So John went for a run, and I painted something behind his back. Let me explain. We usually have a “full agreement” agreement when it comes to decor (which means we can’t buy or change a thing unless we’re both totally on board, which keeps us from holding something against another person for years like a recliner that you hate but the hubs just had to have, etc). But I tend to bend the rules when it comes to things that can be undone if John doesn’t like them. I figure in that case, since it’s 100% reversible, and I’d be the one spending the time reversing it if John didn’t agree with my choice, that I don’t have much to lose except for the time it takes to do and undo something. Which is nothing compared to the high I get from doing it while he’s gone. Haha. And the last time I did something without asking first (which admittedly wouldn’t have been the easiest thing to undo, but since our other two bathrooms were backsplashless I was confident he’d be on board) it worked out swimmingly as Mr Petersik kissed my cheek and told me I was a home improvement goddess. Ok so I made up that last part. He probably smirked and agreed that what I did “wasn’t bad” and only admitted he loved it hours later after getting used to the idea that I took a crowbar to the walls again. But anyway, back to what I painted.
I had grabbed a little jar of Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic paint in Cobalt Turquoise at Michael’s after mumbling something about wanting to get back to painting (I had a 50% coupon so it came to $7 and some change).
Didn’t seem to catch John’s interest at the time. But then again, he didn’t know that I had plans to paint a light fixture of ours. Yes, while sitting on The American Dream (aka: Karl, our new much-loved sectional) the other night, my eyes kept wandering away from the “Real” Housewives of Beverly Hills and over to the brass and glass pendant light over the table in the corner of the room.
Granted, the lighting situation in the living room is extremely awkward (that’s the only light fixture in the entire room and it’s essentially in the corner). So we’ll definitely be bringing in some additional light sources as the space evolves, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to “tweak” the pendant we already have. Just for fun. Especially for cheap. So when John ducked out for a run while Clara was down for her morning nap, I slinked off to get my little jar of Cobalt Turquoise acrylic paint. And I squirted a little dab of it onto a plate and watered it down a bit thanks to a nearby cup of water.
Then I just turned off the light switch, removed the big round light bulb (so I could get to the entire inside of the glass shade with my sponge brush) and brushed on some of the watered down turquoise acrylic paint all over the inside of the shade. I used vertical stripes of slightly watered down paint, going with the vertical veins in the light, which left me with a nice even application.
Surprisingly, it began to look like a turquoise glass shade with a nice soft effect – since I painted the inside of the shade instead of the outside, which would probably have looked a lot harsher and less convincing. See how diffused and subtle it started to look from the outside of the shade?
And once it was all painted (before John stumbled in all sweaty and surprised) I was left with this:
It’s not perfect, but I think that’s part of the charm. And it’s 100% removable, which is nice too (scrubbing it down with a sponge is all it would take to undo it if the mood strikes). So it’s renter friendly.
Admittedly this could have been a disaster. Well, not a permanent one since I knew it was easy enough to undo, but going into it I didn’t really know if the paint would bead up and drip down the glass shade (it probably would have if I watered it down too much) or if it would look streaky, heavy, and completely unconvincing (it probably would have if I hadn’t watered it down at all). Happily, it stayed right in place and dried nice and evenly, for a surprisingly believable colored glass effect. It’s a little varied looking, but it’s kind of a soft vintage effect. Honestly, when the light’s on even an Expert Light Studier (that’s a job right?) would have a hard time knowing that the color was painted on. It looks just like an old turquoise glass shade.
Oh and I gave it a few hours of drying time before putting the bulb back in and turning it on, just so the thin layer of slightly watered down paint had time to “cure.” I had vague worries of the paint somehow heating up and melting/dripping all over the place when the light was on, but it was on for about ten hours straight yesterday (I decided to “test it” before I blogged about it for obvious reasons) and no dripping or streaking has occurred at all.
Looks like it’s there for the long haul. And by long haul I mean until we replace that fixture and rectify the lighting scenario in that room as a whole. And guess what? Hubs likes it! Especially when the light’s on and it’s all soft and sweet, like a glowing turquoise beacon of love. Ok, that’s going too far, but he really does like it.
