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.
Jen says
Once my husband went away for the weekend and I decided to tackle the stairway as a surprise. I gave it a fresh coat of paint and even created a rail to hang photos from that he liked in one of our DIY magazines. I always painted the bathroom once while he was away just to freshen it up. I agree that if it can be undone and isn’t expensive it is worth a shot- if he doesn’t agree it can be changed.
Melanie says
Great idea! We too have those plain ole glass light fixtures that do nothing for the room.
Once while my husband was off doing a guest spot, I painted our bedroom walls, trim, even the ceiling and closet. And I’ve moved furniture numerous times while he’s been gone. What’s funny is as a runner myself I live in fear of my husband doing something crazy while I’m out, like giving our sons mohawks or something along those lines. He’s never ever done anything to justify my fear. Maybe because I’ve done things while he’s gone I expect him to do the same??
Rebecca_C says
I just love when you do stuff like this! As a long-time reader (only very occasional commentor) I’m even more excited right now. I’m pregnant and we just moved to a new state and we’re moving into a new house….ok, its a rental but its a HOUSE. So I’m loving your non-permanent, easy peasy projects even more these days. Thanks for continuing to share these brilliantly simple ideas!
Krysta says
Not too shabby…Looks way better!!
Jennifer says
Oh yes, I do this all the time. It is a pretty safe bet that something will be different when the hubs returns from a business trip. Usually it is just furniture moved around (this counts as exercise right?) but sometimes it is a big project. When he went out of town to renovate our Colorado house I completely redid our bedroom – new paint, new bedding, new curtains, and new accessories. Couldn’t let him have all the fun ;-) The funny thing was that he got home so late and was so tired that he didn’t even notice until morning.
Felicity @ Our Little Beehive says
My husband is a pilot and can go away for a couple weeks at a time, as in a couple weekends at a time. Just the perfect amount of time to “change everything” according to him. I can’t even keep track of how many projects I’ve done during this last trip. Thankfully, he’s always in agreement after a few hours of being home :)
I like the turquoise shade, we’re definitely seeing eye-to-eye lately! I say go for the spray paint for sure and maybe you’ll have a light that sticks around for the long-haul. Or you can spray the fixture then get a pendant like CB2’s eden and just use the shade. Maybe line the inside of the shade with some funky fabric that only shows when the light is on.
tarynkay says
My dad is color-blind. But he’s also a control freak, so he would never allow anyone else to pick out paint colors. This is a ridiculous combination and meant that the house always looked awful. So once when I was in high school, he went on a business trip and we painted the entire house (interior). We put a huge bow and card on the front door and pretended that it was a welcome-home present for him. That way, he couldn’t be angry that we had done it without him. He actually lightened up after that and has allowed my mother to make all subsequent decorating decisions, which has improved their house (and marriage) dramatically.
Justine @ you're so martha says
i have to be honest, when i first saw it in your close up pics, i was like, really? you like this? . but you won me over in the last photo, it looks great from a normal distance. kudos for being so brave, and without the husband’s approval! so far my only doings “while the husband is away” is purchases. especially shoes. a girl has needs!
Carlynne says
My mother was the QUEEN of changing the space when dad was out for work. Often she would play the “Completely repaint a room and have it back perfect before he gets home and see if he notices” game. Memories. I expect to be exactly the same when I finally snag a house/warehouse of my own.
