We were ready to replace two white fans in the new house, but I decided that I would try to repaint them first, and they actually turned out pretty nice.  I think we'll put them back up.  Here are some before and after pics of the first one.

and here are some of the second, smaller fan.  It wasn't that bad, but I just didn't want the white fan

First, I took the fan apart, one screw at a time

I placed the screws and pins on a sheet of paper and labeled each set because I knew I wouldn't remember where they went when I got ready to put it back together.  I also took pictures of each step (many more than I'm posting here) because, let's face it, I'm not an engineer!!

Next, I washed all pieces that I would be painting in hot water with Dawn dishsoap (my favorite degreaser!) and I used a sheet of 120 grit sandpaper to break the glaze on the original paint.

Then, I rinsed them and spread everything out to dry thoroughly.

When all parts were dry, I took them into the garage and spread them out on an old piece of paneling that I often use for paint projects

I sprayed  paint from all four sides to be sure that everything was covered well.

Next, I painted the fan blades black

I used Rust-oleum oil rubbed bronze, followed by a light coat of copper on the metal parts

I used Krylon Fusion black satin for the blades

FYI: Here is what your hands will look like when you finish painting....

which is why I keep a bottle of Goo Gone under the cabinet!

Then, you have to have the trusty Dawn to get the darn Goo Gone off!

Oh, and I pushed the screws that will show into a piece of styrofoam board and painted them to match.

after painting

Finally, I put it all back together after it dried for about 3 hours.  I used the pictures that I took to get it all back in the right place, and guess what?  No extra parts left over when I finished!!!  =)