I did briefly wonder if it posed any kind of heat hazard, but I figure since paper lampshades are a common item, and they don’t actually catch fire, dried paint on a pendant that doesn’t actually touch the bulb shouldn’t be an issue. Oh and one tip to anyone crazy enough to follow suit would be to move any furniture that’s under your pendant (or toss down a drop cloth or painting sheet) because I did notice tiny turquoise splatters all over the table (which thankfully was painted and poly’d, so they wiped right off).
Now all I have to do is tackle that dated brass chain for a full light makeover (some oil-rubbed bronze spray paint might look nice once we add some oil-rubbed brozne curtain rods above the window and the sliders with some bright punchy curtains). Sure we might swap it out later, but I’m already enjoying the view a lot more in the meantime. Plus I just get a rise out of keeping John on his toes. Next time he goes for a run who knows what I’ll do. Haha. Anyone else have any while-the-hubs-was-out adventures to share? Come on, I can’t be the only one.
Kim says
That light would look awesome with the brass painted black. It would look great with the trim that you have on the wall… We painted our brass fireplace with black high heat paint and it totally transformed the room!
Ruth says
I love it. I’ve been doing temporary makeovers on fixtures around my house and this is a great idea. It’s so simple and so pretty!
My husband knows that there will be some changes when I call or text him that “I have a scathingly brilliant idea,” which is really a warning that I’m itching to do a project and I will probably be in the midst of it when he gets home.
Lynn says
My husband and baby will be gone this weekend, so we’re going to paint the baby’s room. Now, my husband knows about it, but he has given up total control (which he usually does anyway). Actually, he probably is so happy he doesn’t have to paint that he could care less what it looks like, as long as we don’t paint it pink.
Olivia says
Last fall my husband went on a camping trip only to return and find that I had painted the kithen cabinets black in his absence! I might feel slightly bad about that one exept for the fact that it took him nearly two full days to even notice. He’s not so into the home decor thing … lol.
Connie says
In my house, we call it “subversive home improvement.” My husband is in the military (and hates home improvement) and when he’s gone for several weeks at a time, it’s a free-for-all for me. I moved all the furniture and laid a hardwood floor on the entire first level of the house when he was in England for a few weeks. I painted our bedroom set when he was in Germany. When he went to D.C., I repainted the kitchen and living room … and redid the baseboards while I was at it. I’m [in]famous for rearranging the furniture and I kind of can’t wait for him to leave again so I can chisel the laminate off our dining room table.
Abby says
Love it! Can’t wait to see after the brass is painted.
When hubs went out of town for a couple days last year, I pulled all the carpet off our stairs and upstairs hallway. We had mentioned it a couple of times but he was worried about what was underneath. The stairs were in great condition but the upstairs hallway was another story – beat to death hardwoods. We living with until we can afford to replace. Hubs had mixed feelings but was grateful the nasty, old (at least 20 years old) carpet was gone.
Meghan, UK says
Kudos to you for the carpet-ripping!
Jany Claire says
The light looks great and totally updates it. Just spray the chain with a nickel spray paint and it’ll look totally new/vintage.
My secret design sneak…
We bought two different patterned 9×12 area rugs and placed them in the living room and dining room. I decided they needed to be switched but my hubby said “no way” since it would involve moving all the furniture. He went on a business trip and I switched them. When he came back he couldn’t believe I had done it all by myself!
Kathy says
I don’t think John should go running anymore!
It looks like it will run off, and smeared.
Sorry, I like almost everything you do, but this one is not my favorite.
bethany cox says
that is so awesome!!!i love it so much.
Mimi says
That looks lovely. What a great color. I normally end up moving all the furniture around while my husband is not home. So he comes home surprised (well after the third time I did it in about 4 months he wasn’t surprised any more), but he normally ends up liking the “fresh” change.
JMJE says
Wow, if you had described this to me without pictures, I would have thought it would look terrible but I love it. Need to figure out if I have any fixtures I can do that to.
Kay says
I love the way this looks! So much nicer and cleaner looking!
