Back to the bathroom renovation posts… I last left you with how we transformed the dresser into a functioning bathroom vanity. Today is all about how we DIY’d that glowing goddess of a chandelier.
I’m so in love with it! We were always destined to have a chandelier in this bathroom. That was a known fact from early on. I was originally scouting antique chandeliers. The reoccurring problem was the size and proportion of a true chandelier to this room which is very important to take into consideration when choosing a light fixture for any room. I noticed capiz chandeliers pop up a few times on pinterest. The wheels started turning. This, I thought, we could do on our own on a smaller scale and small budget.
First of all, what are capiz shells? Turns out they’re oysters. And not only popular on pinterest but in beach towns too. I found a couple of these wind chimes at a local gift shop for 10 bucks each. Score!
Need a closer look? They’re funny. Not my style, as is.
I dismantled the shells so they could be re-worked into our light fixture. These were absolutely priceless for this DIY because they already had the small hole punched through the delicate shell. Perfect for stringing the fixture together.
Behind the depths of the radiator vent sits the original oh-so-important bathroom fan. It is quite nondescript, builder basic like this one sold at Lowe’s. Once the plastic cover is removed, a world of possibilities awaits.
In our case, it was the replacing the cover with a salvaged heating vent. So much more interesting! Rather than having a bulb recessed into the ceiling as intended, Ryan wired a single pendant light bulb into the receptacle and mounted the cast iron vent to the ceiling. At that point I laid out a design for the shells using painters tape.
Each shell was strung on fishing wire using a series of half hitch knots.
We started with a length of 3 shells for the center portion of the light. The next layer is a length of 2 shells and then the perimeter layer is just a single large shell. They were all tied directly to the vent creating a subtle graduated look. The fishing line pretty much disappears into the ceiling so the focus remains on the shells.
The fixture casts a nice warm glow when it’s on and of course the fan is fully functioning as well. I am still on the hunt for sconce lighting by the mirror. I’ll know it when I find it…maybe this weekend. It seems to be hunting weather. Stay tuned!
This is a fun, custom addition for under $30 and about an hour of work. A relatively easy DIY.
Circa Dee 