Fauxbulous Marble Lamp Makeover Part 2: The Lamp Gets a Shade

 The Find

From a previous post you might recall that earlier this year I found a table lamp (without a shade and with a large crack) and decided to repair it and revamp it with a fabulous faux finish (fauxbulous) inspired by marble and alabaster table lamps.

But of course, the refinished lamp needed a shade, and maybe another level of marble inspiration.....

The Makeover

I tried some different shades that I had in the house, along with random fabrics already in my possession.  Here are some examples of the fabric options I considered.

Dark fabric lampshade

Dark floral fabric option

Fish fabric fun

The coral pattern fabric had some of the same colors used in other parts of my living room. Seafood green is always a strong contender.

Seafood green and beige coral pattern fabric

The Liberty of London 'Hera' pattern was looking really really promising (because blue and white, obvi!)....

Lamp with Hera fabric option

...but I couldn't get the idea of a marbled-paper lampshade out of my mind (probably because I've been reading a lot of House & Garden UK).  So off to the fancy paper store I went. The in-store selection of decorative papers was wide, but there weren't any of the marbled pattern papers of the type that I *****really***** wanted - the kind where there is recognizable repeat pattern over the entire sheet but with subtle variation that comes from being handmade. In the end I settled for this lovely blue and white random marbled paper.  For less than $7 I was willing to take a chance.

Hand-made Marbled paper

I used double-sided tape around the top and bottom and at the vertical seam and pressed the paper to the outside of an existing shade.  I cut the paper a little taller than necessary in order to have over-hang on the bottom.  I then cut the excess off carefully with the razor blade (example photo below), this resulted in a neater edge.  (I should have done this on the top too instead of trying to cut the paper in a straight line before applying it. Live and learn!)

Careful cutting of paper with razor blade

Conclusion

I completed the marble on marble lamp experiment to general satisfaction.  I'm not 100% sold on the combination of that marbled paper with that faux-marble-finish base - but I like each component separately.  The cylindrical lampshade is plain white underneath, so I can always revert to that or remove the blue marbled paper and apply something new if the mood strikes.  Flexibility is the key to happiness!

Marbled paper on a marbled lamp on a granite counter

Happy freestyling, don't be afraid to take some maximalist-style risks once in a while!

Y-urn-ing for another lamp makeover? Here's something for that.

The Find

I guess it is lamp season, or lamp discard season, or maybe I just notice lamps because they are functional, easy to fix, and fun to makeover. Either way, here is a story of making over a funny lamp that was designed to look like some sort of aged antique.  It was also sitting on the ground when I found it, which helped with the aged effect.

Lamp, discarded on ground.

The Makeover

After a thorough cleaning, which revealed that the aged crackle look was very much intentional, I was please to discover that the lamp electrical components were working just fine.  I was EVEN MORE PLEASED when a lampshade that I had randomly found (right? because it's lamp season??) a few weeks prior turned out to be a decent fit for the size and shape.

I had it sitting in a corner for a few days while I plotted the makeover. Every day confirmed that the aged crackled-ivory look of the 'vase' part of the lamp just was not cutting it.  It just sat there muttering, "I"m fusty," while I contemplated what color - or colors - to use.  I thought about matte black, matte white, or a dark clay red, but then the image of wedgewood blue plates popped into my head, and I kind of liked it.

Lamp in corner, with new shade

While at the hardware store, considering the spray paint aisle, I realized that if I wanted to use spray paint I would have to wait weeks for the temperature to be warm enough outside. Unacceptable! When the freestyle makeover bug bites it must be dealt with immediately.  So I trundled over to the interior paint section and found the cheapest paint sample on the display shelf - thank you 99cent jars of Glidden. At that price I could experiment!  I found 4 shades of blue on the same sample card and got matte paint samples for each.  Once back to the workbench I started painting little samples to see how the colors really looked, and how they looked against the 'brass' color parts.

testing the waters...

The color that won out is called SERENE SEA, it was the lightest of the four. In the photo below it is super washed out by the bright lamp I had shining about 6 inches away while painting, and the paint was still wet.

Repainted lamp section in Glidden Serene Sea.

