Reinvent It: Salvage a Birdcage for an Eclectic Chandelier
Turn a dusty antique into an enviably artistic light fixture that looks more expensive than it is
When Houzz user Dianne Rogers came across a dusty, cobweb-covered antique birdcage in Wilmington, North Carolina, she envisioned a fabulous chandelier. “It was authentic, old, iron and large — about 32 inches high, and it caught my imagination,” she says. The new fixture is right at home in her “Carolina room,” a comfortable covered porch with a vaulted ceiling and a fireplace. “It’s a great example of a very simple DIY project with a big-impact result,” she says. For less than $300, she now has a unique chandelier that looks like a million bucks. Here’s how she did it.
Project: How to make a birdcage chandelier
Cost: $150 for the vintage birdcage, $100 for the light fixture and less than $50 for paint, sandpaper and other supplies
Time: About 4 hours plus paint-drying time
Project: How to make a birdcage chandelier
Cost: $150 for the vintage birdcage, $100 for the light fixture and less than $50 for paint, sandpaper and other supplies
Time: About 4 hours plus paint-drying time
The birdcage was $150 and required a little elbow grease to give it a polished look. "Because the birdcage was old and made of iron, it had some rust spots," Rogers says. "We scrubbed it clean, sanded off the rust and then sprayed it with a few coats of matte black enamel Rust-Oleum."
Armonk 3-Arm Chandelier
Rogers found a chandelier small enough to fit inside the birdcage at Pottery Barn. The one shown is very similar to the one that Rogers used. "I bought the chandelier because it was rated for outdoor space," she says. (This particular chandelier is UL-rated for covered outdoor spaces.) Hers was red, and she painted it cream to match the trim of the room.
For painting, she taped up the electrical parts of the lights (where you screw in the lightbulbs) and used a cream-colored Rust-Oleum matte enamel. "Once it was dry I touched it up with a brush dipped in the actual color of the trim, which was very close to the color of the spray paint," she says.
For painting, she taped up the electrical parts of the lights (where you screw in the lightbulbs) and used a cream-colored Rust-Oleum matte enamel. "Once it was dry I touched it up with a brush dipped in the actual color of the trim, which was very close to the color of the spray paint," she says.
"Once I had the chandelier, we had a hole drilled in the top of the cage and ran the lighting wires through it to a box in the ceiling," she says.
Because the birdcage is heavy, Rogers used a heavy-duty chain to hang it, which she painted black to match. It took Rogers' contractor and electrician about an hour to install and hang the chandelier. "It's on a dimmer switch, and we love it!" she says.
Tip: If you're working on your own unique chandelier shade or retrofit, choose a fixture that is dimmable so that you can adjust the mood lighting.
Because the birdcage is heavy, Rogers used a heavy-duty chain to hang it, which she painted black to match. It took Rogers' contractor and electrician about an hour to install and hang the chandelier. "It's on a dimmer switch, and we love it!" she says.
Tip: If you're working on your own unique chandelier shade or retrofit, choose a fixture that is dimmable so that you can adjust the mood lighting.
The new fixture fits the scale of the high vaulted ceiling and large trusses. "Our home has been recently renovated in a modern style, but I gave in to this more traditional fixture because it was perfect for the outside Carolina room," she says.
Houzzers, what kind of salvage projects have you been working on? Please share them in the Comments section; we'll be featuring one every week.
Houzzers, what kind of salvage projects have you been working on? Please share them in the Comments section; we'll be featuring one every week.