Reader Mail - Ceiling Fan Makeover Revisited

Often I receive emails from folks with questions about some of the projects we've worked on here at our Twice Remembered Cottage (in the making). I admit, it takes me a while to get to all the questions and I thank all of you for your unending patience! Today I thought I'd post a rather recent question that I often get about our living room ceiling fan makeover.

"You are my saving grace. I have two 42" and one 52" ceiling fans I will be installing shortly. When I purchased them I wanted polished brass and got just that. The trend has moved to sedate/aged bronze, etc. and is such a great look. I love your handiwork. Where do I get the paint; what type/kind of paint do I need to purchase; what was the technique (if anything special) that you chose; how long did it take? Please, any advice you can afford will be so well received. Thank you. ~F."

It's been a while since I did this project, but I'll tell you what I know. Remember, I'm not an expert but this is what worked for my fan.

For this project, I used Rustoleum Anodized Bronze metal paint in a quart from Lowe's. It is oil based. I used a little foam brush to paint the pole and other brass fan parts and used a small foam roller to paint the blades. Rustoleum also makes this paint in a spray can...I've used it for other projects but for some reason, to me, the spray paint looks more grey than dark brown. Keep in mind that I don't know what will happen if you accidentally spray paint into the fan motor. This was another reason why I decided to brush the paint on because I didn't want to possibly damage the fan. Brushing on the paint is more tedious, I know, but this is what worked for me personally. Also, I didn't use primer as I don't think the directions called for it. Maybe I missed it if it did say anything about primer, but my paint has held up fine without it. We've tried really hard to refrain from tap dancing on it or anything else of that sort:) So on with the project...

I first removed the blades of the fan and cleaned them really well with a good degreasing spray. I also cleaned the rest of the fan which I left attached to the ceiling. I know - that's weird - but it was easier for me to paint it that way. I didn't have to worry about holding it and trying to paint it at the same time. My neck hated for a while after this project though!

The rest is pretty straightforward. I just gingerly painted the pole and other brass parts with a little sponge brush. (Make sure you tape off the ceiling if you leave the fan attached). All in all, I needed two coats. Because it is oil paint, you'll want to give it a day or two to dry between coats.

The blades were much easier to paint because I was able to use a little sponge roller. Again, two coats. After letting everything dry for a couple of days, you can put the blades back on and Voila! Your brand new fan!

Here are my before and afters in case you haven't seen the photos when I originally posted them (before my living room was painted!):







Well, F., I hope this helps to answer your question and I wish you much success with your fans! I'd love to see how they turn out!