I have been caught in the act ~ mostly because my project had a slight kink in the plan. I was trying to repaint the living room, but our large sectional couch (not quite as large as Karl) cannot be moved into the middle of the room. So one piece has to go into the hallway. No big deal, we’ve done it loads of times. Somehow I managed to get it stuck in the doorway, at a crazy angle, and it wouldn’t budge. I called everyone I could think of that is home during the day but no dice… I painted the room, and sat on the piece in the doorway waiting for Dave to come home.
It was easy to get the piece out with his help, and he even helped to finish painting the parts I couldn’t get because the sofa was in the way! He loves it, but suggests that I get his help next time.
Does John ever diy something as a surprise for you? We would love to hear about it!
YoungHouseLove says
Well, once when I was gone on a business trip in the old house he planned to create a little counter in our laundry nook by mounting it to the wall on brackets but my plane had a huge safety problem and we ended up flying low, dumping fuel, and circling back to Richmond (where we all got off and kissed the ground). Even though he planned to surprise me, I surprised him by coming back home right after that crazy flight.
xo,
s
Katherine says
I have a “while-the-hubs-was-out” project! My darling husband went on a two-week mission trip to China when I was 6 months pregnant with my second child. Our house is definitely a “fixer” and we had this AWFUL ivy print wall paper in our bathroom. Well, he was no sooner on a plane heading west before I was at Home Depot picking up joint compound, paint, cabinet and drawer pulls, and towel bars/rings. I managed to rip off the paper, re-texture, paint, and install the fixtures while he was away. And I also managed to keep it all a secret! When he came home he was mighty surprised… and loved it!
April says
Well, I painted our front door hot pink this past weekend while my husband was out of town! I didn’t mention it, and he still hasn’t noticed (4 days later!). Obviously we don’t enter/exit that door, but he should have noticed by now. Oh well!
Nicole B. says
Looks nice… Adds some color :)
Because it’s acrylic on glass you should be able to scrub it off with a sponge which makes this a great idea for renters!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah – it’s totally removable! 100% renter friendly! Haha.
xo,
s
Kate says
Most of our house has pure white walls, with a bit of almost-periwinkle blue here and there to mix it up. I worked in our kitchen for about 5 years, always thinking that the dining room wall that I was looking at should be red. So, one day when kid 1 was a preschool, kid 2 was napping and husband was at work, I did it – primer and 2 coats. I love my red wall! Husband is easy to please and liked it, too. Just looked over at it – I still love it 6 years later. :)
Alisa says
Oh where do I start? Pretty much everything in the house has been changed while the hubster was out. I’ve ripped down four rooms of wall paper, ripped down wall paneling (he was in the other room and came running as soon as he heard me haha), I’ve painted rooms, taken doors off the closet, removed the backsplash in the bathroom (ten minutes after I read your post!)…yeah, I have a long list.
My favorite though? We primed our wall paneling in our gigantic living room and couldn’t think of a color to paint it that we’d agreed on and I was getting sick of staring at white walls. So I bought a “smokey grey” that was more like a purple and painted one wall. We painted all the walls blue that next day :)
Christine says
I painted my boyfriend’s (now husband)bedroom Alabama red while he was out of town for training. We’d been dating for about 9 months at the time. 5 coats (1 standard primer, 1 tinted primer, and 2 actual paint) later the job was done. Luckily, he loved it because I did not want to have to paint over red!
Heather S. says
I painted our ceiling fan to cover the ugly gold stuff when my hubby was at work. We’d already purchased a brand new fan and everything. When he got home from work, he thought that I’d taken down the old fan and replaced it with the new one all by myself… hehe. I know I could’ve ran with it, but I ‘fessed up and told him that I’d just painted our old one. ;-)
Nesting Newbies says
OMG we LOVE the RHOBH!!!! I can’t get enough!!! Cool lamp by the way. LOL ;)
katie says
i’ve built furniture while the mister was away for a few days on a job interview, and i frequently rearrange the furniture and art while he’s gone for a conference or even just for a morning. =) it’s a fun game.
Allison says
I was expecting you to paint the fixture turquiose or white!
I love all your mini-projects!
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
Looks nice! Nice touch of color.
