I found this crystal chandelier on Craigslist for $80 and I knew it was worth a lot more so I replied to their ad and made an appointment to see it. It was really dirty, covered in dust, sitting in a cardboard box and it looked like it had been stored in their garage for awhile. I asked if they would take $65 and without the slightest hesitation he said "YES"! Whoo Hooo! Okay so it wasn't near a good a deal as the one I bought for my dining room but still a very good deal. ~Sorry I know it's hard to see the chandelier but I didn't have any where else to hang it to take pictures and it just didn't look pretty in a box)
My plan was to clean it up and sell it but now I'm in love with it. I don't want to sell it...which is why I'm never going to make it if I start my own business. I buy things I love and then I don't want to let them go! 
I would hang it in my bedroom but there isn't a ceiling fixture in there so I'm now thinking of hanging it at the top of my stairway because I think it would reflect beautifully in all the mirrors on my stairway wall! See I just justified (to myself) why I need to keep it! 
I'm not going to paint it because I love the aged look of it. The gold-drip socket covers will be replaced because I don't think I care for those! I've been looking for another small chandelier like I have in kitchen (which is how I found this one) and those are so hard to find...I want it for my small downstairs bathroom.Chairs and lighting fixtures~my two weaknesses!
Updated to add: I would love to make it a plug in and hang it in my bedroom but I'm not allowed to put holes in my ceiling because it's that yucky popcorn, cottage cheese textured stuff.
108 comments:
Cindy, that is absolutely beautiful. I think you ought to keep it too!
Morning Cindy! I would not part with this. It is beautiful and the price was excellent if you compare it to new ones. I've been pricing chandeliers w/crystals and they are not even as pretty as this but for a lot more money. The crystals alone are more than what you paid!!!(see I'm good at justifying too). Have you thought about converting it to a plug in with the chain swagged? so you can use it in your bedroom. It will be gorgeous anywhere you put it. Have a great weekend - Jeannette
I would want to keep it too - it's absolutely gorgeous! I love the crystals and can't wait to see where you hang it in your home. You always can find the bargains!
Debbie V.
My little cupcake, that is the steal of the month!! They never have anything like it on Craigslist in my area of Idaho! Lamps are one of my weaknesses also. Just did 2 flea market find REDOS and they turned out even better than expected for my bedroom lamps. And everyone has told me to KEEP them and I AM!! I'm going yard hoppin' this saturday!
Smoochies,
Connie
That is beautiful!!! Of course you should keep and not you don't have to justify keeping it!
Very beautiful. I'm sure it will look nice at the top of your stairs. I bet the reflection in the mirrors will be stunning. Like you, I'd have a hard time starting a business of selling my finds because I love them too much.
I'm SWOONING I've been looking for one of these for so long on Craig's list... I have nada.
How lovely! You can always buy a can of the popcorn repair spray at Lowes. No one would ever know! But the idea of hanging it with your mirrors does sound beautiful! Glad you're going to keep it. It's too pretty not to justify it!
-Hayley
What a great find!! Just beautiful!! Great pictures of it too!!
This chandelier is so beautiful. Can understand you don't want to sell it!!
Hope you have a great weekend.
Love Elzie
Wow Cindy! It's GORGEOUS!!! I would keep that one too. I just love chandeliers, I like to think of them as jewelry for your ceiling! Enjoy your new find. ~ xoxo ~ Joy
Cindy, there you go again finding lovelies! It is a beauty ~ are you sure you want to sell it? Boy, I'm impressed at your bargains. Have w wonderful weekend!
Shelia ;)
What a great buy... I know you will find just the right place for that beauty....
Hugs
Linda
Nothing like the glamor and glimmer of a great chandelier. And this one is gorgeous. Congrats on the great deal too!!
