Thursday, January 22, 2015

Not Fan-tanstic- How to transform your tired and outdated ceiling fan

I'm not too sure how a house built in 2003 included a fan with brass fixtures on it. Maybe the builder had some leftovers from 1993. Regardless, the atrocity that circulted air in our family room, had to go!
I am in favor of attempting to alter the appearance of something hideous, before I actually replace it. Maybe that stems from all of my years in the beauty business. Not that I have ever witnessed anyone hideous :) That isn't at all what I meant!  You cannot replace your face or the hair that you were born with, but fortunately there are ways to enhance their beauty. This is exactly what I have chosen to do with this ceiling fan!

Products:
Typically I use Annie Sloan chalk paint, but I didn't feel like driving across town to get some and the Home Depot around the corner had this chalk paint by Americana Decor. I also used a metallic paint and a metallic glaze from Martha Stewart Living. I purchased these at Home Depot, but recently noticed they no longer carry this brand ( I purchased them a while ago and they have been collecting dust...until now). I also used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Graphite. Missing is the can a spray paint I used for the fan blades and the Annie Sloan clear wax I used to seal the chalk paint. 

I removed the fan blades and the light covers. I spray painted the blades white because...well...it was just easier that way. I threw the light covers in the trash because they do not match the clean and light colors of my house. I purchased four new covers at Home Depot for approximately $5.00/cover. 

I chose not to remove the fan from the ceiling. I haven't mastered the art of electrical yet and wanted to avoid any potential accidents ;) I then proceeded to paint the motor casing of the fan and the fixture that houses the lights in the white chalk paint. I used two coats and applied one coat of clear wax to seal the paint. I then painted the fixture that the blades attach to with two coats of AS Graphite chalk paint. I didn't love it because it was just a little to modern black&white for me. This is when I went to my paint arsenal and pulled out the metallic paint and glaze.


I brushed on a coat of the metallic paint. I then followed that with a light coat of the metallic glaze to give the appearance of a pewter type of look. I didn't want it to be solid. This is definitely more of what I had in mind!


Tada! Here is our finished fan and another project done while the hubs was at the office. He just never knows what will be different when he walks in the house at 5pm! Ahhhhhhh...there is certainly never a dull moment in our ever-changing House With the Aqua Door! 

 
Creatively yours,
~ginne