Saturday, August 20, 2011

A New Light - An Easy Thrift Store Lamp Revision


At this point in my life, I pretty much know what I like. One of the nice things that comes with age is that we no longer need to buy trendy items to feel like we fit in.


Some of the things in my home (and wardrobe, for that matter) are quite old things. Some things I've had since I was a child, (No, not the clothing!). Others I've had since my first apartment in college. I've continued collecting items that interest me. (I plan to post photos of some of my favorite things later this week.)


Though I still like and will keep the old things I love, it's fun to freshen things up! Earlier this year, I devised a plan to revamp my home. My plan involves fresh paint on the walls, moving furniture and objects to different rooms and redoing my color palettes. (More on that later as well.)


I LOVE color, but I also love the absence of color. My personal style is sort of an eclectic mix of old objects with patina, tarnish and a variety of textures. I also like "real" art. (On my budget - much of it is from thrift stores.) I love mirrors, candlesticks, old books, boxes, small tables, old linens, rusty metal, tarnished silver, old keys, interesting lamps and the list goes on.


My focus the past month has happened to be on lamps. I think the new versions of drum shades can really freshen up a room without making a lot of other changes. I began looking for new lamps for my rooms, as well as new shades for some of my favorite lamps. I also Googled "how to make drum shades" several ways, but didn't find much out there. I'm working on some now, and if they work, I'll post them next week!


The first project I'd like to share with you is a lamp - the kind you see all the time at Goodwill. Sometimes, you'll even see pairs of them! I purchased this lamp for $1.91 and set it aside while I looked for a shade.


One Friday evening a couple of weeks ago, I was shopping at Ross. I decided to see what they had in the way of lampshades, and to my delight, found a lovely feminine drum shade for only $6.99! Today, I married the two. The makeover team included Krylon Spray paint, Scotch Blue painter's tape, Reynold's Wrap and a drop cloth. See below for the results:


This is the before photo. See - she has good bones!


Here comes the makeover team!


Prep work - using the Reynold's Wrap and the painter's tape 
and cover anything you don't want painted.


Spray the lamp, following the directions on the can. Hold the can 6 inches away, and spray several light coats to cover instead of trying to get full coverage in one coat. When spray paint is too heavy, it drips. If this happens, let it dry and sand it a bit, then repaint using lighter coats.


Be sure to get all the nooks and crannies - underneath the turnings. Take time to let the paint dry between coats.


Meanwhile, unwrap that adorable bargain lamp shade!


Here she is, revised and feeling like a brand new girl!


Ah, what a little makeup and a new hairstyle can do! 

Word of the Day:
Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world. 
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. 
Instead they put it on its stand, and 
it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, 
that they may see your good deeds 
and glorify your Father in heaven.

Shine on!
Revi

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love your blog, love your lamps, love you!

Cassie Bustamante said...

SO much cuter! i think i would have passed that lamp up before!

Revi said...

Thanks, Cassie! It never ceases to amaze me what a fresh coat of paint can do. :)

Bohemian said...

What a sweet vignette! Like you I am beyond trends... never much liked not being authentic to Self even though my own Style and tastes tended to be outside the box. *winks* I'm just a lot more comfortable surrounded by the things I Love and wearing what I like regardless of popular opinion... it just feels right doesn't it?

Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

farmhouse-story said...

hi revi,
your lamp turned out just darling! thank you so much for your sweet comments:) this is a lot of fun, huh?!

Barbara Jean said...

So sweet. I have a lamp I need to spray too. Time, not enough time. =)
blessings
barbara jean

Revi said...

Hi Barbara Jean,
Thanks for visiting and for your compliment! On this lamp, I had Krylon, and also some store brand white. I thought it would be a good idea to use the store brand as primer. It was rough-textured and after spraying a bit, it began to drip profusely! I had to toss it. Another dollar down the drain. :) I decided the $4 can of Krylon covers better, has a smooth finish and doesn't drip. In this case, I really got what I paid for. Oh, well.

On the bright side, when you pay $1.91 for the lamp, you can afford to invest a little more in the paint!

Blessings back at you!

Revi

Anonymous said...

Wow! That is very cool, thanks for the tutorial also,
Celeste, The Victorian Tailor

Revi said...

Hi Celeste! Thanks for stopping by and following. It's not much of a tutorial - "open the can of spray paint and shake..." I just wanted to show a very forgetable lamp could be made cute. I'm going to hop over and see what you're up to today!
-Revi

Sandi said...

What a great lamp makeover! Looks so much better now.
Blessings~

Revi said...

Thanks, Sandi! And thanks for stopping by. I think I'll head over to your place now...
Is that you in your photo? What an adorable little angel!
-Revi

The Feathered Nest said...

Hi Revi!! It's so nice to meet you! What a gorgeous transformation!!! I love making old things new again ~ you truly are a kindred spirit....wishing you a wonderful weekend, hugs and love, Dawn

Ethereal PLUS what I Love said...

The lamp looks great ...don't you just love paint!