My "new" lamp.

So this project I actually did before we moved to CT, but I am in LOVE with it so I thought I’d share.  My new favorite thing in the whole world might just be spray paint (or these delicious pumpkin cookies I can’t stop making—seriously, they are so good!  I’ll share the recipe later).  Spray paint is so easy and makes a such a HUGE difference that I may never again buy anything new, just spray paint what I already have.  

Anyway — I bought this lamp at a thrift store back “home” in Syracuse—the Thrifty Shopper for those in Central New York — for my office at work.  It was … are you ready for this?  Two dollars!!!  It didn’t have a shade but it worked and I had a shade in the basement from an old lamp from of my grandmother's that worked just fine so for just $2 I had a new lamp for my office.

It's very '70s, but I really kinda liked the detail (for my office)

The apartment that we moved into had little to offer in the lighting department so we knew we’d have to bring lamps.  Instead of buying all new, I decided to transform this little gem into something we would actually use in our home. 

I taped off the top socket part of the lamp and the cord to keep those parts clean and started with a coat of spray primer.  Just a quick coat was all it took.  I may have been able to do without it, but I didn’t want to find out the hard way.  Plus it’s just a couple of bucks for a can of spray paint so… couldn’t hurt right?

When that was completely dry, the lamp took 2 coats of flat black spray paint.  I debated flat or glossy but flat paint won out in the end.  I figured if I ended up not liking the flat paint I could always add a coat of clear glossy spray.

I was going to purchase fabric to custom cover the shade, but I was afraid (since I was doing this project as a way of procrastinating packing our belongings into boxes)I wouldn’t have the opportunity to give the project the time it needed.  Luckily it was Target to the rescue!

(insert rousing trumpet blare here)  Lampshade:  $9.99!  

Aaaannndd…. It’s done and residing in our new home.  So easy.

yeah-- it's a photo from Halloween.  We don't always have skulls on display in our home.

Hooray!  I love our ‘new’ lamp!

Anybody got any good spray paint transformation stories they want to share?