Melissa says
Hmmm… I once remodeled our previous homes whole kitchen while my hubby was in Iraq. hahaha! He knew it was happening though but I never let him see after pictures until he got home. & When I say “I” I really mean my dad did 95% of the work. <3
Sarah H. says
LOVE the light!! Looks great, and I would never have thought to do that to the glass. BEAUTIFUl!! Okay, so to share my “While the hubby was out”…My husband worked for Pike Electric Co. and had to be out of the state on storm duty a couple of years ago. Being new home owners there were several projects we had tackled and several yet to be. I had BEGGED him for 2 years to let me do something (ANYTHING) to our blah fireplace. (which was plain ‘ol brick) He said it was fine the way it was and needed nothing. Well, while he was gone on storm I arranged help in getting it rocked. I went and purchased my rock and arranged for it to be delivered NEXT DAY! I called in my recruits and explained my urgency (because my hubby would get no notice of when he could return home) and had them there the next day as well. We cleaned and prepared the brick to get ready to place the rock and it rained!!!! :( I had to carry each individual rock and lay them in our den and let them dry so that we could stick them the next day. Once they were stuck, grouted and I cleaned the mess. (inside the house) I had a pile of remaining rock and sand in the middle of my driveway. UGH!!! So with a wheel barrel and a TON of elbow grease I hauled all the remaining evidence down further into our field. (I seriously almost died doing this part) So, he returned home, (which he ended up being gone for 3 weeks…so I didn’t have to rush after all) and I’m not sure which he loved more…being home or our new fireplace. :) Now, everytime he leaves for his yearly hunting trips to Ohio and I joke and say “Hmmm….what can I work on THIS trip?” We have beams in our living room just like the ones in your family room and I want to paint them so….bad. I mentioned it again the other night….so, here’s hoping I can tackle that in the fall. :)
danae says
i love that i’m not the only one who does projects while my man is away! at our old home, i had always wanted to take down the wallpaper in the bathroom, but we were renting, so we had to leave it put. kind of. we were friends with our landlord, & he said we could paint anything as long as we painted it back the usual off-white. i knew he’d love me for taking down the 80s wallpaper for him. so, i got an itch one day & pulled it down in whole sheets [20 years of bathroom humidity!]… i only did the walls you can’t see when you walk in, so my husband wouldn’t see it till he was IN the bathroom. it was quite a shock! but a pleasant one :) and our landlord agreed. don’t you love a happy ending?!
busybodyk says
When my hubs was away on business I painted the dining room. He didn’t notice for a few days. Now whenever he goes away, he looks in all the rooms very carefully to see what I’ve changed.
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says
Painting behind John’s back!? Uh oh!!!
Haha! My husband always wants to be in on every project ever and gets super bummmed when I do things while he’s away being a silly Marine! I can’t help it though! =) Sometimes I’m too excited to wait for him to get back!
Love the little revamp! It looks charming and bright! so perfect for your home!
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
Jen says
My husband is the same way! I wouldn’t dare tackle a project without him being totally on board, even if it was completely reversible! =)
Abbey says
I was snowed in yesterday and the hubs had to go to work. By the time he got home in the evening I had completely rearranged our family room. The best part is that he didn’t even notice until he went to sit in his favorite chair!
Robin says
What a great way to get some color into the room! I once painted our bedroom while hubby was away for the weekend. It had been tan with a dark red accent wall, and I covered it all up with a light blue. It took a lot of work to get rid of the red, but it was worth it! The new room was so much brighter. And hubby loved it too despite his initial shock!
Allison K says
John’s run has been mentioned several times on the blog. Sherry, do you have an exercise routine? I’m trying to start one, but not very successfully, and no money to join a gym.
YoungHouseLove says
We go for three mile walks around the neighborhood (with the stroller and the dog) but other than that it’s just painting and hammering. Haha. I’ve never been good at going to the gym so I like activities like walking and home improvement since they feel different every time.
kim says
Sherry and John
just wanted to say thank you for directing me to Ana White’s web site (in the Ed post). It was just what I was looking for.
YoungHouseLove says
Ana’s awesome! So glad to help!
xo,
s
kim says
oh and the light tuned out great!
Randa says
Hee hee… when I read the first couple of sentences in this post and glanced quickly (like, a half second) at the first photo, I totally thought you were going to paint the bathroom, and I was like, “wow, that’s a really small bottle of paint!”
The light switch looks great.
lonely wife project says
Looks great! My husband would be thrilled if I did home improvement projects in secret. Then he wouldn’t have to help. He hates nothing more than painting ;)
Randa says
Ha haa… I obviously meant “fixture” and not switch :)
Kate says
I haven’t done it to my husband, but when I was a kid, my mom used to do things to the house when my dad was at work. He was a firefighter and worked 24 hour shifts. She would move furniture while he was gone, and then when he came home in the dark the next morning, nothing was where he thought it would be. He dropped a whole handful of change on the floor one morning because she had moved his dresser the day before. Everything could always be changed back though!
