From Ewwww Not So Groovy Wagon Wheel to Ooooo La La Love it - Chandelier Redo

Our last couple of posts have been just to give you an idea of who we are and some of the dynamics that make up Caterina World at PMD.  And, if you follow us on Facebook, you've seen the OutOnThePorch videos where I share all sorts of tips, tools and ideas for you to personalize your own space.  Making it irresistibly inviting for your friends and family.... without  breaking the bank.


OutOnThaPorch is where I can always dream up inspiration - whether for the Material Matters column in Southern Lady Magazine, that I contribute to -  or for a customer - or - just for some fun project for my own home.


So if you've already seen the past couple of blog posts, you know it mentioned the "Not So Groovy Wagon Wheel Chandelier in our great room .....



See what I mean?  The cathedral ceilings and the beams are so cool but that wagon wheel......

I tried to zoom in to the above pic but it gets all pixel-y.   I'm just learning this new Mac and how to do the photos..... so to give you a good idea, I just pulled a couple off the internet I found that were very similar.  Mine was a combo of both these....

It was one of the first things I jerked down and replaced with a stately, wrought iron beauty, I found at my favorite hunting place..... the Nashville Flea Market.......   

But I'll save that for another blog post.

So, back to the Ole Wagon Wheel.  For some reason, I couldn't get rid of it.  It just kept begging me not to throw it to the curb..... with it's tacky, smokey globes and chunky wooden spindle.

So I crammed it into a box and stored it in the attic.  And for the past three years, when I'd be pulling out the Christmas decorations,  I kept running across it,  only to cram it back into the box and think "what am I saving that for???".  But not this year.........

I had been saving for a new chandelier for the dining room.  I hadn't run across anything to-die-for.......... I kinda-sorta liked these from Pinterest and in the Ballard's catalog.  And I couldn't help but notice something about them reminded me of  the 'Ole Wagon Wheel.......

So, the week after Christmas, as I was mulling around one of my favorite stores here in beautiful, historic Franklin, TN..........



I ran across these strands of wooden, beaded garland......


 And guess what !!!!!  they were marked down 75% ...... Hootie HOO !!!!  and lucky me ....... they had 4 strands left, each measured 6 ft. which would be perfect because there were 8 lights on that chandelier.

So...... I ran home.... and jerked that box out of the attic...... and got to work. I carefully took it apart playing around with the pieces.  I knew if I messed it up too much, my favorite demo buddy, Danny, had just enough "rewiring-of-lamps" experience, that he could easily rewire it, if I needed him to.

I disconnected the wires to the center/down-light and removed it from the bottom, since I wasn't going to need it anymore.   I unscrewed the top plates and removed the wooden spindle on the top while carefully pulling the wire through, so I could keep it intact and reuse it.........


I also removed all the bowl or cup looking bases .....

 

they were too deep but the smaller, more shallow pieces underneath were just the right depth, so I  replaced them with those.




















I had to cut the sockets off and replace them with taller ones because they were too short.  Luckily when I took the center/down light off the bottom, I found there was enough excess wire to pull up into each arm and reconnect taller sockets, which I ordered from an online lamp supply place.

I loosened the nuts that held the candle arms to the large band and twisted them around so that the bottom of the chandelier now became the  top.

Next I pulled out pieces of old lamp parts which included two leftover sections of pendant lighting and a few other bits and pieces some of which are shown here along with what was left over from the bead garland .....


After I put the all the lamp-puzzle pieces back together and spray painted it flat black, here's what I came up with..........


and I must say it closely resembles those I had been pondering, don't you agree ???  As I often say - "It'll do"

Anyway........ just goes to show, listen to your gut and don't immediately throw everything out when doing home renovations.  Before and after photos chandelier.........


and room setting...........

OutOnThaPorch !

Just goes to show what you can do if you just spend a little time thinking...............




OutOnThaPorch photo courtesy of Southern Lady Magazine

Special thanks for some of the photography shown goes to Cassidy Joy Reynolds, my sweet little photographer-in-training