Gray Thrifted Lamp Makeover

Today’s project is super simple, and a little reminder that decorating a home does not have to be expensive! Also- spray paint is a magical tool that should be a staple in your DIY stash. The more colors the better of course : )

A few weeks ago while out wandering a thrift store, I picked up a large, old lamp that had seen better days for $5.99.

It had crayon marks all over it from the previous owners little artist, and a good deal of general dirtiness on it, just like a lot of thrifted finds. Despite that, it had no chips, cracks or dings, so the only prep required once I brought it home was a good cleaning! Nothing that some vinegar and a magic eraser can’t solve : )

After it was back to it’s original white color, it got a light sanding to allow the paint to bond better, and one more quick wipe down.

Now all that was left was paint! We taped off the electrical parts and cord, and used this dark gray color called Blindfold from Valspar in a flat finish. All it needed was a few light coats until everything was fully covered, and the base was done! I chose not to use a primer at first because my lamp wasn’t metal or shiny, but if yours is you will probably want to add that step : )

I added a neutral shade found at Homegoods for around $10 on clearance, and ta-da, it was done! This project ended up in our family room, and I have curled up next to it working on this little blog quite a bit!

My little “live prop” ended up in more than half of the pictures, so I decided to add one since he clearly thought he was Vanna-Whiteing the latest project : )

Total investment: $20 ($5.99 lamp, $4 spray paint, $10 shade)

That’s about half (or less!) of what a store bought large lamp would cost, and it can be customized to any color or finish that you want! Now I’m on the lookout for a 2nd of a similar size that I can paint to match : )

What do you think? Have you found anything amazing while thrift shopping lately? Happy spray paint season is back? Cheers to that!