A while back we bought this light for $29 at the Pottery Barn outlet. We originally planned to hang it over the sink “someday when we redid the kitchen,” but after we installed oil-rubbed bronze pendant lights over the peninsula, the silver neck, black cord, and chrome ceiling cap of this mercury glass fixture didn’t feel right. The shade, though, was perfect: the glittering mercury glass echoed the chrome faucet and stainless appliances and hardware, so we started thinking about adapting the fixture to work with the rest of the room.
To test the idea, I had John hold the fixture where it would hang above the sink. The shape was ideal, but the finish clashed. That’s when oil-rubbed bronze spray paint with built-in primer came to the rescue—ORB for short. A few thin, even coats transformed the fixture into a glossy oil-rubbed bronze version that tied in beautifully with the pendants over the peninsula.
I let the paint cure for a full day to be safe, and then we installed it above the sink. The dark finish provides visual balance and helps the different pendant styles feel like part of a cohesive plan. The mercury glass shade still reflects light and adds sparkle, while the darker hardware grounds the look so the fixture reads as substantial and refined rather than too delicate or fussy.
The new pendant acts like a bridge between the oil-rubbed bronze pendants and the stainless, chrome, and silver touches elsewhere in the room. With our newly installed stainless steel dishwasher, the kitchen now has a silver element on each side of the space, which creates a pleasing symmetry we hadn’t intentionally planned when we rearranged the appliances. Small design moments like that feel lucky and satisfying.
If you’re wondering about photos of the installation process: we often work as a two-person team where one person holds a fixture while the other wires it, so it’s tricky to document. That said, there are good light-installation tutorials and videos available online if you want step-by-step visuals.
I particularly love the little hexagonal pattern on the mercury glass shade. The pattern catches and reflects light in a lovely way, and when paired with the oil-rubbed bronze finish it becomes a striking focal point above the sink—sparkly yet grounded. We could have matched the sink pendant exactly to the peninsula pendants with another inexpensive globe, but having a similar-yet-different fixture feels more interesting to me. The scale is slightly smaller, which suits the sink area because it reads as more proportionate to the smaller, cozier space.
Below are a few shots of the light in its “on” state so you can see how it reads at night and how the mercury glass glows against the darker finish.
On another note, we’re excited to be speaking at the Home & Garden show in Portland this week. We’ll be traveling and presenting, so posting might be a bit erratic for a few days. We’ve tried to line up projects to share while we’re gone, and we’ve been fitting in work like installing the dishwasher so we’ll have content to post while traveling. If you’re attending the show, there’s a Meet & Greet in the Smart House Remodel area at 5:30pm on the day of the event, and we’d love to say hello. We’ll also be taking part in a small, invite-only blogging seminar in the afternoon.
Burger is staying home with a house-sitter because we thought the travel might be too stressful for him, but Clara is coming along since John’s parents are joining us and helping out. That feels like a big relief—traveling with a toddler is easier when grandparents are along to lend a hand.
Please forgive any sporadic post timing this week. We’ll do our best to maintain our usual schedule, but there will be moments when we’re in transit or at the show and can’t respond immediately to comments or publish a new post. If a comment doesn’t appear right away, it likely means we haven’t had a chance to review and respond yet.
We’re really looking forward to exploring Portland for a couple of days and checking out local home and design spots; neither of us has been before, so we’ve made a long list of places to see and will share highlights. I’m also a little nervous about public speaking—so keep your fingers crossed for me. We’ve prepped Clara for the flight and tried to plan as much as possible before we head out.
What did you do this weekend? Any spray-painting or lighting updates at your place? We’d love to hear about your projects and tips for finishing fixtures or balancing mixed finishes in a room.