Big, Cheap, Ugly light fixture for the Master Bedroom

Yes, I know... it looks like something people put over their pool tables in the '70s. My friend Dan May, from Dan May estates said to Christina, "Do you have a game room?" since that probably seems like the only reason someone would want this fixture. It actually appears to be exactly the right size for the master bedroom. It makes about a 4.5' triangle shape

looking up pics of "'70s wrought iron light fixture" I noticed it was missing the shade

https://retrophoria.com/seller/SANTACLARASTUDIO/2-Vintage-Wrought-Iron-and-Amber-Glass-Hanging-Lights/

I discovered ours was missing the shade but decided to simply use large vanity globes and ignore the shade for the sake of simplicity.

I got the parts for the base that were missing in the Lamp Parts section of Ace Hardware. The brass thing on the left is just to cover a hole that was probably for a switch (hole on the right). The brass thing on the right is a finial (cap) and lamp nipple (threaded tube) to connect the base to the ceiling. 

The paint was an awful "brown with hints of scratched gold" finish and it needs to be black to match the other black painted metal fixtures and our bed frame. 

WOW it looks so much better in black

It's nice to have the lamp nipple (threaded tube) long enough so you can hold the fixture up while you wire it then tighten down the finial (decorative nut) when you're done. 

I had to touch up the paint with the fixture up there because the chains move around as it settles into place. I had to give it a few shakes and wiggles to get it to sit as the chains and wires can bind together.

The room is pretty dark with the gold curtains so I opted for 2 100W globes

I usually put in a light bulb after I connect the wires and turn on the light to make sure it's working. It also helps to know that the connections are solid while you tighten down the finial because you can see if the light starts flickering. 

It looks pretty sweet like this but I'm going to put the glass back in because it goes with the yellow window glass and gold curtains. 

Time to clean the glass

WOW this looks way better than I thought it would. It's the perfect size and shape and matches the curtains, windows and other lights I've added. $20 plus some small lamp parts, spray paint and light bulbs! Awesome. 

Looks awesome with those curtains which have black fleur-de-lys rod ends

The glass behind the curtains is yellow too! 

While that turned out an awesome success! I might have to bail on the candelabra I was building from scratch... 

It even matches the laundry room light and this wall light I got for $10 that came with the Spanish gothic light fixtures I got for the living room  

Alameda Thrift Haul

Evan and I have a routine most Saturdays that starts with coffee and is followed by a trip to Alameda to do some thrifting. Our favorite place to go is Redux. It's an amazing little shop that is also part art gallery and has incredible salvaged items for insane prices (as seen below...). Today's trip was a grand success; we bought plenty of goods for the house and kept the cost under $50. Here's what we got!

6-pack Mushroom shooters for $2

splattered mixing bowls for $5.50/each

condiment set for $2

embroidered kitchen towels for $2/each

retro "Cooling Dishes" cookbook for $2

pyrex dish with brass stand for $5.50

not even sure what this Planter's Peanuts dish is for but it is awesome and cost $1

(maybe) Moorish brass pitcher ($5) and vase ($4)

cast iron candle holders for $3/each

More suitable MB sink

I sold the Crane Drexel and got an era-correct (for the house) sink for the master bathroom. As has been discussed earlier, the master bath had a sink from '40 which is when I believe the master bath was created in what was originally the only bedroom's changing room. 

Since the lower bath is pretty good shape and the upper bath, also from '27 it appears, is pretty good except for the shower. To make things cohesive, I decided to make the master bath into a '27 appropriate style. 

Naturally I started looking for a wall sink or pedestal sink. I found one in good shape for $275 from '28 that is 27" wide which is PERFECT. The plumbing fixtures in the house that are original are dated '28 because the house probably took a year to build since plumbing fixtures are installed very close to the end of construction since they get in the way during the finish construction (except the tub which goes in before the tile if it's a built-in). 

The faucets have been replaced but are style appropriate and don't need to be refurbished with gaskets etc. 

A side note - you can see the '28 sink is about 3" below where the Drexel sink was set. The '28 sink is 30" tall (to the flat top surface around the sink). That would make the Drexel 33" tall. Modern pedestals are 33-36" tall. Why are sinks getting taller? I was reading on deabath.com that was for two reasons. People are healthier 90 years later and therefore taller. Another reason is people used to wash up in the sink while sitting on a chair. The sink stopper is much less used these days because people used to boil a kettle of hot water to pour in the sink and use to wash up their hands, face and hair etc. for the majority of their washing needs. Now that hot water heaters are ubiquitous, people use the sink mostly for hand washing and to wash the face before and after bed. Everything else is done in the shower. Baths are less common because it was so much work to draw water for a bath, by lighting the boiler in the basement, that one really wanted to relish in the luxury of hot water.

Anyway I think the sink looks fitting for the house. It looks decent next to the $100 dual flush toilet from Home Depot that I think is pretty awesome.  That's a crazy price for a well made, good-looking dual flush toilet! A vintage toilet would match better, but  we're in California and we have a drought so you'll just have to get over  it.

Next I'm looking around for a good center drain tub for the master to replace the vanity make-up desk. It would look amazing for a center drain tub there because the window is centered on the symmetrical desk. 

HOWEVER - center drain deco tubs are insanely expensive because they are so rare (and so cool). I might have to get something new which is... 2K used if you're lucky. Sigh... 

Crane Drexel Repair

I decided to sell the pretty-cool-but-not-right-for-the-house Crane Drexler ca. 1940. I hooked up the new hoses to the new copper supply lines and turned it on and it acted like it was possessed, rusty water squirting everywhere. I needed to fix this if I wanted to get good money for it.

Off the wall ready for repair

Had to get clever with pieces of pipe and the crescent wrench to get the valves out

Since the spout of the sink is integral to the sink body, the valve bodies themselves are sealed to the body and empty into a chamber that mixes hot and cold and then they water goes out the spout. The valves were leaking where they were sealed to the body. 

Once I got that valve out of there - the part on the right is the valve body that seals to the porcelain body of the sink to go to the spout. The hole is where water from the open valve goes into the sink body. On the left is the cartridge which is two pieces and threads into the main body. At the bottom is the valve seat washer which combined with the valve body creates the "water gate" actuated by a threaded shaft and cross handle.

Valve body is 1&1/4" so 1&1/4" sink drain gaskets work well

Little Vaseline for good measure

This is the valve seat washer. Very warn compared to new

Cleaning out where the old gaskets were leaking

A little pipe thread sealer

The valve body should be tighter to the sink body than the cartridge because the cartridge is supposed to be serviceable so you don't want the rest of the valve to turn when you try to take out the cartridge to replace the seat washer. 

That thing in top opens the drain and was working. 

I got it working! 

So that's how you service a Drexel sink.