am rocking the naked tutu look RIGHT NOW. Pinky swear.
Playing serious catch up today — so glad I didn’t miss this, not least because of that ridiculously cute picture of Mila. Hello tutu! She is getting so big. But I also LOVE the new light. A steal! And your touches are perfect. Just the right amount of glam for my taste. It’s pretty and still sophisticated, not all bedazzled glam like lots of nursery chandeliers I’ve come across. I think yours may be my favorite nursery chandy yet. It is — I’m just gonna say it — it’s my favorite 🙂
what an amazingly perfect room and chandelier! I love your style. I am so glad that you are back… I just read your post about your brother…. I am so sad for you, but I am so happy that you got to be with your family and remember. My heart still hurts for you.
xox
Jaime
Wow, it turned out so pretty!
Kelly, this chandelier turned out lovely! Your husband sounds & looks like a card…and your daughter is so adorable! (btw…my hubby is 57 and still hasn’t grown up! lol)
Thanks for dropping by and your sweet comment.
Debbie 🙂
This is the best project ever! I so adore how it turned out. Oh, and your husband is crazy! LOL!
Thanks so much for sharing at our spray paint link party!
🙂
Linda
Wonderful room and I like the way the chandelier totally changed the space.
Love the transformation of the chandelier and your daughter is absolutely adorable!
I would DIE for a Ballard Outlet near me, *sigh*. In addition to that, I have been {lusting} over that chandelier for just forever. The made over version looks fabulous in your daughter’s room though so I extend my congratulations on a project well done!
Yep…mine is 43 and still not there. Good luck with that 😉 I’m completely not sure what to say about the topless tutu look! Maybe I should try it before I answer. Okay, maybe not! I love your chandy makeover! And your creativity in using those plastic beads to bling it up. So pretty and fun!
But then I found this one. And now I can’t decide. You are ridiculous in the bestest of ways. I love it.
My husband is 75, I’m still waiting. Actually if they ever grow up, they get old; keep that in mind.
So so cute!!! Nailed it!
Also, Jordan rocks the topless tutu most days. Hard. Photo bomber should consider Milas outfit for the next project 😉
LOL My hubby is 50 and still acts like a kid. That’s what makes life fun and not boring.
Great tip! I really think this looks amazing. Thanks for sharing!