The $13 Chandelier!

Habitat for Humanity ReStores are quickly becoming my best friend.

Not only is Habitat a wonderful charity where Dan and I can donate all the things we're removing from our house, but we've found so many unique, pretty, and very very (very!) inexpensive items to help improve our home.

For example, this chandelier:

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:):) Do you love it? I'm obsessed! 

Here's the key to shopping at Habitat:  patience and frequency. Most items don't stay very long and you never know when they are going to get something in that you'll like. If you're looking for something in particular (a lighting fixture, for instance), keep checking when you have a chance and don't get discouraged if you don't find something right away. Eventually you will. I promise. It's like the El Dorado of budget home renovation.

The second key is to keep an open mind. You may have to delve into your creative side to turn something odd into something perfect, but that's half the fun! Now you've got a unique item with a story that you've made your very own.

Let me show you how this chandelier began its journey to our dining room:

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Yikes! It was red with gray speckles! Where in the world would a red-and-gray-speckled chandelier look appropriate??

But notice that little pink price tag. $10, babay! Not only that, but Habitat will guarantee all of their fixtures for 30 days. If it didn't work, I could take it back.

Now, you may notice that the bottom of the chandelier is painted gray. False. It is just very very very dusty (gross, I know!). Be prepared to clean ReStore items when I get home, because they are normally fairly grimy.

But it is amazing what a little soap and water will do. They bowl on the left is clean. It looks so much better already! Just another reason why an open mind is essential... and Dawn dish soap. :)

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I used Rustoleum Hammered Black spray paint on the chandelier which only costs about $3 at Lowe's. I STINKIN LOVE IT!! It took almost the entire bottle to cover evenly... which is probably a good thing... otherwise everything in my house would be hammered black right now...

Here's the before and after:

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I'm praising Jesus a lot. A lighting fixture like this could have easily cost around of $80-$100 new, and here the Lord shows us how to create one similar for just $13. 

Here's a picture another fixture we purchased. It was a funny brown color and I used a metallic silver spray paint to cover it. This one only cost $16. 

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I love talking about this house and sharing with you the ways the Lord is allowing us to fix it up. I just can't get over his grace and creativity to help us pay back our student loans while renovating a house. And I get to enjoy these chandeliers-- for at least three years! It brings me to tears. Let's celebrate with beers. I like baby deers.

Ok I'll stop. :)

Agape,
CC

**UPDATE-- I'm so sorry, my friends but I made a slight mistake. After purchasing another chandelier (oh, yes darling!) to spray with the most wonderful hammered spray paint, I found that normally it's around $7 a can. I must have bought it on sale or clearance the first time and forgotten. So... guess this is really a $17 chandelier, but still one heck of a deal! :)