I don’t think I really have done anything crazy while the hubs has been gone…..regarding DIY. I have cleaned out the home office while he has been gone for a week. That room was our dumping ground place when we first moved in, which turned into 2 years later it was still that way. But now it’s all cleaned up for the most part. He was happily surprised when he came home. I do that to him also with curtain changes & duvet changes.
One thing I do want to change over in the house is all of our hardware on our interior doors is shiney brass. We hate it. And it would cost us a few hundred dollars to replace all of it….we guessimated about $300 to do all the doors. Crazy!!! So I’m thinking we should give a try to spray paint all the hardware in Nickel instead. Does anyone have any experience in doing this? Does it wear away over time because it’s a door that opens and closes all the time? I’m figuring that a few spray cans is cheaper then $300 worth of new hardware we would have to buy….even if in a few years we need to spray paint them again. Worth it or not???
YoungHouseLove says
We haven’t attempted anything like that yet. Anyone have info or suggestions for Jen?
xo,
s
Alisa says
We did that with our knobs in the kitchen and bathroom but haven’t attempted actual doorknobs. The knobs we painted have held up fabulously! My sister in law, though, tried it on a couple doorknobs and she said it looked good, but for heavily used knobs, the paint can wear off. I think it might be a good temporary fix, but not permanent.
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
Thanks Alisa! I’m going to have to look into it I guess and see if it’s worth it or not. If I have to keep spray painting them every few years, it might just be “worth” the money up front to buy the new hardware. Thanks! :D
nikki says
I’d say try it! If it rubs off, either re-paint or replace. By the time it does you can probably break open your piggy bank, roll the loose change and buy new hinges and knobs. Maybe consider replacing the knobs but spraying the hinges? I’d really love to know how you make out as we have shiny shiny gold knobs and hinges on all the bedroom/bathroom doors. Similarly, has anyone done anything with their bathroom fixtures? We have two tone, shiny gold and silver taps. It’s disgusting haha
samantha owens says
i recently wanted to do the same thing! i read someones blog when i googled ‘spray paint door handles’ and she took brass pieces, sand pappered the crap out of them and then sprayed them nickel. the post i read was her ‘2 years later…’ post and she said they had not chipped or anything and still looked great.
personally, i didn’t like the way the nickel finish turned out(it was still better than brass, though). i saw someone else do the same thing but with an oil rubbed bronze spray paint and it looked amazing, so i am considering that option.
samantha owens says
here’s the blog of the girl who did the nickel paint.
http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2010/03/spray-painting-door-knobs.html
Naveel says
I just found this tutorial online. I myself have been thinking about spray painting my door knobs to look like brushed nickel instead of that tacky brassy color. I’m going to try this soon! http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2010/03/spray-painting-door-knobs.html
Alisa says
No problem! Yeah, for a can of paint that was less than $5, it’s definitely worth a shot! Whenever family came over after I painted the knobs they’d ask where we got “those cute little knobs” and when I told them I just spray painted the old ones they were shocked! It makes a huge difference! Oh, and if your knobs have any decorative texture in them, the paint really makes it stand out. Good luck!
ALittleBite says
We did that last year (but in satin black) with all the hardware in our home and it worked very well. There hasn’t been any chipping at all. I have a few pictures in case you want to see how it turned out: http://alittlebiteofeverything.com/2011/01/photography-corner/
Jen says
If you’re hesitant about spraying the knobs, you can at least spray the hinges. I was surprised to find out how much new hinges cost and since they don’t get the wear and tear that a knob does, it was kind of a no-brainer to me to just spray them. I haven’t decided whether to try spraying the knobs yet or not, but at least my hinges are looking nice and updated in their new brushed nickel color!
Holly says
Saw this just yesterday — she added a coat of lacquer spray paint, which I’m sure would help sustain its durability! This is genius. And cheap. What’s not to love!
http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2009/12/painting-faucets-and-painted-floor.html
(Also, if I’m replying to a comment, and someone else answers this thread — are we notified via email that someone has responded? Just wondering if I should check back and keep an eye on this, or if I’ll know when someone else adds to the conversation. I know, we can’t have it all — but you guys make it ALL seem possible! :o) Thanks!)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Holly,
Sadly we can’t get any email notification programming to work without our site crashing, so the only way to see chats in the comment section is to drop back in and check on them. We know it’s not always easy with so many comments but we hope you can still find time to pop in!
xo,
s
Elyse says
This might sound absolutely crazy but while my dad was watching a football game my mom bought a house. My mom went to go see some model homes and the best lot was being bid on & mom went and scooped it up. I’m not too sure if my dad trusts my mom when she leaves during football games anymore! Haha!