Allison says
Ha! I do this all the time! My hubby is in the music biz so he’s out of the house many nights. I have panted numerous plants, raked, planted grass, pruned trees, painted rooms, painted furniture, rearranged furniture, re-wired all sorts of things, hung light fixtures, swapped bathroom mirrors, re-organized the entire kitchen, hung shelves and more. He comes home around 4am when I’m out cold and he’s exhausted and I say “Did you see what I did?!?” He has finally learned to search for the change before coming to bed so I can bask in his compliments.
Ana Silva says
What a great idea. Really like it, good way to update and save money. I have done surprises before. They are so much fun. When we move I like to unpack and organize alone so when he comes home is almost all done…and the compliments I get are always nice. I just like to tackle anything that has to be done and surprise him with my efficiency.
Melissa says
My mom is notorious for re-decorating the house when my dad is away on fishing trips. Years ago, she hired a company that comes in and helps you re-decorate, so by the time dad got back, the walls were painted new colors and the house looked completely different!
Lauren says
Great way to update the fixture! Just curious, how did the old owners have the room set up? It’s so weird that it’s the only light in the room!
YoungHouseLove says
They actually didn’t have anything under it that we remember. Just a sofa where we had ours and some large chests and armoires where we have our desk and TV.
xo,
s
Melody says
cool trick! I never would have thought of that!
Karla says
“Anyone else have any while-the-hubs-was-out adventures to share? Come on, I can’t be the only one.” I do know someone who bought a $500,000 house while her husband was on an overnight business trip. Does that count?
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow. That might win!
xo,
s
Dawn says
My purchase while the husband was at a golf tournament was a pretty major purchase. I drove by a granite store going out of business, just to peak. Ended up buying a slab of granite and getting the kitchen completely measured before I even told him I did it. Good thing he loved the granite once it was installed. Plus we believe that it help sell our house when no other houses were selling in the neighborhood. He can thank me now.
L says
My husband and I have an unofficial tradition that if one of us goes out of town for the weekend and leaves the other one behind, the leftee is responsible for changing the house. My husband has installed baseboards, bathroom flooring, and painted said bathroom (http://secretcityranch.blogspot.com/2010/10/magic-bathroom.html), while I most notably made-over our enormous master bedroom with paint, a faux headboard, new sheets, and curtains (http://secretcityranch.blogspot.com/2010/08/surprise-master-bedroom-decoration.html).
He’s going away Valentine’s weekend, but I’m not feeling quite so ambitious this time. (Plus we’re out of rooms to paint.) I’m thinking of making over his ugly medicine cabinet with a completely nerdy print? We’ll see!
Adriane says
Heehee, I love it! My husband is switching careers so he is back in college and taking 20 credit hours to get through quicker. He is sooo overloaded (especially because he still has his day job) that I think he looks for distractions. The other day I came home from work and all the bushes in our front yard were gone, a tool bench and matching shelf had been built in our garage and he was in the middle of Dremeling (?) to make some peg board fit! Who knew the hubs would get more ambitious back in school?! I think I’ll encourage him to go for the PhD… =)
Tina Bland says
I did!! Inspired by your blog, I was craving to re-do SOMETHING…anything in our home so I turned our little extra storage room in our basement into a craft room last week during that huge snow storm (im in MD) while my hubby was at work overnight (he’s a nurse)!I have pics in my blog, http://teebliterary.blogspot.com/2011_01_26_archive.html
anyways he ended up loving it because that room was so gross and we weren’t really using it and now its all shabby chic cottagey like…still needs a lot of work but an improvement all the same;)
emily @ the happy home says
i like the soft wash of color. you’re right that the brass totally is a bummer, but the brightness makes up for it!
