SewLibra:
Sometime in May the ballast went out in the old fluorescent box in the master bath. We decided to have it taken down and put in a more modern light. I detest fluorescent lighting. It makes people look sick. This was the last one in the house to go!
SewLibra:
I ordered this light but I sanded, primed and painted it to match the fixtures. It's very difficult to find gold or brass that is a contemporary style and it would have been too expensive to change out all the faucets, trim and towel racks to chrome.
SewLibra:
I couldn't find any fixtures in simple lines in gold at the huge lighting store, Ferguson's, or online. I ended up ordering "Winter Gold", which I thought would blend in. Wrong!
SewLibra:
It had the absolute ugliest finish I've ever seen! It looked mostly silver with gold streaks and black dots. The finish felt sticky to the touch as well.
SewLibra:
Not only was it ugly and sticky, there was a splotch in the middle of the back piece. I was able to sand that off.
SewLibra:
I decided to take matters into my own hands and paint the darn thing, hoping for the best outcome. I chose a white primer and shiny gold spray paint, both from Rust-Oleum.
SewLibra:
The first thing I did was sand the paint off all the surfaces. I started with a 220 grit sandpaper and finished with a P320 until the paint was gone and it was all smooth. Then I wiped it all down to get rid of any dust.
SewLibra:
I set up a tarp over the rock area of our backyard and sprayed several coats of primer. I waited 30 minutes or so after each session before turning the fixture to get all the nooks and crannies. It was a warm day, so that helped.
SewLibra:
I waited a couple of days for the primer to cure, and did the same thing with the gold paint. This paint took longer to dry, so I spread it out over 3 days to get even coverage. I was disappointed that it wasn't nearly as shiny as the lid on the can.
SewLibra:
I was happy with the outcome here, and figured all I had to do was let the paint cure and schedule the electrician.
SewLibra:
When the electrician came to take down the fluorescent box and install the electrical box for the light, he told me the edges will not be in the wall like I thought. Ack! I had to get everything out again, tape again, and paint those edges.
SewLibra:
This was quite the set-up for patching the drywall above the mirror in preparation for the new lighting in the master bathroom. As long as the drywall guy was here, he did both areas. That texturing machine is LOUD!
SewLibra:
I set up pretty much the same way as the drywall guy did. I'm usually not a sloppy painter, but this was overhead and I could barely reach to the ceiling. I was on the top of the step stool on my tippy toes.
SewLibra:
Finally with the drywall, texturing and paint done, the electrician came and installed the light. In person the gold is lighter than the pic shows, and looks great with the rest of the fixtures in the bathroom. After 2 months we finally have light!
SewLibra:
I used four 40W soft white LED bulbs that will last for years and not create heat. It's a nice warm natural light and doesn't cast any shadows on the mirror. With the light box gone, it really opened up the room.
SewLibra:
Here's a pic with the light off. I opted to have the light installed with the shades pointing down instead of up because I don't want dust accumulating in them. Also it's easier to change the bulbs.
SewLibra:
Another view. Four 40W bulbs are almost too much light...then again we have had to use the little light over the tub and toilet room light for 2 months, so we're not used to it. Ha!
SewLibra:
This view shows the gold paint the best. All and all this was less expensive than changing out all the other plumbing and hardware, and we're pleased with the end result.