New reproduction French style wood panel sconces were too rustic even for my post and beam master bathroom, but with a makeover, now blend with my French Country inspired house.
a f t e r m a k e o v e r
After a little sanding, new gold finish, and an added small wreath, the new made over wood panel sconce has more style than the original wood panel did. While the wood panel sconce is still rustic, wait until you see how rustic it was originally.
F R E N C H W O O D P A N E L S C O N C E
M A K E O V E R
before and after
Nothing tells the real story like seeing both the before and after photos in a makeover. The first photo above is the after.
Ready for the before?
b e f o r e m a k e o v e r
The wood panel sconces had great potential . . . but needed some work.
The left panel is in its new original condition; the right panel is after sanding during the makeover.
POTENTIAL
One thing you have to do when looking for items with character to use in your home is to see the potential, not the current state, of items. Look for good bones and sound structure.
The features that made buying these panels in their original state worthwhile are
- Solid wood with raised panels . . . not MDF or veneers
- Metal French-style double sconces . . . no plastic or resin
- Size . . . the width was perfect for using in a narrow wall space in my master bathroom.
- New electrical wiring . . . in voltage for American electrical current
LEFT panel
The wood panel sconce on the left was how the sconces looked before any work. The surfaces on both the wood panel and metal sconce were rough to the touch from heavy chippy white paint. These panels are reproductions so they were purposely aged with a rough paint job and rust.
There is a fine line between aged worn patina and new rough artificial chippiness. The line was crossed with these original sconces.
RIGHT panel
The wood panel on the right shows the first step in the makeover.
The metal double sconce was removed (shown reattached,) and the solid wood panel was sanded with a hand-held electrical sander. The first sanding was with a coarse-grit sand paper, around 180 grit, to remove the raised white paint. The second sanding was with a finer-grit sand paper, around 60 grit, to give a smoother finish and to spread the fine white paint dust into the wood to create a white washed look instead of a chipping paint look.
The refinished wood sconce is more rustic than the white-washed door next to it, but blends with the unfinished and white-washed woods in the house. A light coat of clear wax was applied to the wood.
The width of the panel is perfect for the wall space.
After sanding both the wood panel and the metal sconce, Rub 'n Buff Wax Metallic Finish in Antique Gold applied to all the metal parts gave the sconce a nicer finish, yet still a rustic look. More Rub 'n Buff needs to be applied to the black screws used to reattach the sconce to the panel.
A new gold metal holly wreath is the finishing touch to add more French style to the sconce. The wreath came with a large opening to use for hanging the wreath. The large opening for hanging was used to attach the wreath to the wood with a large flathead screw. Before attaching the wreath to the wood panel, the screw got a coat of Rub 'n Buff also.
The overhead beams and ceiling make the master bathroom dark. The new wood panel sconce is to give more light, not just be decorative.
The two candle light bulbs could have shades attached, but shades would limit the amount of light. Using frosted bulbs reduces the brilliance, but allows maximum light.
The fixture was hard-wired, but it was relatively easy to convert the fixture to a plug-in lamp using a cord from the hardware store. On the to-do list is to make a fabric cord cover or to buy a metal cord cover from the hardware store.
One possible makeover was to paint the wood sconce panel solid white to go with other white wood in the master bathroom.
However, the wood panel sconce retains an old-world French Country charm by choosing some of the natural wood grain to remain after the makeover. The rustic finish of the double metal sconce may be too rustic for a smooth white painted wood finish.
Would you have painted the wood white or would you have left the natural wood with some of the chippy white paint?
S O U R C E S
Gold Holly Metal Wreath - Target Hearth & Hand Christmas (not in stock)
Plug-In Lamp Cord - Home Depot
Rub 'n Buff Wax Metal Finish, Antique Gold - Michaels
Double Sconce Wood Panel - Botanic Bleu, in-store only
However, the wood panel sconce retains an old-world French Country charm by choosing some of the natural wood grain to remain after the makeover. The rustic finish of the double metal sconce may be too rustic for a smooth white painted wood finish.
Would you have painted the wood white or would you have left the natural wood with some of the chippy white paint?
S O U R C E S
Gold Holly Metal Wreath - Target Hearth & Hand Christmas (not in stock)
Plug-In Lamp Cord - Home Depot
Rub 'n Buff Wax Metal Finish, Antique Gold - Michaels
Double Sconce Wood Panel - Botanic Bleu, in-store only
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