I needed to see a visual. Rhoda at Southern Hospitality sprayed her chandelier and kept the white bulbs. I like hows she used craft paint. I think the white will look ok. I know I said the floor is gray but it's gray and white. Also, the window has a 2" white slat blind.

I am little concerned about cleaning the light. I use hairspray daily and honestly don't wipe the lights down as often as I should. Will spray paint hold up to scrubbing? Poly?

Here is a link that might be useful: light

If there's no way you'll be happy with your fixtures in their current state, I'd spray paint them. The sprayed finish might not be an exact match, but they'll likely be close enough and mounted high enough that it won't be an obvious difference. If you check out home decor blogs plenty of people have luck with this.

http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/02/orb-love.html

I sanded & sprayed my switch plates, towel bars, light fixture and bathroom cabinet knobs all with BIN primer and then with Krylon Satin Nickel. Really, I don't think I needed all that prep work with the light fixture, since it never gets touched. The overall effect of my satin nickel finish isn't quite realistic...but I'm happy with it overall, and everything but the most-used knob is holding up great.

Have fun!

IME you don't even have to take the lights down to paint them and you don't need to spray them. The paint I got from Michaels applies and smooths out just fine with a little brush. You could slide some flat paper in between the wall and the light to keep it off the wall, and paint them right where they are. I painted my kitchen cab handles (took them off), then painted the hinges without removing them. Since nobody ever touches the light fixtures, you don't even need to do any prep work on them (unless they're greasy; then just clean) because the paint will stick well enough to just sit there.

I have painted light fixtures and a ceiling fan in ORB spray paint before and they matched the hardware perfectly. I say go for it :o)
~Des

Jessica thanks for the link. Yeah, I've seen so many makeovers with spray paint it's awesome.

Oceanna - I remember when you did your knobs. It was the first time I saw anything like that done and I was amazed at the difference. :) What paint did you use?

Anyone think the lights up or down are better?

Sheesharee, you can use no-prep metal paint -- either in 2oz. tubes or spray. I would take them down to paint, it's awkward when they're up, and not hard to take down. I don't know about the effect hair spray will have, since I use very little. Do your fixtures have a build-up now?
I also think pointing down since when they point up, all you light up is the ceiling.
And, changing out the globes is fairly inexpensive. I've even painted some of mine. Did my kitchen pendants in b/w checks.

If the lights were on the sides of your mirror up/down would be an option. Wouldn't make sense to point them up where they sit now.

Paintergirl - Hmm.. no prep? Are you talking like Krylon?
Yeah, they get pretty funky from hair spray. It wasn't a quick swish with the washcloth the last time I cleaned them. I had to use a little finger grease. I may have to make it a more regular thing.

Natal - I've seen it done both ways above the mirror so I didn't know if it really made a difference. My lights now are very blinding when I turn them on but I could adjust the wattage.

Paintergirl!! There you are! i was just thinking about you the other day, and have to say that I've just gone crazy with that No-Prep paint!! I've been painting all kinds of things with it, and just couldn't be happier. I just wish I could find it locally, so I could stock up and get more colors. Thanks again!!

Shee, it's a craft paint that comes in the small bottles. There's several shades of metallics, so if you can't find what you're looking for, you can custom mix it. I've painted hardware, hinges, lamp bases, etc. with it, and have been very happy with the finish and durability. Way better than spray paint, IMO. Whatever you use, I'd do a clear coat on top of it, so that it'll be easier to clean.

I would paint the chrome and keep the glass white. I like the link you posted where they did that. Especially if your sink is white.

I would keep the shade pointed down. The light seems so close to the ceiling and the wall it would look funny pointed up - IMO.

I'd invest in a dimmer switch if your bulbs are blinding vs. changing the bulb wattage. You might like them really bright when you're cleaning! Some of the dimmer options have a separate slide for the dimmer and then a push button thingy for turning them on/off. You can preset how dim/bright you want them and then every time you turn them on they're that brightness.

Franksmom - This might be stupid question but do you mean a poly for the clear coat? Did you have any problems with brush strokes? Thanks for the feedback!

Caroleoh - I'll look into the dimmer switch option. I'm wondering how hard they are to install.

I'm excited!

Like this?

Here is a link that might be useful: Decoart no prep paint

After digging around Decoart's site I'm assuming that is what you're talking about and I see they have a bunch of different sealers to pick from. Ha, can you tell I don't spend any time in the craft section?

Anyone know if one works better than the others? I honestly know I'm not going to scrub the lights as often as I should in there so there and the hairspray makes a nice coating that's a pain to get off.

Copied from website.
Americana Spray Sealer is an acrylic sealer/finisher that leaves a clear, protective, non-yellowing, weatherproof coating which provides permanent protection for all painted finishes.

BRUSH-ON SEALERS
An acrylic, brush-on varnish that dries to a tough, durable, clear acrylic finish for most hard surface craft projects. Americana Brush-On Varnishes come in satin, matte, and gloss finishes.

DURACLEAR VARNISHES
Brush-on polyurethane, non-yellowing varnishes that form a tough, flexible, clear finish that dries quickly.

MULTI-PURPOSE SEALER
Ideal sealer designed to adhere to all surfaces for indoor and outdoor use. Its superior adhesiveness, smoothness and durability enable its use on virtually any hard, paintable surface.

Krylon's ORB spray paint will be an easy change to the fixture. You don't need to prime first, just spray away. I sprayed my entire patio table and 6 chairs two years ago without priming and they are in perfect condition even after sitting outside in snow, full sun, etc. I would leave the lights pointing down because they look like they are mounted up high and it would make them appear even higher. What wattage bulb do you have in? If it's too bright, use a dimmer bulb. Don't forget, there are 6 lights up there!

Shee, yes it's DecoArt No-prep paint. I happened upon it a few years ago, since I'm not crazy about spray paint. At first I thought it was hokey...did a bunch of experiments and just love it. Again, as far as the hairspray, maybe you can do a test item, wait the week for it to cure and then see how hard you can scrub it. I did my front doorknob and it held up to that wear-and-tear.

And Hi Franksmom! So glad you like the paint. I use this paint for myself and my clients. I am so happy that you like the paint. I'll bet your projects are beautiful!