Kelly says
Honestly, I am not the biggest fan of this project, in the pictures it looks streaky. But as long as you like it, that is all the matters.
Bri says
That’s funny. Love the new look!
A couple years ago, my husband went out of town for work and I got the urge to change the lighting. I ended up replacing half the lights in the house before I came to my senses. When he asked me what I was up to, I sent him an extreme closeup of the most hideous fixture (think hammered brass with burnt orange plastic chunks stuck into the sides around the circumference with a lovely, wheat engraved, milky glass bottom. Gorgeous). He was so happy when he got home he insisted we replace the rest of the fixtures. I knew I married him for a reason!
Rachael says
That looks great! I bought a cheap wooden lamp with great shape at a thrift store, and I’m planning to spray-paint it turquoise to put on our newly-stained nightstands. As soon as I stain said nightstands.
Brooke says
Oh lord, if I had to wait for my husband to agree on something (let alone be around to help!) my house would still be a mausoleum to 1957’s Country Living gone bad! While he would go out to parties to see old friends, or on fishing/hunting trips, I would rip up old shag carpeting, paint walls, and tear out old built-ins. Basically I’m the one given free reign to do whatever to the house, he’s the one who gets to come home to the surprise!
Stacy says
While hubby has been at work, I have knocked out cabinets and knocked down two, yep teo, walls by myself. Read about it here:
http://19butternut.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-need-to-work-on-sitting-still.html
and
http://19butternut.blogspot.com/2009/08/while-cats-away.html
xo – Stacy
Erin says
While the hubs is away I typically do a HUGE purge/reorganization of the entire house. He loves it as that is not his thing however when it comes time to put dishes or clothes or anything else away he is totally lost as to where everything goes.
Julie says
LOVE it! Before I got to the last paragraph I was thinking, “Now if she’d just spray paint the chain to get rid of the brass!” ha ha!
Katie @ On the Banks of Squaw Creek says
I’ve never commented here, but been reading for months.
I put the garbage in the back of hubby’s truck while he’s showering. We live on a farm and burn most of our garbage, but it piles up in the entryway. According to him, it’s never a good day to burn. So instead of setting it in the entryway, I’ve started sneaking it to his truck, and then he HAS to do something with it.
Ridiculous, isn’t it? But it gives me a thrill, too. :)
Joanne says
What a great idea – love the color! You could try Rub N Buff on the brass. I used it for the first time on some nasty brass-trimmed mirrored closet doors last week. The hubs wouldn’t let the mirrors go:) But they look a thousand times better now without the brass! I used the nickel finish, but they also have an oil-rubbed bronze finish you could try.
Meghan, UK says
I enjoy doing things when my husband goes away / is at work / whenever I can get away with it. The worst for him was when I took up the entire wall-to-wall carpet in our dining room and hallway. The hours he then had to spend sanding (and those I spent varnishing) the floors were totally worth it and we love the end result … but receiving those pictures scared him slightly. One year on of house ownership and he’s completely used to it. I feel your fun!
jennifer says
All the stuff you do makes my husband crazy. He’s a fireman so when he’s gone a whole 24 hrsm do you know whata girl can do in 24 hrs??? Lots. He comes home and says ” you have been reading that blog again”. He’s never mad and actually really likes what I have done. He’s gone again today for 24 so I started on sofa pillows… Let’s see how this goes!!!!
Nikki@BreadandButter143 says
Oh my goodness! It looks awesome!! Great idea!
Stacy says
Forgot to say….
Love this, btw! So pretty! Hmmm, what can I paint??? LOL.
Stephanie @ AHomeWest says
Pfffft I always ask hubby if it’s OK to do this or that. (…Once its half-done or right before he’s about to catch me.) :)
But I also know which surfaces are off-limits for “creativity” (in both our minds) and which are less precious.
