brass candlesticks | Planting Sequoias

In our tiny little apartment and on a similarly small budget, I sometimes feel as if I’ve wrung out the maximum amount of creativity I can from the possessions we currently own.

But then I think, “is that a dare to myself?,” get a little glint in my eye, and begin prowling around the apartment in search of things to do.

(Ken knows to stay out of the way when I get like this.)

This is a project born out of one of those prowl-y times.

I had these three faux-brass candlesticks that I picked up for $.49 each (why yes, my mind is like a steel trap when it comes to remembering the price of anything I purchase). Last summer I gave them their initial makeover by spray painting them, um, brown. Well, the spray paint can read “bronze,” but really it was just brown, if we’re being honest.

I think I thought that it was sort of a “grown-up” color, and perhaps it is. But I am learning that I just don’t always like brown.

So I snatched them up and began the makeover of their previous makeover, which meant coating them in some nice purple paint.

(I see your concern about my table’s protective covering…aka coupons…but can assure you that I was not going to use these. Don’t fret.)

The color I used was Valspar’s Purple Royalty. I did two coats to cover up all of my errant brush marks and then coated it all with some polycrylic for a nice glossy finish.

I am pretty sure that between this and the purple herringbone rug I recently painted, I’ve maxed out the amount of purple Ken will allow in this apartment…but unfortunately for him, there’s still paint left in that little sample can.

Now that I’ve painted these, I’d like to get some pure white candlesticks or do something crazy with the cream ones I currently have (and are therefore free since I already own them…win), but we’ll see where I end up.

Oh, and as for your perfectly valid concern that our future house will be decorated like a circus mixed with rainbows and unicorns, don’t worry. We’re using this apartment as a sort of testing grounds to determine our future style of decor…and it probably won’t be like this in a house. But I guess I can’t promise anything, so you’ll have to wait and see.