It's stunning. It actually looks great outdoors doesn't it :)
That's gorgeous! My Mom has an old chandelier stored away... maybe I should ask her if I can take it off her hands for her :)
Oooooh Cindy - that is so you!! I can totally understand why you would have a hard time parting with it! I love the idea of it hanging and reflecting in the mirrors since you can't use it in the bedroom!...Donna
Cindy, Very beautiful. I know you'll keep it. When I had my antique store it was SO hard to part with some things. I found that sometimes just bringing them home and "owning" them for a while helped, then I could take them back to the store. But sometimes I couldn't part with them. It was kind of a good way to find out. Diane
Cindy,
That is an amazing chandelier and what a great bargain! I think you should keep it, those chandeliers are getting harder and harder to find. I think you should wire it to hang in your bedroom (is there ANYTHING more romantic?!) and just get the repair stuff from Lowe's when you move! You go girl! Have a wonderful weekend! Blessings, Victoria Lynn
Oooh...no justification needed for keeping this beautiful chandelier! It's a work of art and a treasure indeed. I think hanging it where it will reflect off mirrors is an absolutely brilliant idea -- it will be stunning!
There is NO WAY I could sell that either! It is TOO Beautiful...will look wonderful hanging at the top of your stairs, can't wait to see the pics! I'm with you, I would definitely replace the gold drip sockets as well!!!
Til next time~
Jackie
I am in the exact sma eboat as you are. I adore chandeliers, chairs and mirrors, and have a really hard time parting with them.
You got a great deal! I look forward to pictures as well.
Have a good weekend! ~ Ann Marie
Hi Cindy,
Definitely a keeper. That is also why I will never have my own business because I want to keep everything I find. LOL!!!
Hugs,
LeAnn:)
Wow, what a deal, I hope you decide to keep it.
Wow! That is a great deal for that! Good for you for finding it and grabbing it before someone else did.
My first thought was how pretty it would be painted white. I was surprised when you said you were not going to paint it. After all you are the queen of painting. I think you are right though. It's nice to have some things just stay in their natural beauty.
Hugs
Joanne
What a wonderful find! I love lamps, whenever I come across a beautiful one I can help myself. I have to have it. ;-) Yours was really pretty!
I just love coming to "shop" with you! So clever. I have mentioned before that I'm not a paint-it-white gal, but you are wearing away that veneer and uncovering something I didn't know was there. I just love your mirrors! (Dare I say, I never considered myself a "mirror" person either?!?) I have a cottage/playhouse in my gardens that just might receive some white paint and a mirror or two. ; ) Thanks for the inspirational site. You're so authentic and fun!
that is so pretty! I've been keeping my eyes open for something like that to put on our patio. I think you should keep it...or send it to me! LOL.
I love your home!
That is SO beautiful. I just love it.
My kids have long told me I should buy and sell for e-bay because I'm so good and finding bargains.
I couldn't do it. It is much more fun finding things for my home at bargain prices but once it would be a business, I don't think it would be fun, anymore.
Can't wait to see a picture when it is all settled (hung?) in its' new home.
It would be awesome at the stair landing!!!!!!!! The crystals look
like they are high quality...it's so gorgeous! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
But, don't let me influence you,
do what you think is best! :)
Cindy, it is gorgeous and I would keep it too! I love it just as it is as well! I LOVE chandeliers and would have one in every room if I could, lol! I even plan to hang on in my secret garden from a tree branch! For looks of course!
Hugs,
Amy
You sure can find the prettiest things! You know, I've never tried Craigslist. But then, I'd never tried Marshalls until I started reading your blog!
Brenda
Cindy,
The chandy is gorgeous, and honestly, it's going to look wonderful where ever you put it.
I also think it looks wonderful outside on your patio. Maybe you should check on Craigs List for another one! :-)
Cindy it is beautiful! I would keep it too! I looked at one last night very similiar to that and on a similiar type of list and they wanted $300! What about adding a plug and hanging it from an old bird cage stand? No matter where you put it I am sure it will look lovely!! Susan in Nova Scotia Canada.
Cindy, gorgeous!!! Love it!! of course you can't part with it!!! i have the same problem.. I buy things to refinish and sell and then can't sell them..Linens, dishes and furniture..I actually have a chandelier in my dinning room I refinished in white...I bought it for $15 also in a box all dusty full of spiders and bugs.I will post it later today so ou can see..I painted mine white..Love it!!! Marlene from Cambria
WOW!! It's absolutely beautiful. I see that you and I have the same problem --we buy things because we love them and no way could we think of selling them. I have often thought that I should start a decorative store because of the wonderful things I have found. But, how could I part with these lovely things? What would I have left in my own home if I sold them? I guess I would have to start all over again! I just came home from Friday morning yardsaling in upscale Bergen County, NJ. I went to a decorator's home that was moving. The most wonderful things you've ever seen (and most of the items had some hefty price tags on them). But, I managed to get a few lovelies that I know I probably wouldn't have been able to afford if I had gotten them elsewhere. Thank God for yard sales!!! Joanne - glamourgirljoanne@yahoo.com
Cindy, I say keep it baby!
