I am in the middle of renovating my very 90s house and am looking for the perfect light fixture to replace this boring old dome light above my sink. But after countless hours of internet shopping with nothing to show I thought, why not make something of my own.
There are a ton of DIY ideas out there, so today I’ll be counting down my top 10 while I customize this basic lantern pendant to make a statement piece for my kitchen.
Let’s get started!
Making a Plan
Okay, the best DIYs start with a plan, so before we jump into the list, let’s first assess our space to nail down the exact look and feel we’re going for.
I decided to buy a new foundation piece all together. My style is French country, so I was looking for something traditional, but depending on your style there are plenty of other great places to start. I also shopped around until I found something roughly the right size to fit this space and that matched the aged bronze chandelier in my breakfast nook.
As I’m unpacking, I’m starting to think through how I can take inspiration from my room to ensure my light is really working to pull everything together. Think about textures, colors, and materials you already have in your room.
We’re in the middle of painting our cabinets and part of that project involves switching our hardware over to a brushed champagne gold, so I definitely want to add that somehow. We’ve also trying to incorporate wood accents throughout our house including this massive wood table in our loft and these wood shelves in our living room, so I’d like to see a nod to those here too.
I’m also thinking about the shape of the area vs my light. I want to get the light as high as possible not to crowd the sink while also lengthen the overall shape so the proportions seem right for this narrow yet tell alcove between my cabinets.
Alright, we’ve narrowed down our plan, so let’s head to the shop and start customizing!
Option #1 - Spray Paint
For a gold accent, I’m going to be spray painting the arms of my lantern a hammered gold. Spray paint is a great choice for light fixtures because it’s easy to use, comes in a ton of different colors including metallics and even chrome mirror finishes, and has plenty enough adhesion considering the light won’t be touched or scratched.
I’m wrapping all the electronics up with painters tape and giving the arms each two light coats of paint, making sure to get up in every nook and cranny, letting dry at least an hour between coats
You can also play around with stencils here if you’re looking for additional patterns or designs.
Option #2 - Gilding Wax
Now, if you want a further customization of color, you can consider adding gilding wax on top of your paint or on its own. This is a metallic wax product that you can brush, wipe, or tap onto any surface to give an extra shine. I usually use this for refreshing old furniture handles or giving a highlight to detailed inlays.
For me, wax helped me take the painted look of the spray paint and upgrade it to a more metallic, semi-matte, brushed look that really closely resembles my cabinet handles and pulls.
Option #3 - Faux Ceramic
Speaking of wax, let’s jump to another idea. I made this faux ceramic texture on a couple of glass vases out of just a 50-50 mix of paint and baking soda, followed by a dusting of brown furniture wax.
I’m imagining this texture on a something light a barn light, or even on an organic shape made from canvas or paper mache. This method is a super easy way to mimic stone or clay potter and the great thing is the color and depth of texture is entirely up to you. Check out this project if you’re interested.
Option #4 - Greenery
On the topic of vases, you can also consider adding faux greenery to your light. This might sound tacky at first, but there are some beautiful examples that really lend well to a bohemian style.
You can also add real greenery in and around holidays by simply winding around your existing lights or using twist ties. Just be sure to use LEDs and keep the greenery out of direct contact with your light bulbs to avoid any fire risks
Option #5 - Wood
Alright, let’s jump back to my light. While my paint is drying I’m going to build a wood trim to go around the bottom of the lantern. This will give me the extra length I need as well as a more rustic look and varied texture.
I picked up some select pine from the lumber store and am using my miter box and good old hand saw to cut these at 45 degree angle.
After test fitting I’m going to add a bit of texture using the same method we used for out 10ft table: using a wire wheel brush to grind out the soft pulp of the wood as well as some notches with an axe. Check out this project for more info.
I’m then going to stain the wood with my favorite color, Early American and once that’s dry, I’m going to glue these right onto the frame with some E6000 glue
Option #6 - More Glued Stuff
There are a hundred other things you can glue to your lights including rhinestones, beads, crystals, shells, glass or mirror tiles, metal embellishments, or even decorative wood appliques
The world is your oyster here and this is probably one of the easier DIYs on this list so jump over to your local michales or joanns to see what you can find
Option #7 - Hanging Stuff
There are also plenty of materials to hang from your light including wood beads, glass or plastic crystals, chains, tassels, feathers, ornaments.
Adding a wooden circle, or any other kind of frame can help give you a structure to work with and to adhere too. Bonus tip, one of the best and quickest hacks for the dreaded boob light is adding a lamp shade!
Option #8 - Wrapped Materials
If you don’t want to add structure or change the shape of your base light, you can also play around with wrapping materials around parts of light. For example, rope, twine, wire, ribbon, or even fabric. These are great options for adding organic textures or a touch of softness to the light, and can be adhered with a hot glue gun.
Option #9 - Customizing Height
A lot of pendant or chandelier light fixtures come with some options around height. As a general rule of thumb (heights of lights)
In my case, I really liked this light, but I need to convert it into a semi flush mount to maximize the headroom under this sink. This meant cutting our wires short and reusing some of the internal mounting hardware of our previous light. You can also go the other way and convert a flush mount light into a pendant by extending your wires and using a chain to anchor the light down lower. Doing this type of conversion does require some electric experience so proceed with caution.
An easier option may be combining the structure of your light with a basic pendant kit built for DIYs.
Before we get to #10, let’s take a minute to appreciate my new light! It really brings my kitchen together by creating a great focal point above our sink. Its the right size, shape and placement, matches our cabinet hardware and other light fixtures in our house, and even has a rustic wood nod to our furniture.
Option #10 - Assemble your light at the store
Speaking of DIY kits, did you know there are also customization options at Home Depot or Lowes! You start with a basic light shape (eg. height adjustable metal rod) and then add a variety of light enclosures or covers to get the look you want (metal cages, glass domes). You can also play around with different light bulb temperatures and styles including LED Edison bulbs in different shapes and sizes.
That brings us to the end of the list! If you’ve tried any of these, let me know which is your favorite. Thanks for sticking around and I’ll catch you next time.