I just got these new lanterns and I love them.
We have a whole assortment of different eras represented on different doors around here, but the one in my front hall was the lame-o shiny kind..But I fixed it up good.
Originally I had thought about maybe just spraying it with a little Oil Rubbed Bronze, but then I remembered that warm metals are awesome..Someone had installed a little slide lock on the door at some point and it was made from some kind of cheap brass.I guess because of its cheapness, it had tarnished quicker than the door knob and it was exactly the kind of old-looking finish I was looking for.. OK, maybe pretty isn’t the right word for it.
But it’s more what I’m looking for to add character and stand out against my crisp new paint job.. Here’s how I worked my magic!.The first thing that needed to happen was to remove the clear varnish that was keeping the brass from tarnishing..
I read that a little vinegar mixed with salt and applied with a scouring pad does the trick.
I’m not totally sure if it worked, but I did notice the finish becoming less shiny and yellowy and more raw looking.It’s also nice to be able to turn on the scent by just flicking a switch rather than always having to light it.
Also, it might be just me and my nose who think this, but I’m pretty sure the candle pieces actually scent my home better than the actual little warming pellets that are meant for this thing.So, it’s just a good situation all around!.
I do end up with a few little pieces of wick floating around in there, but that doesn’t really bother me at all.Totally worth it for all that home freshening power and for the money savings too!.