You could consider hanging it on your patio??? or from a birdcage holder??? or of course it would be beautiful on your stairway.... See?! you have options and I am an options kind of girl!
Liz
You can hang it from your "popcorn" ceiling....I've got that in my house and I've patched small holes easily. They now sell a spray can of "textured" white foamy stuff for about $10 bucks at Walmart & Home Depot. You just fill the hole normally and then spray some of this on and you can't even tell... check it out!
Cindy....beautiful chandelier. Find a old, chippy bird cage holder and hang it from that....it will look beautiful displayed that way and will still provide light as it is a bit higher.
Alice/Modesto, CA
i've been reading and enjoying your blog for several weeks now, after a friend told me about it. cindy, you have to keep this chandelier! it's so gorgeous, and so you. i'm very much a lover of flea markets and yard sales, too. my entire house is pretty much furnished this way. at first by necessity, and then by choice. i love the recycling aspect of it. thanks for sharing your beautiful home, and inspiring us with your creativity!
I had to comment again!
I LOVE that chandelier. Great find. I can't wait to see pictures after it's hung. You do such a great job!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Absolutely wonderful.. //Linda
oh my gosh girl
I love all your pictures on your blog, I am going to try the painted mirror frame thing. Where I live I have not found one person who loves all this fun stuff like you are doing. I have made a studio in my basement and I work down there ever evening after work.
my life has changed for the better since I found all the girly blogs on the internet.
keep the fabulous chandlier!!!!!
janice in Columbia Mo
oh my gosh girl
I love all your pictures on your blog, I am going to try the painted mirror frame thing. Where I live I have not found one person who loves all this fun stuff like you are doing. I have made a studio in my basement and I work down there ever evening after work.
my life has changed for the better since I found all the girly blogs on the internet.
keep the fabulous chandlier!!!!!
janice in Columbia Mo
Ok now I have to move to California to get good things from Craig's list it seems.
The chandelier is gorgeous keep it.
If you cant use it here you might find a purpose for it later on, but it nice lovely.
If you want it in the bedroom, why not swag it? They do sell kits for that.
Hi Cindy
Absolutely keep it! I bought one
almost identical to yours last year at an estate sale and I paid $175.00 for it! The only difference was that mine has little lampshades on the lights.
You got a wonderful deal as always!
Enjoy it!!
Hi Cindy; it's gorgeous! I was going to suggest hanging it from an old birdcage stand; then saw someone beat me to it!
I know that wherever you choose to place it in your lovely home, it will look beautiful!!
:)
Oh sooooo pretty. I like it. What a wonderful deal.
Ciao
Glenda
KEEP IT ~ KEEP IT ~ KEEP IT!! It's to die for!! If you want to put it in your bedroom have you thought about hanging it from an antique bird cage stand? My girlfriend does this and it works and looks so cute!
Have a wonderful weekend Cindy!!
Hugs~ Saralee
That's a beautiful chandelier. Could you hang it from a metal arm hanger that attaches to the wall (like a plant hanger)?
Janet
I vote to keep it! It will look beautiful wherever you decide to put it but what about swapping it out with the one in your dining room so it will be seen more readily by visitors to your home?
I inherited a 40-something year old crystal chandelier from my mother. It is dripping in crystal cups, drops and swags but in just 8
months or so, it has gotten sooo dusty and dirty! I DREAD the time-consuming task of taking it all apart to clean it, not to mention the risk of breaking pieces in the cleaning process. Does anybody have any good suggestions on how to easily clean an ornate crystal chandelier without disassembling it?
Shari: I just use paper towels and windex to clean the crystals for in-between cleanings. Just hold a paper towel behind the crystal and spray it with windex and dry it with the papertowel. I do it about every 3 or months.
