Fab Rehab...

Still on the quest to make something out of nothing, 

today's project was an outdoor chandelier...  

This black metal chandelier with crystals 

hung in our shower... 

Yep, call me crazy, 

but I saw the idea in some decorating magazine

many years ago...  

Imagine soaking in your bubble bath 

while the warm light of candles flicker 

through the sparkling crystal prisms...  

Can you picture the scene?  

Yeah, neither can I... 

The chandelier hung in our shower, 

candle-less, for years, 

collecting dust... 

Half the time, I would bump into it, 

snagging my hair in the metalwork...

It was a dumb idea, all around...

Then my buddy, Pinterest, 

showed me how to make this outdoor chandelier 

truly functional...  

Instead of candles, insert solar yard spikes...

 

You know, the ones that line walkways...  

Take off the stick portion 

and hot glue the light into the cup 

where the candle goes...  

I found these yard spikes

 at the dollar store...  

The chandelier was dusty and slightly rusted 

 from the humid shower steam, 

so my wonderful mother spray painted it black again 

and she cleaned all of the glass drops...  

T$ hung it over the apartment back porch 

where we will place a table and chairs... 

 If you ignore the gymnastics rings,

hanging nearby,

that my monkeys regularly risk their lives on, 

I think the chandelier looks rather nice... 

 

Total cost: about $12.00 for the paint, 

a few extra crystals 

and the four solar lights... 

 

Not bad...  

Oh, and check out this find...  

This was my reward 

for last week's work cleaning out 

my parent's sodden basement; 

a three way vintage mirror!  

Framed in solid brass, 

this piece is a true gem...  

It is heavier than two hippos

and was dirtier than my son's hands at any given moment,

 but after it was cleaned up and assembled, 

it looks beautiful...  

The only problem is that all three panels together 

made for a crowded bedroom, 

so we took off one of them 

and hid it behind the other two mirrors...

  

As an "L" shape, it bookends the yellow chair nicely... 

I love the effect... 

 

Trash to treasure, so satisfying...