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Ugly brass lamp

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Do you have an ugly brass lamp?
brass floor lamp needs updating
I do. It’s not a bad lamp, it’s just a little too brassy to suit me. I like floor lamps, I do not like this ugly brass lamp, nor do I like this shade! Notice the brown trim, and brown blinds! I painted the living room trim, and I got new flooring!

spray painting ugly brass floor lampWhile I was working on the fireplace makeover it got above 50 degrees for one afternoon. I took the lamp ugly brass lamp outside to give it a light sanding and spray it with some primer.

I used a baggie to protect the socketI covered the socket with a sandwich baggie, using tape to hold it in place. It’s very important to keep the spray paint out of the electrical parts.

a baggie keeps the paint out of the socketIt allowed me to spray all around it without damaging it.

brass lamp painted whiteIt was about 2 weeks later when the weather warmed up enough to spray paint the color on the lamp. I think leaving the primer on the ugly brass lamp for so long made a big difference in how well the paint adhered.

(update 2019 and I’m sad to say I still have this lamp, but happy to say that the paint has held up perfectly)

brass lamp gets painted whiteI used Rustoleum Heirloom White. (Look how pretty all that white trim looks!)

white floor lamp

I’m not thrilled with the shade, I still have the plastic on it for 2 reasons. I may return it to the store, and if I decide to keep it, I want to keep it clean until I finish all the building.

I painted my brass floor lamp white

What do you think about the shade? Is it a keeper? You know I know nothing about decorating.

I find myself looking for ugly brass things at the Peddler’s Mall so I can give them new life. It’s amazing what a little paint will do. My ceiling fan has brass details too. I know all the decor shows take ceiling fans down, but I find them too useful! I refuse to give in to fashion and give up comfort and practicality. 🙂

gail

See other great lamps and lighting updates and repurposes here

17 Comments

  1. Thank you for getting rid of the brass!!!! Love the white. Thanks for linking this up to somedaycrafts.blogspot.com for Whatever Goes Wednesday!

  2. Lovely job on the lamp!

    Honestly, I like the shade. If anything, you could pick a deeper color to complement any other decor in the room but only if you don’t rely on the lamp for lighting. As it is, the shade is classy and looks nice, and I love the Heirloom White on there. 🙂

  3. I’m really not a brass fan either…but it never occurred to me to paint it! Brilliant! I’ll have to keep my eyes open. 🙂 Love the lamp shade!

  4. It looks great and these brass lamps are a dime a dozen (ok maybe not that cheap) at thrift stores. Oh and the round table below is an amazing find!

  5. your lamp looks amazing! i have such
    respect for do it yourselfers like you!

    will dig deeper into this great blog.

    thank you!

  6. We wouldn’t want to live without our ceiling fans when it’s hot in the summer. Looks like you can make almost anything fashionable.

  7. Have one just like this and actually thought the other day that when it warms up I was going to spray paint it….Now I know for sure I will. Love it. Shade looks great too.

  8. gail, I have painted several of my ceiling fans which were once brass. I took them apart, roughed up the finish and sprayed away. They look so much better. I agree that they are so useful, especially in the summer. This also saves the expense of purchasing a new one in another finish. I’m sure you will love the outcome. Can’t wait to see!
    ~judi 😉

  9. Looks great! Now if I ever see an ugly brass lamp I’ll know it has potential. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
    Sarah

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