Stacey says
I haven’t pulled off any major “while hubby’s away” DIY coups…YET ;o)
I’m secretly dying to strip the hideous floral wallpaper off of our bathroom walls. Hubby is very anti-stripping the wallpaper after a bad experience in our last home. Our current home has plaster walls as well, but I’ve done a lot of research and I’m fairly confident I can strip the walls w/out damaging them. I plan on starting in the shower (yes, there’s wallpaper IN the shower above the tile!) that way, if I screw things up, it won’t be noticeable ;o)
My other secret wish is to paint our brick fireplace. Hubby would DIE! I bring this up every so often and am always met w/ adamant refusal. Painting brick is sacrilege to my hubs, but I KNOW it would look sooooo fabulous in our living room. Someday…
Lindsey says
I actually painted the back of my bookcases! I loved your dragonfly color, and mine were an ugly brown. Husband went running and I took everything down, painted, and put everything back while he was gone. (He’s an ultra-runner, so I had a few hours) It took a little while, and company visiting to mention it, before he even noticed!
And PS – I *love* the dragonfly!
penny says
I definitely do this! Last time the hubs went on a business trip I repainted the dining room and totally reorganized a storage closet. He liked it so he immediately started ripping wallpaper off in the kitchen!
foo says
I love the vintage glass look, but now it just brings out the horrible brass even more! And if I were you it would drive me nuts, so I wouldn’t be able to stop at just the glass. I’d then have to drive to the store to get some spray paint for the rest of it.
Kerry says
So pretty! I love it. I would never have thought of doing anything like that. Then again, I’m not crafty.
As for my husband, I could paint the entire inside of the house fuchsia and he wouldn’t notice. Not that I’d do that because, again, I’m not crafty.
Emily says
Moving furniture doesn’t surprise my husband anymore :-p
I’ve been ripping out the wallpaper in our downstairs half bath with his knowledge but without his help because he’s been working a lot. I did surprise him by taking down the bathroom door! It was driving me crazy having it in the way while I was working. I didn’t tell him but thank goodness he noticed before trying to use the bathroom!
Tijana says
I haven’t yet done much behind my boyfriend’s back but move some furniture. My mom on the other hand has knocked down walls (I helped her while dad was at work), taken out carpets, repainted stairs…. I’m sure there are others. Mostly my dad doesn’t care since she has always been right. Let’s just say that it’s her way of getting a project started. In the case of the wall it meant also ripping out the old kitchen (looked like yours) and having the doors restained.
Rachie says
It looks lovely! Great idea!! xx
Jenn says
This looks great! I love surprising my husbands with home upgrades. There’s been more than one weekend that he’s been out of town and I’ve painted entire rooms. Luckily he doesn’t mind because he HATES painting. And it’s fun that he never knows what he might come home to ;)
Kristin says
love it!
I tend to do “surprise” projects when my husband goes away on business… I decided on a whim to paint my ugly builder oak vanity black, while he was away and it turned out great! Another time I was starved for more storage, so I decided to turn our laundry room/pass-through to the garage into a cute kind of walk-in closet – complete w/ shelves running the perimeter of the room above the doorways, and anywhere else that there was room. I them painted it a fresh lemongrass color to make doing the laundry not such a dreary chore…
natalin says
Wow, I cant believe how simple that was and how much better that looks. Great idea!
Kaitlyn says
I have been known to re-paint a built in dresser, tear up carpet, and move the furniture all over the place when the hubs is at work. He’s a good sport about it–and he likes that he didn’t have to do it himself!
Sheena says
Looks great and very unique! I’ve seen someone paint a glass vase light blue too using modge podge mixed with a little bit of blue food coloring and it worked too!
Ever - The red house by the lake says
I am definitely the same!
I even took down a wall in the kitchen while my hubby was at work… but he forgave me when he saw the result.
Cameron says
My husband has, on more than one occasion, come home from work to find a room painted a completely different color than when he left. He doesn’t care, though. He’s just glad he didn’t have to help paint!
Nichole@40daysof says
You rebel, you! I do stuff all the time without consulting the husband. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. I made two mistakes in a row with art work, so now we have an agreement to discuss. ;)
http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/running-around-like-chickens-with-their-heads-cut-off/