When I was growing up, I always remember having this big, brass candle holder in our living room. We would put a candle ring on it when we brought out the Christmas decorations, but it otherwise sat neglected in a corner. It ended up in the garage for a few years and finally my mom brought it to me to sell in the shop. I guess there are people out there who like 1970's decor and brass, so I put it in the shop. No takers. No surprise. So, I was going to donate it to Goodwill, but then I saw this picture posted by BJ at Sweet Nothings.
She was inspired by these large Pottery Barn candle holders (on left) and actually hunted for some tall brass holders - just like the one I couldn't unload. She finally found some and painted them black to copy the look of the holders she loved in the PB catalog (on right.) Don't her copies look great? Now, as most of you know, I paint e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Why didn't I think of this? I think when you've had something since childhood, it's hard to look at it in a new way. So, here's the candle holder in all of it's ugly brassiness on my equally ugly kitchen floor (and in a bad photo, I might add.)
And here it is as it always wanted to be - painted in a sleek Oil Rubbed Bronze finish. I love it so much, I'm not sure if I want to sell it anymore. All I need now is a candle ring to dress it up for Christmas!
Thanks, BJ, for showing me something I didn't see on my own.
My Dad left this comment: "Just for the record, that candlestick holder came from a small shop in Dongdu Cheon-ni, Korea where I bought it for your mother. There was a little old Korean man who had a small smelter and who collected spent brass from the US Army range firing to make things to sell back to the GIs. We have several brass figurines around our house including a model of the tank I was on. I might get you to "blacken" that one some day. " I'm keeping that candle holder for sure, now. :)