Young House Love

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Making A Chandelier More Modern By Adding A Shade

Sometimes the simplest changes can make a big statement, especially when it comes to updating an already-existing accessory in your home. In fact Allison proves just that with her simple and chic chandelier update. Here’s her letter:

My chandelier makeover was really easy to accomplish once I found the perfect modern shade to update my 1950s crystal chandelier.

Reader Allison Before

I was lucky enough to locate a fabulous shade for $10 at a warehouse sale here in Dallas. Then I spray painted the ugly brass chain white (along with the “ceiling donut”) to match the already glossy white ceiling medallion. The open ring at the top of the shade made it easy to slip onto the chain, which I then re-hung from the ceiling. I think it makes my dining room look SO much better. I first saw this look in a Neiman Marcus home catalog, and of course had to try to copy it. I hope you enjoy my simple ceiling makeover as much as I do. – Allison

Reader Allison After

Of course we’re all over that nice clean-linen drum shade. And we love how it totally upgraded that already lovely crystal chandelier. Plus the fact that people spend a pretty penny on light fixtures just like it (check out this one for $718!) is the icing on the cake. Amazing work Allison! What do you guys think? Is anyone else looking for the perfect drum shade to layer over an existing fixture for a polished and modern vibe? Has anyone else taken on a similarly easy and affordable light fixture overhaul? Do tell.

Comments

  3. Deanna says

    These are my favorite kinds of posts – short, sweet, to the point, but consisting of a GREAT idea. And you guys always make it so accessible. Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We believe that the shade had a ring inside of it (which is how it would be attached to a table lamp) but she threaded the ring through the chain to hold it up instead). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  8. Allison says

    Hi YHL fellow readers! SO glad so many of you like my chandelier!

    I will try to answer some questions now for yall:

    1. Kathy– here are some home design stores in Dallas I love– Stella Dallas on Lover’s lane, Mecox Garden off of Knox St, Arteriors Too on Lover’s lane. These 3 are definitely my favorites. If I think of more boutiques, I will share!

    2. I measured the diameter of my chandelier to figure out what shade size I needed to find. I found this shade at an Arteriors Too warehouse sale. The store on Lover’s sells a lot of different sized shades. This is the ONLY store I have found in Dallas that sells great shades like mine, individually. The shade I picked up, I believe, was designed to go on a chandelier because of the large diameter, and the interior metal ring has a slight opening in it, so after I took the chandelier down, I slipped the ring directly on the chain, from the top. After I took down the chandelier, I carefully covered up the crystal with old sheets, and spray painted the cord/chain and little “ceiling donut”.

    3. I love this look because I think it adds an architectural detail to my dining room. I also dislike uncovered light bulbs and this shade made perfect sense!! If you google “chandelier shades” you can find them online. But probably not for the $10 I paid.

    Here is another example of the look of my chandelier:

    http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod82190005&ecid=NMCIGoogleBaseFeed&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=H40KX

    Reply

  9. Kimberly says

    I have been looking for large drum shades for at least the past year with no luck. I even looked into making my own so I could improve my three chandeliers but never found the right materials. I need one shade to be 24″ in diameter but when I have found shades that size they tend to cost as much as a new light fixture. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We found the 20″ shade that we used in our office makeover for around $25 at a nearby lighting outlet (which we googled around to find). The Yellow Pages can be surprisingly helpful too! Happy hunting…

      xo,
      s

  11. Diana says

    I love how Allison’s chandelier redesign turned out. In my opinion, it is actually better looking than any of the expensive alternatives out there, including the one in the Neiman’s catelog. What a great DIY project and llison didn’t ruin the original in the process. Since I live in Dallas too, I may have to check out some of the stores mentioned in her response.

    Reply

  15. heyruthie says

    one of my best friends has this exact fixture, and has AGONIZED over it, since it was a “gift” (ahem…) from her mother. I’ve sent her the link!! thank you!

    Reply

  16. flynn says

    That’s such a pretty idea! Any ideas for transforming the lighting in a closet affordably? We’ve got a walk-in that I literally just finished repainting to make it brighter, but the two bare ceiling bulbs cast a pretty unflattering light. If anyone has any tips, I’d more than appreciate them.

    Cheers,

    Reply

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