This one I took apart to clean because it was so dirty and then it was really hard to figure out the correct place to put the crystals back.
It's absolutely beautiful and I am in love with it myself.Keep it, Cindy.
The chandelier is sooooo pretty! I think that you got a great bargain! I know what you mean about it being hard to sell things that you find! LOL!
Cindy,
I am happy for you, that you got a good price on the chandelier.
I think it would look beautiful,
anywhere in your apartment.
Have fun with it!
Best Wishes,
Andrea
I love it Cindy!!
I think it was a great price.
The crystals are worth it!!
Rosemary
Cindy~Just love your new lovely! Chandeliers are a weakness of mine, too. I "vote" to hang it in the stairway,tho! It would look so pretty reflecting in your mirrors. I have one that I transformed to a teacup chandelier and I have it hanging so that it reflects in a mirror and I love it!! Just "had" to paint mine white, tho!! Your is lovely as is.
Cindy, you find the best stuff!!!! I love the way the things that you buy always go together and reflect your style. You make it look easy, but I know it's not. It's so hard to stay focused on what will go in the room when you run across a good bargain. LOVE THIS BLOG,KSARRA
I don't blame you...I'd want to keep that too. Looks lovely hanging in the tree!
Ooooh,too too pretty to SELL....:)
And a Great Bargin too..!!! I can't wait to see what you do with it. Have Fun..!!!
Hugs to you,
Dianne
Oh Yes! You need to keep that beauty!
Penny
I think it's unanimous...... you have to keep it.... and lets face it we girls can never have to many sparkly things......
You can send it my way if you can't find a place for it.....
Rhonda
I don't blame you, Cindy, I would not be able to give it up either! It's simply gorgeous, and I can't wait to see where you place it...
Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo,
Mary
Hi Cindy,
WOW, I'm just thinking that a chandelier might be something that would look nice over my dining table. I really enjoy your blog and decorating ideas. I'm a garage sale, estate sale etc., gal. It's so much fun finding treasures.Have fun.
Maybe you could stop by my new blog, its Garagesalegal.blogspot.com
Thanks, Deb
Hi Cindy! I would absolutely keep it! I think it's beautiful, and it definitely looks older! I think the older ones have so much character!
I wanted to tell you that we too have "cottage cheese" ceilings~ at least for now~ and we drilled holes into the ceiling for a hanging canopy. Then we had to redrill (because the canopy wasn't centered) and I had to fill a few holes. It wasn't hard and you can not tell at all. I just used joint compound to fill them in and touched up the paint. Maybe your landlord would let you if you can fix it when you move!
The chandelier would look wonderful in your bedroom, but it will look great anywhere you put it! You are so talented at decorating and constantly amaze me with things I'd never thought of!
It's gorgeous, I would just hang it by a window if I had to and let the light sparkle and dance on those crystals! Keep it:>)
Truly gorgeous! I can see why you can't let it go :-)
Definitely a keeper here! Maybe you could rewire for plug in and use it in your garden? On a stand or suspended from the tree as you were showing? At least until you have a place where you can poke holes and hang whatever you want!
Hi Cindy, I thought I found a pretty good bargain today, added it to my blog and then checked out yours....you win, hands down! It's absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes things are just too good to pass along...it's totally fine to keep it! What fun to find a great bargain...it's half the fun!
Kelly
countrylivinginindiana.blogspot.com
Hi Cindy,
That would make a great drawing prize!! ;)
No, seriously, that is gorgeous!! I would keep it if I were you. I am sure you will find a great place in your home for it.
Keep up the great inspirations for us all. I look forward seeing the "befores" and "afters" on your projects. I have even tried a few of your techniques and they have turned out great.
Thanks and have a great weekend :)
Thank you for your nice response to my new blog. I haven't yet figured out how to respond to your comment, so sorry for leaving it here, especially when you've had such tremenduous on this wonderful chandelier. I hope you visit often! Kelly
countrylivinginindiana.blogspot.com
That sounds like the perfect spot for it! Can't wait to see it up. Knowing you, you have probably already hung it yourself and your sitting back admiring it as I write!LOL.
Hugs~Kelly
Hi Cindy!
