After moving in the first item I attacked tackled was a quick update to the
lights outside on the house and the house numbers.
The original traditional brass carriage lights had seen better days.
The were not the top of the line fixtures that I could polish up, either.
In all I updated 4 light fixtures and the house numbers.
using a Hammered Bronze spray paint I picked up at Lowe's.
The glass panes needed to soak in vinegar overnight to remove the grit, grim and hard water spots.
I don't think those panes had ever been cleaned.
Amazing what vinegar can do.
It took two coats of paint to get a good coverage I felt would last a couple of years
until we could decide what lights we'd like to purchase as replacements.
Here is the side by side of two lights showing before and after painting.
Thank heavens for spray paint.
What a difference.
The lights looked almost new. Really.
That spray paint is a wizard in a can.
I don't have a photo of the lights on the farmhouse, but believe me, the fix made an impact.
Rather than disappearing against the light cream siding, the dark color pops.
We went from "we don't care how the lights look" to "these are clean and shiny" lights.
It's been over a year and a half since I painted them and they still look good.
Not bad for the price of two cans of spray paint.
The next step is to eventually replace the lights with
something a bit more our style.
Until then, I'll just keep smiling at the little transformation.
Who knew something so often overlooked would make such a change in the home's appearance?