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Edison Bulb Light Fixture Makeover

By No. 29 design on May 21, 2013


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The sun porch has one light fixture at the moment. I was considering replacing the light altogether since it is obviously an original fixture. It is small and does not give off much light. After painting the ceiling fan, I began to think of another (and much cheaper) way to get a new light fixture.
I removed the glass sconce which was barely hanging on to begin with and realized it was holding in a lot of the light. It was frosted glass and had seen better days. I first considered replacing the sconce with a clear one, but it is a strange size and Home Depot had no matches. Then, I had an idea: Edison Style light bulbs are beautiful works of art in themselves.

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via Edison Light Globes

Edison style light bulbs come in all shapes and sizes and with a vintage feel to them. They are reproductions of light bulbs from the late 19th to early 20th century and look great in exposed light fixtures. They give off a very industrial vibe and I happen to love the industrial look. If I painted my fixture the same way I painted the ceiling fan and then used just an Edison bulb, I'd have a rather industrial looking fixture.

Using Behr Premium Plus Ultra Exterior paint I applied two coats to the fixture itself. I ordered a $6.00 Edison bulb and -- presto chango -- I have a new fixture! Considering I was looking at light fixtures in the $50 to $100 range, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out!

I went from this...

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to this...

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to this...


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This will not be my only source of light in this room. It casts a warm, soft light throughout the space that is difficult to catch on camera. I love the look of the light bulb, especially at night. This solution would not be ideal for just any light fixture; if my wall mounted lamp had been an exterior one this would not have been an option.
A simple touch up gives a whole new look to an outdated fixture as well as a new feel to your space.

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