In the spirit of the ReStore porch project, I’ve decided to write a couple of ‘How-To’ Blog posts about our DIY adventures.

The Inspiration

As part of the porch design I knew I wanted to include hanging candelabras. I saw this beautiful rope wrapped chandelier in a Restoration Hardware catalog…this became my inspiration piece.

When I saw these shiny-brass chandeliers at ReStore (and there are so many of these lovely fixtures!), I remembered the rope wrapped chandelier from the catalog…similar lines…now to re-imagine!

The First Step: Take apart the chandelier and remove all electrical bits and pieces. It was easier to take apart than I expected…just start pulling it apart and clipping wires…you’ll end up with something like this

NOTE: Make sure you keep all the bits and pieces (washers, nuts, screws) as you will want to re-install the ‘cups and saucers’ on the ends of the arms to hold the handles. Make mental note of how all the pieces go back together. NOTE: I did find out that you can find specific light fixture hardware at Lowe’s or Home Depot if you lose a washer, etc.

The Next Few Steps:

1. Spray paint all pieces. First give the fixture quick sanding with steel wool to roughen the shiny finish. I used a black spray paint (one can per fixture). Don’t forget to turn it upside down to get the underside of the fixture

2. Wrap sisal rope around the arms…tuck ends under or tie a small knot. We found the sisal rope at Lowe’s. We decided to use two different sizes of rope for different textures. The thinner sisal twine worked really well on the curved arms of the chandelier and was much easier to work with in general.

3. Put all the bits and pieces back together…add votive candles (look for the smaller glass votive candle holders…to contain the melting wax.)

The finished products hanging on the porch!

Here’s to creating splendid spaces – Cheers!