Sometimes you don’t love your light fixtures but you are in a
rental apartment. What are some of the ways you can add your own style without upsetting your landlord?
We have a few ideas for you below to get creative and add some style to those builder grade fixtures.
The first idea will require some permission from your landlord but is definitely the best idea of the bunch. Paint! Paint can cure just about everything including blah light fixtures with no personality.
To paint your light fixtures try our step by step instructions:
Take down light fixture. (Follow all safety precautions and turn off the power!)
Disassemble and clean each piece really well.
Sand each piece that you are going to paint really well.
Wash and dry each piece again to remove sanding debris.
Mask off any areas where you do not want paint.
Spray the entire thing with a primer meant for use on metal.
Allow to dry completely according to the package directions.
Spray paint with your final color.
Allow to dry completely before touching. It would be best to leave it overnight or even longer to allow the paint to cure.
Reassemble and hang back into place.
Then you can enjoy your “new” light fixture that has an updated appearance. No way your landlord will let you use paint? Try removing the shades on this type of fixture and add on some Edison bulbs. These old fashioned bulbs update any fixture as they are totally on trend.
That is fine for those types of lights but what about other ceiling mount fixtures? We have a solution for you there as well.
Remove that glass shade and you will be left with either a long screw in the center or some screw holes around the outer band. Either way, you can add a shade to this light to give it an entirely new look.
If you have the long threaded rod in the center, just put your shade onto that rod and wrap a couple of rubber bands onto the threads. This will hold it in place and you can easily remove it later.
If you have the screw holes around the outer edge, just use fishing line or fine wire to attach the bars on the shade to the screw holes.
[tweetthis]Tired Of Your Old Outdated Light #Fixtures But You Rent? Follow These Easy Steps To Add A New Look![/tweetthis]
This is an easy way to get an updated light fixture and it can be returned back to the standard builder grade fixture when you move out. Remember, however, that the internal workings of the light will be visible if you stand directly under it and look up.
This may not bother you at all or others might skip this idea because it bothers them. You could try painting this internal portion to match your ceiling but again that would require landlord approval. You can also try
this method for covering these types of lights up.
Hopefully you found a way that you can upgrade the light fixtures in your rental. From paint to new bulbs to adding shades, give these methods a try to update your apartment on a budget.
