Bulbs

• If the fixture is equipped with ordinary frosted glass light bulbs, consider replacing them. Swap them for clear glass bulbs instead. Clear glass emits more usable light and might permit you to lower the bulb wattage, cutting your electricity costs slightly while not diminishing your ability to see. If the ceiling fixture hangs above a dining room table, install bulbs with bent tips, textured or faceted glass or some which flicker and mimic the flame of a candle.
  
  If your ugly fixture is installed in a hallway ceiling, replace the existing bulbs with pastel colored bulbs which produce a soft pink, blue, yellow or green tinted light. Bulbs of this type may help accent a particular color in your wallpaper or other furnishings.
  
  

Chain Pulls and Charms

• If your ceiling fixture is equipped with a pull chain, replace or upgrade it with a newer and shinier one. Chains are available in silver, gold or bronze colors which you can easily trim to length using a set of wire cutters. If your chain is plain or dulled from wear, add a pull chain with a fancy charm. On a fixture in a child's room, install a miniature baseball or princess charm. For a light in the parlor, a china, clear glass or tinted acrylic charm might fill the bill. In an office, use a polished brass or pewter chain or charm. Many home improvement and lighting stores carry a wide selection of pull chains and charms.
  
  

New Glass

• If your ceiling fixture is a chandelier, replace the individual glass shades with ones of a new color or texture. If it is equipped with hanging faceted crystal prisms, install a new design--perhaps ones made of colored glass or of a different shape. If it's a flush-mounted round ceiling light installed in the kitchen, a new glass cover might dress up an otherwise tired looking fixture. For a pendant style hanging light, add a new glass shade in an eye-catching color such as cobalt blue. Given the thousands of lighting accessories on the market, your choices are almost unlimited.