Elizabeth says
That looks so cool!
Chelsea says
Sherry you are not alone! Once while my husband was working on a Saturday I went out and bought two new pieces of furniture, had them delivered, ended up painting one piece and had it all in place and decorated by the time he got home! He was suprised but definitely liked what I purchased so it was ok :)
Hanna says
It looks great!! A very sweet spot of color. I wouldn’t worry about it melting and running — at most it might crackled a bit when it dried… but it obviously didn’t. It looks excellent!
Stephanie K. says
My husband wasn’t out, he was downstairs working hard on his dissertation paper, and me in my 9 month preggo-nesting state thought “John and Sherry made it look so easy, I am going to install the diaper sprayer to the toilet myself!” (at 10:30 at night) Well it would have been easy, if we had a flexible water line to the toilet. Once I took it apart and realized this, it was too late and even when I put it back together it leaked. So I turned the water off and announced to my unsuspecting husband that I was heading to Lowe’s in the morning. I would have gotten away with it, if the water was not turned back on in the middle of the night for an innocent flush. In the morning, he was awoken by a crazed pregnant woman with wet slippers who announced it was raining in the kitchen. Whoops :o)
Christie says
It’s Christie from http://www.lukascorwin.com! I LOVE that color on the pendant light. I agree, totally natural looking. I would never know any different. That inspires me to do something similar with the pendant light in our playroom!
Kristin says
Hi,
I think you don’t have to be afraid for the paint to start dripping when it gets too hot.
The solvent (water in this case) should have been completely evaporated and leave only the pigments and other solid components of the paint, which will not become fluid at any temperature you can reach with a common light bulb.
In contrast, I would not try this in bathrooms where there is a lot of moisture in the air, which could act as a solvent when it precipitates on the lampshade.
I have not tested this though, just thoughts of a biochemist :)
YoungHouseLove says
Awesome to have your brainpower on it! Thanks for the tips!
xo,
s
Marissa says
I love scientific explanations of everyday things…
Jana says
There are some things a husband just doesn’t need to worry about. My hubs always gets all verklempt about moving furniture around or trying a new decor idea or arrangement…so I just do it without him and don’t stress him out with the details. Go Sherry! The light tuned out nice :)
gemma@thesweetestdigs says
Looks great! I’m all about painting old light fixtures until you can save up to get new ones. It makes looking at them every day a bit more enjoyable! Some spray paint to the chain part and you’ll be in business. Love it!
Bethany says
I am infamous for projects while the hubby is away. I redid his man-cave while he was away at deer camp. And recently I tore out the guest bath and redid it (tile, paint, vanity)in one weekend while he was away!
http://remodelthishouse.blogspot.com/2010/12/me-woman-you-man-cave-reveal.html
Kelly says
I would love to see an updated picture of the entire room, including the updated fixture!
Kirsti says
Love it! Great work as always!
I also do things when the my DH is gone or sleeping, but like you, only stuff I know he’ll appreciate (perhaps even love?) later. The biggest project I did to date was rip out a homemade closet from our master bedroom while he was asleep in another room–he was working nights at the time so though he was sleeping the rest of the world, including me, wasn’t. :) He woke up to a pile of plywood and framing in the middle of the floor. And I felt glorious. It made the room much larger and open. Though he was shocked at the time he loves it now and proudly tells the story to whoever will listen.
In fact, you can see photos of our master bedroom’s evolution since we moved in last year on my blog–I did a photo recap yesterday!
Thanks so much for your daily inspiration. I’ve been reading for over a year now and never get enough.
Hannah says
I love it, I was a little worried it would look “bathroomy” with the color but that shade turned out stunning, what an improvement. We had lots of those brass light fixtures in our house – I painted them all, one red, one the rubbed bronze spray paint (in different rooms), they turned out fantastic. (the shiny silver spray paint is the only one that doesn’t work, still looks like it was spray painted).
Yes, I do lots of “while the guys away, the girl will get into trouble and break something” – nearly everytime I do a project when he isn’t here I break something, a tool, a part, a piece of the house. Fortunately he is patient.