rosemary on the tv

Previously on Rosemary on the TV:

Evan, Matt and Lizzie paid a visit, bearing gifts both large (piano) and small (blueberry). Rosemary and Aaron cleaned up the dining room, despite Lula’s fear of the unknown. But just when they thought they were safe from hideous fixtures… BUM BUM BUMMMM:

I call this chandelier the Brass Monster. Because that’s exactly what it is. A big brass monstrosity. It’s ugly and I’m constantly bumping my head on it. Unfortunately, a new dining room chandelier isn’t in our budget.

So we decided to go DIY on that brass b*tch.

Here’s what we purchased for the project (all from Lowe’s*):

1. Two cans white primer spray paint : $6

2. One can clear sealant spray paint : $3

3. One ceiling medallion : $19

4. Five 2-packs of 40 watt round bulbs at $2 each : $10

Being the safe, responsible guy he is, Aaron started our project by turning off the breaker to the dining room. Then, he measured to make sure our medallion would fit. The instructions called for screwing the medallion into the ceiling, but because our chandelier’s plate fit right along the outside of the medallion’s inner circle, no screws were necessary.

He removed the chandelier from the ceiling and removed a link from the chain so it wouldn’t hang down quite so low. Then I gave it a good scrub down and took it outside to paint it, being careful to cover the little socket thingys (professional terms here, folks) with tape, so no spray paint could get in there.

The chandelier took about three coats. It was a bit tricky since we didn’t have anywhere to hang it. When we painted the bottom, one of us had to hold it while it dried. The neighbors probably laughed at us. The medallion also needed to be painted. It came white-ish, but didn’t quite match the painted chandelier or the ceiling.

Fast forward a few hours after everything had dried and we were ready to put this baby back in place. First, we taped the medallion to the ceiling to keep it in place while we put the chandelier back.

Aaron flexed his handy man muscles and rewired the chandelier, then put the ceiling plate back in its place and screwed it in. The plate went around the inner lip of the medallion, so screwing it in place also kept the medallion in place.

Then, while Aaron went to turn the breaker back on, I screwed in the new bulbs. I chose a round bulb because it’s a more modern shape than the lame-o Christmas Carol candle flame bulbs that had been in it.

And now, we have a chandelier that not only matches our stuff, but is actually cool and hip (like us, duh). And all for less than $40!

*As for Lowe’s, we’ve made the official switch from Home Depot and here’s why:

Home Depot is right by my office, so I was stopping by there a lot out of convenience for paint and supplies. One night, Aaron and I went to shop for blinds, light fixtures, plants, grass seed, bathroom fixtures and even a vanity. We were in the store for about two hours. Not one single employee asked us how we were doing or if we needed help, despite long periods of time spent scratching our heads in a number of different aisles.

That, my friends, is not a good sign. We ended up buying very little that night, despite our plan to buy more. Partly because of the lack of service and partly because of the lack of choices available.

The first night we drove over to Lowe’s in North Little Rock, it was like paradise. The plant and gardening section? Out of this world in comparison. The lights? Seemingly endless. Employees asked us if they could help us and seemed very knowledgeable when we asked questions.

Consider us converted.