Ever bought something for your home that was close but not quiiiiite right? But it’s on sale or a superb deal, and you think you can find a place for it? Or make it work anyway? Yeah, that’s me all the time.

Several months ago I bought these great candle sconces from World Market during an online sale. Unfortunately when they arrived, they looked way more gray and rustic than they did in the pictures. I was hoping for “urban industrial” and got “rural agrarian” so something needed to change. The answer? Stained sconces.

I had been planning on hitting them with a light coat of stain and calling it a day. However, when I had to buy some Minwax spray Polyshades for my dresser DIY project, I decided to see if I could kill two projects with one spray.

The sconces were easy to take apart with just three screws holding the metal base onto the wood. My eyeglasses kit screwdriver saved the day and the wood was ready for spray in no time flat.

After the first light coat of Polyshades, the wood was still looking pretty dusty and gray. I hit it with another round after about 10 minutes and decided to leave it there for the evening.

The next morning when I checked on the sconces, I was surprised to find that the finish had darkened considerably overnight. Not a bad surprise, mind you, just not what I had expected given how they looked when I left them. When I held them next to our bed, I realized I had jumped past the wood tone I was aiming for and gone about a shade and a half darker. Fortunately, they are still significantly more aligned with our style now than before, so up they go!

I’m super happy with how quick and easy it was to transform these stained sconces from shabby to industrial chic. Now to find the perfect remote-controlled LED “candles” to put in them!