apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Don't Paint It!

It's charm is the original condition - If you simply must have a different color (Colors Don't Clash) get another one.

I have done this, it's easy!

Make sure you really want to paint it though, I painted mine and now I wish I'd left the original color and patina on.

These fans are so easy to take apart, all you need is a screwdriver. then you can separate, clean and paint. I used regular spray paint. Once you get to the motorized part you can wrap it off with newspaper and spray around it.

The blades and cage I cleaned with a brillo pad and white vinegar.

Hope that helps!

I love the current color and think it would look fabulous w/your light sage green room.
I wouldn't touch the blades either -- they look fine! IMHO this fan is not in need of restoration.
Viva wabi-sabi!

No no no! That color is perfect. Please buy another one for the sage room and put this in a room where it will shine. (Or sell it to me.)

noooo!! don't paint it!

i agree with others... please don't paint this fan. how can this gorgeous turquoise blue not go with sage green?!?!

you ruin the vintage value if you paint it. such a shame. plus, the color as-is is beautiful and perfect.

otherwise, just get a chrome polish, take it apart with a screwdriver, and polish this baby up. that's ALL it needs. great find!

Concur -- leave as is. She's a beauty with her patina. All that change to one wee fan? Like sewing a shirt to a button.

LOL, I have a sage colored fan that I got for like 9 bucks on ebay years ago. I don't use it because it doesn't look nice with my turquoise walls.

I agree with everyone else: Don't paint it. It would ruin it. I have a turquoise Eskimo fan too and it's fabulous as it is. :)

Replace the cord if you are going to use it.
I once had a great looking old fan that I left on all night and woke to a smokey smell.

Don't paint it. The turquoise is the charm. Otherwise you can get a dopey copy at some home store. You have the real thing, don't mess it up.

Don't paint!

it's charm is in it's aged patina and that colour is beautiful, if you do want something white and shiny go get a retro looking new one and pop this beauty somewhere else in your home (or send it to me). i think that a fresh coat of glossy white spray paint would make it look really obviously painted and will clash with the original cage and blades.

It is as it should be. Embrace the fan...
Embrace the Fan!

Just leave her alone and get her a new cord. She'll be so much happier if you don't dye her hair (in this case, paint her.)

Get a matching throw pillow and print. Those two colors can look great together if it looks like it was done on purpose.

LOL. I almost bid on that exact same fan until my boyfriend started making comments about it slicing my fingers off.

Don't paint!

Okay, I know this is REALLY late to post this but I would like to give you my two cents. I understand how everyone on here wants to keep the original look of the fan, but that is not what this user was asking... I too have restored fans (3 fans and one light to be exact) and it really is not difficult.

You are going to want to take apart the fan in as many pieces as you can, the base, the arm, the fan blades (be careful with this section because if you bend the blades, it is really hard to get them back to their original position and your fan will be at risk of hitting the wire cage or wobbling), the motor section and the cage (that is two parts- front and back).

You will need to be extra careful with the motorized section because if you start painting the motor, you are asking for trouble. Take a brillo pad to all of the painted surfaces so new paint will stick to it and be sure to remove ALL rust. I used a dremel to clean the metal surfaces of the fan like the fan blades and the wire cage- I find the dremel definitely helps in getting into the nooks and crannies of the cage where other tools do not help.

To paint, fill all of the holes in the motor unit with something so that paint does not get in them. You can use painter's tape or paper towels, or something else along those lines. Using a rust proof spray paint, slowly paint the portions of the fan you wish to color. I also sealed all of the bare metal with a clear lacquer so I never had to worry about rust again.

One of my larger floor fans (which I painted a beautiful candy apple green) had a neat little racing stripe detail that had gotten all rusted and I really wanted to bring out that particular detail. To do this, I went to a local Toy Train and Modeling store and picked up some modeling paint in a beautiful matte gray to paint the small detail on the side of the motor unit.

I wish I had a photo of my floor fan that I could post because it is one of my favorite pieces to date.

I hope this helps.

Jessica
jhunt@cnymail.com

PS- The comment above was correct about putting a new cord on the fan, you are potentially putting yourself at risk if you do not put a new electrical cord on your fan because of the age of this piece. Good luck and feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions.