Continuing a recent house-wide trend, Clara is the latest family member to get a ceiling fixture in her room. The new chandelier feels playful enough that Sia could probably break into song about it (“from the chan-de-li-eeeer!”).
If it looks familiar, that’s because a previous version of this chandelier hung in our dining room. It came with the house, and while the finish never quite matched our style, the swirls and flat arms—almost paper-like in their intricacy—always suggested it could work well in a child’s room.
The issue was size. Hanging from an eight-foot ceiling, the chandelier would have dropped roughly 26 inches and sat too close to a six-foot adult’s head. Since we don’t own a shrink ray, I took the fixture down to see if I could shorten it myself.
By loosening one screw at the top I was able to disassemble the nested pieces that create the chandelier’s ornate silhouette. I laid the parts out so I could remember their order, and what remained was a long center post ready for reassembly.
My plan was to reuse most of the decorative components while removing enough of the hanging hardware to reduce the overall drop. The center post presented a challenge: shortening it with a hacksaw would have eliminated the threaded end needed to reconnect everything. Instead, I realized I could skip part of the original hanging loop and thread the center post directly into the ceiling crossbar. That saved several inches and provided a secure, metal-to-metal support so the chandelier wouldn’t be suspended by the electrical wires.
In the pictures you can see which elements I left out; for reference, the original dining room photo shows the removed pieces grayed out. We also avoided replacing the candle sleeves: Sherry discovered we could simply flip them over so the faux wax drips wouldn’t be visible from below, which kept the look cleaner.
Next came painting. We set up a small painting station in the garage with a plastic drop cloth and suspended the fixture from a bungee cord and the original chain. Sherry taped the tops of the bulb sockets to protect them, then applied a coat of Clean Metal Primer to give the surface a consistent base.
While the primer looked great in white, we wanted the chandelier to match the ceiling color—Pink Cadillac—which gives Clara’s room a whimsical, Alice-in-Wonderland feel. When we asked Clara what color she wanted, she shouted “PINK!” without hesitation.
To match the ceiling precisely and avoid drips on the intricate curves, we tried a low-cost Preval Sprayer. The device promises to turn thinned paint into a sprayable mist and cost us under $5. Unfortunately it required a lot of experimentation to find a usable paint-to-water ratio. After several attempts—roughly around one part water to two parts paint—we reached a consistency that would spray, though not perfectly. The sprayer would occasionally sputter or clog, so we had to clear it frequently, but the resulting finish was lighter and mist-like, and ultimately worked well on the chandelier’s detailed surfaces.
The following morning we rehung the fixture. I attached the ceiling crossbar to the junction box and threaded the shortened center post directly into it, leaving about a half-inch protruding above the canopy so it could catch and hold the canopy snug to the ceiling. Wiring required two people—Sherry supported the fixture while I made the electrical connections—so I didn’t get photos of the actual install (my camera remote died at the worst moment).
Now the bulbs sit comfortably several inches below the ceiling, giving them breathing room on all sides and preventing the cramped look common with chandeliers that have shades. We worried the thinned paint might appear lighter than the ceiling, but the finished piece blends nicely and any difference is subtle.
Cost for this refresh was minimal: besides the new 25-watt bulbs, our only expenses were the cheap Preval sprayer and one extra air can—about $9 total. That minor outlay and a little elbow grease transformed an oversized dining-room fixture into a perfect, personalized light for Clara’s room.
It’s great to flip a switch and have a bright, cheerful light in her room. We love repurposing an item that didn’t work for one space into something special for another. Here the chandelier’s six 25-watt bulbs share the room with Clara’s fairy lights, and in the evening the fixture creates a soft, ambient glow that’s cozy for bedtime.
Teddy may be too small to weigh in on his own light, but Clara’s reaction has been priceless: “It’s all swirly like it’s from Belle’s castle!” For now the dining room is without a light, which is a low priority compared with other projects (I’m looking at you, blue trim). Our next task is finding a ceiling fixture for the guest room—especially since we have a guest arriving next week.
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