Mixing Old With New In Light Fixtures

I’m starting this off with a question to my readers: How many of you save things either for a certain purpose, or because you think that someday it’ll be used somewhere?  I’m asking you this simply because I’m hoping I’m in good company.  I’m a saver, yet more often than not I have a specific purpose for the things I salvage and save.  (which is good, I guess?) One of my favorite things to find and save – light fixtures and lamps.  With a good cleaning, new wiring and, perhaps, a fluff of the shade, I love to mix old and new to become seamless.

I’ve always enjoyed hitting the salvage shops, but it’s when we moved into the 1820 that I really kicked it in to high gear.  To me, old things bring such whimsy and an aged beauty to home decor.  Naturally, this fits right in to our old farmhouse. One reason I salvage / thrift is because of budget, but the other reason is because I love to work with my hands and bring new life to something old.

And then save it. (wink)

Case in point, these light fixtures.  I found them at my favorite salvage shop I thought about a year ago, but when I went back in my phone for the photos, it was actually, two.  I’ve been holding on to them for all this time for the specific purpose of installing them over my prep table in the kitchen.  There was no wiring that needed to be changed out – there was no wiring, period.  The beveled glass was in mint condition, and in my opinion, absolutely nothing needed to be “fluffed” with these fixtures, they just needed to be wired and installed.

As the story goes, other projects took precedence, yadda, yadda, yadda, and they sat.  So, when we started focusing on a partial kitchen remodel earlier this summer, I brought those light fixtures out to finally be installed.  The light fixture that was in place, was a dandy, but not our style.  It was a cross between farmhouse and western, and was hanging in an odd place.  Anyone over 5’10” would hit their heads on the metal shades, and too, the fixture was just too heavy for our kitchen decor.

We took it down and drilled new holes over the prep table for my saved light fixtures. To wire up the fixtures, I used a wiring kit which cost me about $11, and I sprayed the caps a hammered silver to blend with the fixtures.

When we were done, our ceiling did look a little like swiss cheese, but we have plugged all that and I’ll be sharing the how to in a future post. With a lot of measuring involved, I decided to have them hang 30 inches from the prep table.

Finally, after two years of saving, these light fixtures are in place.  I have much needed light over my prep table, and they look as though they’ve been there for a long time.  It’s the rustic with modern; old with new that this kitchen is all about, and I love how everything is coming together seamlessly.