Goodwill Lamp Re-Vamp

As I was browsing through Goodwill one day (as I often do), I saw this big yellow lamp & it caught my eye immediately because of its gorgeous shape. And because it was half-off day, it was a beautiful $3. It would have had me at $6.

My plan from the beginning was to put it on my hall table, but to do that, it needed to be painted. I actually liked the yellow, but it wouldn't work where it needed to go, so I went for my favorite Krylon metallic silver.

What separates this paint from other metallics I've tried is that this one gives a truer reflective finish, very similar to silver leafing, but with the convenience of a spray!

A couple coats of that & it was shiny & new. But, I thought I heard it screaming "Look at me, I'm spray-painted!". It was so perfect & consistent, it was obvious that it had just been made-over, rather than found in a nice home dec store. It lacked dimension & texture. In cases like this, it's a good idea to to a little "antiquing". So, I took a little craft paint (this time Raw Umber), & brushed on a tiny amount in the detailed areas of the lamp. Then, before it dried, I wiped most of it back off, giving it an aged effect.

Notice the difference?

I also chose to re-wire it, as I recommend doing if you buy an old lamp like this. You can get a kit like this at Lowe's or HD & follow the instructions on the package.

With a new linen drum shade, the project was done!

I'm linking up to these parties...

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