I recently was in New York helping my best friend from college with an apartment he had just purchased.  As he just bought a large mortgage and is gutting the kitchen, he was loathe to spend money on the only somewhat outdated bathroom. The biggest problem was the rusty, dated light fixture which spanned the vanity wall, seen above. Replacing the fixture would also require changing the mirror and quickly become a big project.
After cleaning and lightly sanding the backplate (windex!!), we decided to use rustoleum spray paint in a metallic dark bronze finish.  Edison bulbs were ordered online inexpensively for a quick update (found them HERE). The look is very industrial and of the moment: think restoration hardware.
What do you think of this quick and easy update? We were happy with our improvement!
 
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