Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Lamp Refurb



I really love the funky acrylic lamps that have become quite popular. I've checked them out at Target, Home Goods, even Walmart and they are pricey (and of course, the ones I like best are the most expensive!) I was at the DI (looking for some pots and pans for my brother who had borrowed one of mine that I for sure didn't want to lose forever) when a lamp with potential caught my eye!

Yup, this lamp could help me get the look of the expensive acrylic one.






It had a slightly bent frame and the lightbulb socket was completely skiwampus, but I just knew it needed a bit of love.

Materials you need:

Small flat head screwdriver
Spray-on primer
Metallic spray paint (I used Krylon)
Forlorn lamp looking for a new lease on life

First thing I did was take a picture so that I would remember the order of all the parts (yup, I'm a thinker...sometimes). Then I disassembled it--pretty easy, there's a tiny set screw on the lightbulb socket, then just unscrew the socket, then all the parts just slid right off the interior pole.



I took the glass balls and washed them up and then used spray primer and silver spray paint on all the metal parts. The base of the lamp was a white/green marble and it also got painted (I thought about leaving it, but it just looked a bit dingy compared to all the new shiny silver parts).

There is a small electrical component that you have to take out (don't spray paint it), but it was really easy to disconnect and then reconnect when I was all done. Just take a picture and use a Sharpie to mark which wire connects to which screw.



Now, put back together it adds a fun bit of sparkle to the bedroom for way less than $10 :) I am going to keep an eye out for a more cylindrical shade and maybe pick up small ball to glue on the finial, but for now, I'm pretty happy!


2 comments:

  1. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!! I can't believe you found that at the DI. AWESOME!!!

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  2. Thanks Kim, I usually skip the Sugarhouse DI because it has such a terrible parking lot, but I'm so glad I went in. I think the man slowly looking at the vacuum cleaners right next to the lamp thought I was nutty for making such a beeline and snatching the lamp so quickly. Hooray for DI.

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