Remember the crystal lamps I purchased, with lamp shades for $10.00 each? They part of my Goodwill purchase last week. These lamps were at one time very expensive formal living room lamps. The glass is super heavy and thick. Think old lady, formal curtains, couches you could not sit on, and trinkets galore.
I love finding something like this because I plan on reusing them in a new setting, our master bedroom. I need to add some color and fun to the bedroom, but I love the romance and sparkle of the lamps too.
I thought about spray painting the cut glass, but decided to work on the brass and lamp shades instead. My plan was to spray paint the shades a dark blue to match the darkest color in our bedding.
A trip to Target changed my mind about the shade. I found two perfect shades for $16.00 each. Great size, shape and they have a dark blueish ribbon at the top and bottom. It seems a little crazy to pay so much more for shades than I paid for the lamps, but I love them how the shape will update the lamps in the bedroom. It is going to be tough to stay in the budget on this room with the burlap curtains and the lamp shades but I guess it just means I have to be very creative with decorating the rest.
This is not the first, second or third lamps we have built, redone, repurposed,and even recovered a lampshade.
We have repurposed a chandelier
Redone a milk glass lamp
Made old Coke bottles into lamps
Painted several lamps
I thought I would actually let you in on a secret…redoing lamps are relatively easy! Here is one of the lamps up close.
Tarnished brass and all.
The black plastic thing keeps the wire from getting cut, then there is a nut below that to tighten the lamp.
First- flip the lamp over and look at the bottom. I had to remove a felt circle in order to get to the bolt and nut that holds the lamp together. Most lamps are put together this way. They have a tube that runs through the body of the lamp. The tube has threads at either end. Take the whole thing apart. Take pictures as you go along if it is the first time you have taken a lamp apart. You will probably need to refer to the photos when putting it back together,
The socket part has a cover that will slide back on at the end of reassembly. The inside of the socket connects the two sides of the wire with screws. The bolt on the bottom was tough so Hubby had to use several tools to loosen it.
I laid it all out and photographed just the metal part so that we could remember the order.
A quick sand on the tarnished parts then spray paint. I love the oil rubbed bronze.
This is after one coat.
After a second coat reassembly. The wires go in the hole at the base of this one first- not all lamps do this. then into the metal rod, then the rod into the body of this lamp. The base was actually three separate pieces of glass stacked. It was tricky to keep lined up so no photos. It took both of us.
The metal parts went back on, then the socket, then the socket cover. I removed the lampshade bale, because the shade I bought sits directly on the socket. No big loop over the bulb.
Ta- dah.
Here they are… now to dress the top of my dresser.
This whole process was done in under an hour.