Conclusion

After looking at the lamp for a few days I'm pleased, but not overjoyed, with how it looks.  In an unexpected twist (thank you subconscious?) it coordinates with a different lamp in the room that has a brass body and a blue glass shade.  My plan is to look at it for a while longer and decide if I want to extend the current amount of blue, or paint any of the other lamp body sections.  For now I am very happy with how the paint covered up the original crackled-ivory look and smoothed out the texture a bit.

Post-makeover, blue vase lamp

Happy freestyling, revamping, redoing, and all the DIY-ing!

Small Brass Lamp Makeover - Part 2 - The Shade

To Refresh Your Memory

In this previous post I described finding a lamp (a familiar tale) and the process of giving the brass body a bright green makeover. Go check it out, unless you only care about lampshade makeovers. In that case, stay right here and read on for more about how I transformed this old lampshade to match the shiny new look of the lamp body.

Lampshade with original fabric removed

The Lampshade Makeover

I had fabric on hand with a sort of slubby linen-like-look that I thought would be perfect for this project (yes, it too was free from someone cleaning out their stash).  I thought the slight texture would help disguise any imperfections.  

Fabric on floor before ironing

What I needed to do in preparation was to watch some online tutorials, purchase spray adhesive, and then lay out the fabric and start tracing the edge as I rolled it along the fabric. 

HOT TIP: Iron your fabric before laying it out for tracing. It matters.

As you roll the lampshade along the fabric, trace the top edge and the bottom edge.  You will end up with two parallel curved lines.  It helps to either tape down the fabric or have someone hold it steady to make sure the rolling of the shade and the tracing doesn't shift the fabric.

Traced line on fabric.

Add an extra inch outside of each traced line (or half-inch if you are really really sure about your cutting and gluing skills), and cut out the large curved shape.  Then, using the pencil lines as a guide, spray onto the fabric and slowly roll the lampshade across the fabric.  Spraying and adjusting as you go.  Any slightly mis-alignment at the start will be magnified as you roll, so it pays to be extra careful at the start.

Cut out fabric for new lampshade cover.

You can fold over the bottom of the fabric around the stiff edge of the lampshade.  Some tutorials suggest going over the ends with some sort of trim, this is not necessary, but if you are NOT going to use trim, take care to make sure that the cut is smooth and that the folded-over portion is the same height all the way around.

Glued edged folded over to the inside of the shade.

If your lampshade has metal bars you will have to snip out V-shaped from the fabric when rolling it over to allow the fabric to split around the metal bars.

View of shade top from inside

At the end of this process you should have the new fabric smoothly adhered to the original plastic shade.

Lampshade with newly attached fabric

One the shade has dried, reunite the shade with the lamp body.

Lampshade on green lamp, light off

This is why you want to make sure the cut ends of fabric are smooth and straight. 

When the lightbulb is on the folded over part will show in silhouette.

Lampshade on green lamp, light on

Conclusion

Now I have a nice glossy emerald green table lamp that matches some other fun mineral colors in the art on the wall of this room.

Glossy green lamp with new lampshade.

Happy Freestyling! 

Small Brass Lamp Makeover - Part 1 - The Body

The Find

One night I found a small brass lamp with a pleated shade, the kind you might see on an end table or as a night light.  I don't have a full 'before' picture because I once I got it home I was excited and started taking apart the shade (the shade makeover will be described in part 2).

Here is the lamp once I started taking it apart.  The surface was pitted and I had an urge to bring some bring color into the space rather than trying to shine up the metal.

Brass lamp dis-assembly

All of the pieces were threaded on to this central rod.

Brass lamp dis-assembly: center rod

This number is scratched on the inside of one piece, I have no idea what it means.

Number scratched inside the brass lamp

To keep track of the pieces, I used a marker to write the order and the direction it was facing as I disassembled the lamp parts.

Lamp body piece number '7', direction facing 'up'.

The Makeover

I used a few coats of glossy green spray paint to cover the metal. All spraying was done outside over the course of a nice day. I've learned the hard way not to use spray paint when it is too cold, the paint will develop what look like scales.  Also, be sure to hold down the edges of your newspaper, otherwise there will inevitably be a gust of wind to fold the paper onto your paint whilst it dries.

Glossy green spray-painted lamp body pieces

I reassembled the lamp and purchased a lamp wiring kit so that I could install totally new wiring.  This was also good practice, fun, and so so easy to do!

Reassembled lamp with new wiring, almost ready.

