If you follow us on Instagram, you know I’ve been trying to figure out a design dilemma in our dining room — the light fixture.  To make a long story short, our electrical is centered in the room but our dining room table is not because the kitchen “island” seating doesn’t really allow for a centered table. So why does that matter?

The Problem

If I bought a regular light fixture, the light would hang off-center in comparison to the table and would look a bit odd. So why not move the electrical to be centered over the new table? Great question. This was an option that we heavily considered, but ultimately decided against it because of our future kitchen makeover plans.

We’re considering ditching the counter seating altogether during that makeover, which will ultimately impact where the table is set-up in the dining room. The electrical box that now feels “way off” may be in the perfect spot after that switch. So we decided against the move (at least for now) and decided the only “temporary solution” for this design dilemma was finding a swag light.

I figured a swag light fixture would allow me the flexibility to hang the light wherever we needed thanks to the flexibility of a hook and chain (aka the swag). What I didn’t realize at the time is that almost all of the swag light fixtures available are either very expensive or extremely ornate. Finding a sleek, affordable, black swag light fixture proved A LOT harder than I ever thought it would be.

The “Solution”

I really loved this light fixture but it wasn’t a swag light and therefore, was not an option for now. But I still used that fixture as inspiration as I shopped around for swag fixtures.

That’s when I landed on this sleek, affordable fixture that was WAY less than it’s competitors. The only problem is that it wasn’t black. I wasn’t totally against the brass but I didn’t want the gold tones to be too matchy-matchy with my existing dining room table.

But there weren’t many other options to choose from, so I bought it and figured I would decide when it arrived whether to keep it brass or spray paint it black.

If you’re thinking, “OMG she did not spray paint a new light fixture, did she?!”… the answer is yes I did. And you’re not alone in thinking I’ve completely lost my mind. My family also thought I was straight crazy, but I promise it was for good reason!

I loved the brass color when the package arrived but didn’t love that the cord that ran through the swag chain was an orange-y/gold color (see above). I definitely could have lived with (and loved) the brass fixture, but not that orange/gold cord so spray paint it was.

Spray Painting A Light Fixture Black

I insisted on spray painting this fixture myself (with a safety mask on!) but my dad insisted even harder that I will not be doing any spray painting while 9 months pregnant. My dad won that battle and took over the spray painting job (I owe him… once again!).

When he brought the fixture back over, I could NOT be more excited about the new look. And for the record, even he was convinced painting it black wasn’t the worst idea in the world because it turned out so well. I’m sure he still thinks I’m crazy but that’s nothing new, right dad?!

Hanging a Swag Light

My dad didn’t do anything “special” to prep this fixture for the paint. So if you’re looking to do the same with a new (or old) fixture, taping it off and giving it two even coats of spray paint should do the trick. Just be careful when transporting it and installing the light so you don’t scratch any of the paint off. We surprisingly didn’t have this problem, but we were very careful during installation.

We measured and marked where we wanted the light to hang with a piece of painter’s tape.

Then we used a swag light hardware kit from Lowe’s to install the swag. These were the large hooks that can hold 60+ pounds but I ended up going with the smaller hooks (30+ pounds) because the fixture wasn’t very heavy. You can find these in the light section of any big box store for under $5 and use some of these tips for hanging!

I wasn’t in love with the ornate looking hooks, but that’s all I could find anywhere. It actually didn’t end up mattering too much though because the hook really blends in with the ceiling, you couldn’t even see the ornate detailing when it was all said and done.

A Black Swag Light Fixture in the Dining Room

Call me crazy, but I’m LOVING the new black light fixture. The look, the price tag, and the fact that it hangs in the center of our table makes me one happy girl!

Who knows if it will be up forever, it really depends on the kitchen remodel and the electrical box saga, but for now I could not be happier. What do you guys think?! Have I completely lost my mind by spray painting a NEW light fixture?

P.S. Don’t mind the plastic couch in the background… our built-ins were delivered this week and are being installed soon. Stay tuned!

Bridget