I've been gone for so long I'm trying to catch up with everyone. I love the chandelier. And I can always justify a purchase if I think hard enough.
We sell chandeliers you know on our website: www.nunniesattic.com. Check it out if you have some time.
Love,
Julie
Have you thought of putting a ceiling medallion around the base where it goes into the wall? Do you know what I'm talking about? I have them on all of my chandeliers, and I LOVE them. Everyone that notices my chandeliers comments on them. Lowes sells them and I think they start at $15 or maybe less. The ones I bought were white with rosettes--very cottage charm. They sell small ones for homes like ours and even huge ones for people that live in mansions,(haha)! Just an idea.
I love your new find, don't change a thing. It really has a vintage shabby feel, I could SO see it hanging in a boutique exactly the way it is now.
Cindy! What a wonderful deal-steal seeking angel you have on your shoulder. Have you thanked HER lately! One of the most lovely chandeliers made just for the home (not a hotel) that I've seen. Your plan to keep its vintage patina is spot on. Enjoy! - Pam P.- a reader
Cindy, that is such a beautiful chandelier.. and looking forward to see how it looks once hang in your home..
Cindy
Why not leave it where it is for summer? It looks great outdoors!
Cindy, You can't sell this! It will be perfect reflecting light on all your pretty mirrors. Great buy once again!
Cindy, I know why a shop would be limiting. I too could not part with any of it. After all the work you do , it must be like a birth. How do you part with a "child". Your blog is so much fun each day to visit.Thanks for sharing so much of yourself.
Cindy:
You are so much like me and I am so much like you. I could never own my own business because I would buy everything I had to sell. I absolutely love the chandelier and agree with you that you should not paint it. I looks so very vintage in its present condition. Beautiful just like you!!!
Debbie Kay
What a great find. I looked for a chandelier just like that at a reasonable price for nearly two years and then got impatient and bought a new one. You're lucky that it still has so many crystals, too.
Hummm, maybe make it a plug-in and hang it from some type of a shepherd's hook in your bedroom. Some type of hook mounted to the stud on the wall?? Then it would still hang, but not from the ceiling???
Blessings,
Sher
Love that chandie! You need to keep it for sure!
Penny
I want one like this only a little smaller for my master bathroom. I will have to check out Craig's list.
Shaun
www.roomswithaview.typepad.com
What a great find!! Good for you.
Did you do the dance?
Love Julia
Cindy, You came across a great find and those are always hard to give up. If you did, you would be thinking about it all the time. I think the reflection in your stairway will be perfect.
Bonnie
I don't blame you for not wanting to sell it. It's absolutely beautiful! If you do sell it, you will no doubt find a buyer quickly.
Kady
I think you definetly should keep the chandelier Cindy! It is one of the loveliest ones I've seen
Oh, you have to keep it! My sister just bought one, it was very dirty, and the people she bought it from said they just took it down to put up a ceiling fan, can you imagine??? Hers is not as elegant as yours, but she is going to paint it white, I wish she would do a blog, she recovers and repaints everything and is talented like you! Gee, I can't wait to see what you do next!!! You want to redo my house? HAHA!!
Hi Cindy!
I enjoyed catching up with you this morning! What a beautiful chandy - a treasure for sure and one that I would keep too!
xo,
Kim
Cindy, No need to justify this purchse, it's just beautiful! I can picture this chandelier being featured on TV, when you are taken on a tour of some movie star, TV show host, or rich and famous person's home!
I am in the same boat as you. No shop for me, as every room in my home would be filled with treasures that I was unable to part with. Same goes for NOT being able to raise puppies to sell for profit! Couldn't part with them, either!
Gail
Wow, what a great find!
"Chairs and lighting fixtures~my two weaknesses"...Yes!
Hi Cindy :)
That chandelier is gorgeous!! I can't believe you found it for that cheap and then got an even better deal on it. You are amazing :)
I'm off to go check out My Cottage Dream....
hugs,
rue
Hi Cindy,
WHat a steal, That chandelier is diffinitly a keeper, its fabulous!
Your blog is lovelier then ever Cindy... I hope your having a blissful summer :)
Jo-Anne
Hi, cindy, that is such a keeper chandy! I hope you don't get rid of it, it's just gorgeous.
