The Found Lamp
This bronze-tone desk lamp was in my stash from years- YEARS- ago. I was never sure if it worked because I didn't have the proper size lightbulb. I love the shape and size, so it just sat in a bag in the storage unit, waiting for destiny to unfold.
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| Desk lamp, before |
Yes, that's right, normal lightbulbs don't fit into the elongated dome and it never occurred to be to shop around for a custom size lightbulb. Turns out I didn't need to shop around, I just needed to wait (years) until someone was throwing out old, dusty, but unused lightbulbs. I found this.
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| Tubular light bulb |
The result is that I tested the lamp and it worked, as one always hopes a lamp does!
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| Working lamp! |
Next was the makeover, since the bronze color was juuuuust a bit too dull for my preference. Also there were some pitted bits, a dent on the top, and some other signs of wear which gave it a bit of a tired appearance.
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Detail of rusting
 | | Detail of dent on dome |
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| Detail of spotting/pitting on base |
The Lamp Makeover
It was around this time that I *finally* decided to try out Rub n' Buff (RnB), which according to the blogosphere can do miraculous makeovers on tired furniture pieces. I also had to decide between two colors of RnB that came in my sample pack. In a small area near the cord I tried one coat of 'Antique Gold' RnB vs. 'European Gold'. I could see that the Antique Gold is much more yellow, and the European Gold was a more copper-bronze color which was too close to the original and not bright enough.
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The difference between Antique Gold (bottom) and
European Gold (top) |
The difference between the original color and the Antique Gold RnB was even more striking on the top of the elongated dome of the lamp.
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| Original vs. 1st coat |
Here's the entire lamp after one coat of RnB, already lookin waaaaaay better and brighter.
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| Lamp after first coat all over |
You can see that the rusting on the top square part was able to be covered by the RnB.
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| After, no more visible rust |
Top of the lamp dome after one coat of RnB. There was also a learning curve in how to apply the product, it help to do one thin coat and then walk away in order to let it dry fully - if you try to apply more product too soon you will just end up wiping off the first coat!
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| After 1st coat, dome looking brighter |
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| Detail of the lamp base |
Final product!
The final made-over lamp after 3-ish coats of RnB looks so much bright and just more cheerful. I'm pleased with the way this turned out, easier than spray painting and a bit more shine than I've seen from gold paint. Expect more Rub 'n Buff freestyle makeovers in future.
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Desk lamp after makeover with
Antique Gold Rub 'n Buff |
Happy freestyling, don't be afraid to hold on to those useful little things. Minimalism doesn't always win over the practicality of knowing something will come in handy.
Tags: how to makeover a bronze lamp; bronze lamp makeover; rub n buff; using rubnbuff; using metallic wax to makeover a lamp; metallic wax on metal lamp; desk lamp makeover
