The Idea
There are lots of fun bright chevron lamps out there right now. But when a design trend is filling the aisles of your local mass market store it is not time to scoop it up and put it in your basket it is time to pick up a new home decor magazine and see what the next trend looks like and that is geometrics!
If you love to DIY and you’re good at it, don’t waste your time and money making what you can buy at Target or Walmart. You should be looking for the higher end decor items you can’t buy on a budget. Centsational girl posted recently about the idea of High End DIY and that is exactly our goal with our 52 projects this year.
The Design
Ceramic lamps from the 80′s are filling the aisles at your local thrift shops. The good thing about this is you can basically choose your shape and size and you can find bases that have harps (the metal piece that goes around the bulb and the shade sits on), and finials (the decorative ball that sits on top of the shade). These details make your project come together beautifully.
I decided I would use one of the new geometric patterns that are popping up everywhere now. Etsy has some great inspiration if you want to explore other pattern ideas. I wanted to keep it simple so I avoided any curving patterns and stuck to simple triangles that could be cut out of wide blue painters tape.
Once I decided on my pattern my assistant suggested the idea of making just a couple of the triangles gold. I already knew I wanted to use a black shade and paint the interior gold so adding the gold triangles was the perfect touch.
The Materials
- One ugly ceramic lamp from Goodwill, complete with harp and finial (see above) – I actually bought a pair because I could show you the process more easily but I love pairs because they make a bigger statement in an entry for example
- One black fabric shade from Home Depot
- Lightly adhesive painters tape for delicate surfaces- you can use this tape over new paint and it won’t pull it off
- Black primer and gloss spray paint (I used the Rust-o-leum 2 in 1 variety and it worked perfectly)
- Gold spray paint
- A brightly colored satin finish spray paint – I chose turquoise. The satin finish is important because it gives the final product more of a matte glazed look of pottery and it doesn’t highlight any imperfections in the original lamp or your paint job)
- Optional: I used Martha Stewart’s pattern tape to create the pattern only on the finial
- Scissors
The Process
Watch the video first, these instructions are meant to help you remember the order or answer any additional question
- Use a plastic bag or other means to protect the light bulb base and cord from the spray paint
- Wash the lamp thoroughly and let it dry
- Using several light coats completely cover the lamp base with the black paint and primer
- Cut triangles out of the 1-1/2″ wide blue painter’s tape (I simply made them 1 – 1/2″ wide as well) I cut one and then laid it over the top to cut another and kept repeating until I had a stack of triangles lightly stuck together)
- Follow the pattern on the lamp drawing above to place your triangles around the base. I placed the middle row horizontally all the way around and repositioned them until they were even and then worked my way up and down from that row – leave three of the triangles off!!!
- Spray the gold paint in the three areas you left blank in your triangle pattern – when that has dried completely add your last three triangles in those areas
- Over the top of all of the triangles paint the entire base again this time with your bright color (turquoise). I painted black under the entire thing to make it smooth and because it also acted as a primer for the turquoise final coat
- Leave the base to cure for at least 24 hous
- Paint your finial black
- When dry apply the pattern tape as shown in illustration
- Spray gold over the top of the pattern tape
- While all of that was drying I painted the inside of my black lampshade gold. I left the plastic wrapping on my lamp shade while I painted the interior to keep the black clean and the edges crisp – it worked perfectly!
- Remove the tape carefully – touch up any uneven edges
Watch the video if you are confused about any part of this process, or comment and I will respond!
The Outcome
The ugly green lamp is now modern, fresh and expensive looking. The gold paint inside the shade definitely takes the project up a notch! And the gold triangles really are the perfect touch – thanks Diane!
Maybe I am a bit fanatical about tiny finishing touches but I can’t imagine this lamp without a special finial – a black ball would just not be the same.
The Budget
$6.99 –Sad green ceramic thrift store lamp
$19.99 - Black fabric shade from Home Depot
$5.95 –Delicate 3M Blue painter’s tape
$3.79- Gold spray paint
$3.79- Gloss black paint and primer in one Rust-o-leum
$3.79- Turquoise satin spray paint
($9.95 -Optional patterning tape)
$0.00 – I had the scissors
TOTAL: $44.30 
This project was Week 8: we will be adding a new video to our YES Spaces DIY page every Thursday for the next 44 weeks! And based on your input we will have directions and when needed measurements and plans here every week as well. So be sure to subscribe here and over on YouTube so you don’t miss anything! I am currently cooking up all the projects and simultaneously pulling together our MESS to YES makeover schedule for the year so if you have projects or spaces you are struggling with and would like some inspiration let me know and I will try to tackle as many as I can here this year. 
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