Conclusion

The lamp body makeover didn't take much time for each step, but with the spray painting there was a bit of back and forth, as usual. It goes something like this: shake can, spray, wait to dry, shake can, spray again, wait to dry, discover yet another spot that you missed, shake can, spray again, wait for the paint to dry, decide you are done with the painting, wait 24 hours before reassembling.

I'm pleased with the glossy emerald green finish and the classic turned wood lamp body shape.  In the corner of the final photo you can see the shade waiting for some freestyle attention!

Freestyled lamp body with glossy green paint and new wiring

Happy freestyling, and don't be afraid to paint your finds to fit your style!

Autumn Gold Lampshade and Black Stand: The not-so-much-adventure continues

Although they arrived in the apartment at different times, and there was a bit of a detour for the lampshade on a different base, the autumn gold lampshade has finally decided to rejoin its original stand.  

The original base is matte black, with a square bottom, kind of heavy looking, but it gets the job done.  Not bad for a loading dock find late at night.

This isn't a long post because there was nothing that needed to be done to this freestyle, just find a bulb and plug it in!

Simple.

Happy freestyling.

Autumn gold in the form of a lampshade

Why oh why did I leave that lampshade behind when I moved? It was a little frayed (true) and a little outdated (more true), but I had it. Maybe I was worried it would get ruined in the moving van, perhaps I was just focused on my plants surviving, either way, silly.  Soon after arriving in the new city I went to an actual retail store buy a barrel lampshade. I didn't like the prices.  Ok, how about thrift stores? The Cambridge Goodwill seemed to have lampshades, there must be something similar in this other major metropolitan area, right?  If so, I haven't found it. Between work, travel, and having a life the lampshade acquisition project got moved down the priority list pretty regularly, the result being that the lamp sat without a shade... for 10 months.  A few weeks ago I tried visit a flea market where I had heard they sold lampshades, but I went the wrong day of the weekend.
Thrifting fail. 
Last weekend on the proper day I drove by the same flea market, no shades in sight. Sigh. At that point I was almost resigned to shelling out the money to buy a nice white linen barrel shade, but then an early Thanksgiving gift appeared on the loading dock next to the recycling bin.

Sorry this is sideways, try turning your phone!

An (almost) barrel shade, for free! No rips or mysterious stains.

Full story: this golden sand lampshade was attached to a black floor lamp, also perfectly nice. In the initial rush of excitement I only took the shade, but then around 1 a.m. on Saturday I thought, "hmm, maybe I should go back downstairs and see if that lamp is still there. We could use some better lighting in the apartment." Down the elevator, onto the loading dock, and yes, the floor lamp was still there!   I took it upstairs to test it.... and that is a story for another post.

Happy freestyling.

Lampshade to dirtshade - Update!

You might remember an earlier post about some glass lampshades repurposed as planters.  Here is the original photo:

Did you notice the mismatched saucers?  Well, I sure did. It was okay at first, they were at least the same color, but one was octagonal and the other round with some floral impressions, not exactly a matched pair.  I thought I could do better, it is the living room after all.

People seemed to be getting of dishes left and right during November and December, so when I found these nice little tea saucers with gold painted edging at le dump I knew exactly where to put them.

Nice rims. 

Happy freestyling, and keep your eyes out for tea saucers, they always seem to come in handy.

Lampshade to dirtshade

Over a year ago a previous roommate and I found a pair of white glass lampshades at le dump.  Now, maybe if we were re-doing a bathroom, or had pendant light fixtures to fancy up, they could have just been installed as intended and spent the rest of their days as plain old white glass lampshades, same old same old. Yawn.

What purpose could be better than filtering the light of a "soft pink" compact fluorescent bulb?  Why, supporting dirt of course!  Despite not having the ideal bottom configuration for dirt retention, they were put to use as planters.  I managed to watch at least one orchid wither away into nothingness while cradled inside this sleek environ, sigh. (Orchids continue to elude me.)  But I did not remain discouraged, when time came to split a mystery plant (Philodendron spp.?) that been hanging in the window I knew just what to use.

(Why, yes, those are free books peeping out from the bookshelf there. How kind of you to ask, alas I have not yet read them all.)  The Philodendron spp. (?) seem happy in their new homes away from the direct sun, and we now have a nice little symmetrical arrangement for the bookcase top.  Everybody wins!
Happy freestyle.