Let their be Light!

An Easy Outdoor Upgrade

The hubs, the dog [Ben!], and I live in a quiet little neighborhood. However, when you are a domestic duchess there is always something brewing.  Last week was no different.  I saw our neighbors replacing the standard (read: not so fabulous) light fixtures outside their home with new pretty ones.

I decided to go to Home Depot to check out what they had, and was astonished by the cost!  I didn’t  LOVE or even LIKE our light fixtures, but I definitely did not HATE them enough to throw out that kind of cash.  I really like the shape,  but couldn’t get over the tacky gold color.

So, the hubs and I left the lighting section of the store and went to the paint section.  We did a nice little upgrade, for the cost of a can of black semi-gloss outdoor paint. 

What you’ll need:

• Grit Sandpaper
• Masking Tape
• Outdoor paint  & paintbrushes
• Rags

Instructions:

1. Turn off the power supply to the exterior lights at the fuse
2. Using masking tape, cover carefully all areas you don’t want the paint on (like the glass)… you may have to get out scissors to get this done just right
3. Lightly sand the fixture with the sandpaper to rough up the surface
4. Take the rag and get all dirt off
5. Spray the light fixture with primer before painting (OPTIONAL)
6. Carefully paint the paint, make sure to look at it from different angels to ensure you didn’t leave any spots. Let dry for 30 minutes.  Give second coat
7. Turn power supply on

TADA!!!

Before...

After!

For the record, painting is easier if you take them OFF the wall.  However, the hubs was working and I have an extreme sense of urgency, and could not wait another minute!  This worked fine, just be extra careful and take your time painting :) 

Signing out,

Domesticated Duchess