And, absolutely you can copy me on that comment verification thing. It just drives me crazy & I hope more bloggers will take heed of that & stop it. It's just not necessary!
Thanks!
Rhoda
Very Pretty Cindy...you made need to keep it! Looks fun outside too:)
smiles,
kayellen
I would so keep it! But I am going to play devils advocate! If you have one that is similar and you don't really need it, but you just want it-maybe you should sell it and buy something with the money that you really love, need and/or want!
Lets be serious though-we fellow decorators/shoppers don't really "need" anything persay-we just want all kinds of stuff!
Stuff is what my hubby lovingly refers to it at! I call them lovely things that I love and need!
I love your blog! I love your talent at making old things new and incredible! You have a gift and i am so jealous that you were on HGTV! Did I mention that I so want my backyard to look like yours! It is so lovely and inviting!! thanks for sharing your talent with us blog friends! I love new friends-so if you get a second from your job, kids and all your 95 comments-stop by-I would love it!!
Cindy,
I love it! Have you thought about
hanging it outside on your patio?
It sure does look nice in the picture.
Joan
I love it!! It is an absolutely "I have to keep item". I have a question though. How do you clean your chandeliers? They have so many pieces and I know you can't just throw it in a sink full of water. Do you wipe each and every crystal? I almost bought one but the guy who was selling it took a break and when I went back to get it his wife was there on the phone and ignored me so I took it as an omen it wasn't mine to have and left.
Cindy,
That is so pretty. It even looks pretty in your garden. We had a real crystal chandelier in our old house and I wanted to take it but the realtor convinced me it would be a good selling point, I really wish I hadn't listened to her. Good deal!!
The chandelier is gorgeous. I would have trouble parting with it too. I also wanted to tell you how much I love all your "blue and white Stuff". I have always loved that color combination. Have a great night. Jean
I have missed looking at your blog for the last several days while I have been travelling. You have so many pretty treasures and projects, I don't know which to comment on first? I guess I'll start with your lovely chandelier. It is just beautiful, and somehow all those crystals look right at home glistening in the leaves of that tree. Beautiful pictures! And your mirror looks fabulous. I would love to try your painting techniques, but somehow I think it takes a lot more talent than you think to get such great results. And I must check our Michael's for urns. Those look so versatile, and so pretty with your hydrangeas. Thanks for a great visit!
It is a keeper Cindy!! And you got a really good deal! Also love your latest mirror~it turned out so beautiful!
Have a great week!
Cat
Cindy, what a bargain! Good for you! I think putting it at the top of the stairs sound tres chic! It is beautiful- I wouldn't be able to part with it either!
That is georgeous!
Lucky you! I love the rainbow reflections in the glass! My mother gave away a similar lamp to a thrift store without telling me first....oh my...but at least it went to charity. Looks simply beautiful!
Good morning Cindy!! I haven't had a chance to review your blog in a while so thought I would hop on and see your latest adventures. I love that chandalier, I bought one a while back that is almost exactly like that one. Mine is a smaller version and it didn't have the crystals. I found it at a thrift store around the corner from my house and I only paid $4.99!! I was thrilled at the price and snagged it up. I took it home and showed my husband and he hated it...at first. It was really ugly and we had no place to hang it. I rewired it...so I could plug it in...painted it and hung it on a bird stand in my living room. After he saw how nice it looked when it was painted he told me I did a pretty good job! Then came the hunt for the crystals. I knew if I waited long enough and searched high and low I would find the crystals. To my luck, and amazement, I did find the crystals but didn't buy them because the guy wanted $1.00 per crystal and I needed at least 35 of them. I came home and told my husband so we went back to look at them. I guess the guy hadn't had any other offers and I told him I needed quite a few so he told me to pick what I needed and he would make me a deal. I ended up with almost 70 crystals for $3.00!! I was so happy and now I just have to find the time to put them on my pretty little chandalier! Sorry for babbling but I just had to share my excitement!! Have a great day and I love your apartment more and more every single day!
Terri
Nebraska
NO dont keep it!
its ugly!! bblllhhh! bblllhh!
I take it off your hands for you so you wont be burdened.
smiles,
Sandy
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