How to Make Over an Ugly Brass & Wood Light Fixture

Starting With Safety

• Before taking down your light fixture for a style overhaul, switch off the power to it at the breaker box. While it’s down, have the wiring checked for safety. Old wiring can have frayed, brittle or dated wires and other components; update the fixture’s electrical elements as needed. Remove any shades and the bulbs, and protect the sockets with painter’s tape or tin foil; both are easy to remove and do not leave residue.

An Abrasive Step

• Smooth, glossy brass and finished wood are not paint friendly -- ditto for a sticky buildup or layers of dust that might accompany an old fixture. Lightly abrade every inch with sandpaper to ready your light for finishing.

The Power of Paint

• Spray primer and spray paint make quick work of a light-fixture update. Outdoors, coat the entire fixture with white primer. Then give it a few dustings of paint until you achieve full-color coverage. An all-white fixture blends in with a white ceiling and suits the minimalist home or a room with a pale, monochromatic scheme. High-gloss black adds drama that goes with classic design. Pale green, dusty pink or lemon yellow have a whimsical, shabby-chic edge. For a two-tone look, cover the wood parts with tin foil, and paint the metal the desired shade -- metallic spray paint that mimics nickel, pewter or bronze might appeal to you, or go with your home's other metal features. When the metal parts are dry, protect them with foil and spray paint or stain the wood. If your fixture boasts a brass-tone chain, paint it to match the metal.

Tricks of the Shade

• High-temperature glass paint offers a way to make over a fixture’s glass shades. If it has them, they’re likely yellow and cast an unappealing glow. An allover wash of translucent color can improve the lighting, but replacing them with frosted-white shades is probably a better solution.