Another lamp update

I know I've said it before, but I have a sad lamp obsession. Truly, I seldom see a lamp that I hate because I know most flaws can be resolved with a good coat of paint. My favorites are crystal lamps but really, it doesn't matter. I found these two lamps at a thrift store and fell in love with the the gray glass and the shape of the wooden body. They are in sad shape but at $8 it's worth taking a stab at repairing and updating. 

Over the next couple of months I will take on that project but for now I'll update a pair I already own. These two buffet lamps are just dull and dark to me. I really want to lighten them up. 

I found a can of Krylon metallic paint in Caramel Latte on clearance and thought it would go pretty well with the lampshades I already owned. I didn't have the shade with me so had to guess at the color. I guessed well because the color is bang on. 

This project was really fairly easy. As always I sprayed the lamps with a coat of primer, let them dry for an hour and then applied two coats of paint allowing the coats to dry completely in between. The next day I followed up with a coat of sealer and let them dry for a couple of days before touching them to avoid finger prints. 

I reattached the lampshade and in just a few short hours on the weekend I've got a set of updated buffet lamps that look better than new. 

If you have a lamp you've updated please send me a picture. I'd love to see them.

Barbara

Vase Redo

I love a simple classic white vase. It comes in such a wide variety of shapes and sizes and I really love the textured vases you often see in stores and DIY blogs. I shopped on line and decided why spend $50 bucks for a new one when I can take something I already own and update it. 

Pottery Barn

I have had this red vase for about ten years. It's a good size and shape but I am bored with the color. A quick update with a coat of white paint will do the trick. 

Before painting I had to rough it up a bit with sand paper because it has a glossy finish. As always, I then added a coat of primer. If I don't prime, I don't paint. Your finish coat will just scratch off.

I couldn't decide if I wanted a creamy white or a pure white but opted for the pure white.

 I have to tell you that when the primer dried it looked so good I decided to paint it a matte white instead of the gloss.

I put two coats of matte spray paint and a coat of matte sealer and I was good to go.

 

Cost of updating a an old vase? $3 for the primer and $3 for the paint. Good deal.

I like this much better.

Thriftstore Thursday 10.4.12

My thrift store finds. The only problem with buying pieces from a thrift store is that it is difficult to find a pair of anything. This means that your assortment of one of a kind pieces can easily end up looking like junk. One way to fix this is to spray paint several pieces all the same color and create a grouping. I bought several ceramic vases in different sizes for $1 to $2 a piece. To unify them I painted them all white or ivory and created a vignette.

  

 

This was a pink water pitcher I found for about $6. Not just pink, but shocking, bright, Pepto Bismol pink. A quick spray of white paint and it went from shocking to stylish.  

 

These brassy metal bowls were a couple of bucks a piece.   

I really wanted silver so I changed them up with a coat of silver metallic spray paint. Quick tip: Not all metallic spray paints are equal. Some are just sparkly gray paint and others look more like metal.

I tried a few brands and colors and the one that was brightest and shiniest was Rustoleum's Bright Coat Metallic spray paint in Chrome.  

This table has a glass vase, brass bowl and wooden tray all of which I spray painted to give it a new look. The lesson is if something isn't exactly as you want it, change it.

I chose to paint everything white or silver because I want to change the color palette in my living room. Right now everything is shades of rust and brown which is fitting for the season, but I am ready to go in a different direction with something cooler. 

Bathroom Update Three

So here are the latest bathroom updates. It's been hard work but we are more than halfway finished. We've painted the walls a medium shade of blue-gray. The paint I originally chose was a pale gray but my son thought it was too light. I disagreed and bought the pale gray anyway and wouldn't you know it, it was the exact same color I had before.

In this case I had to go along with my son and use a darker gray. It's really his bathroom and I didn't want it to be 100% my finish choices. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it) Everything else is so light that a darker gray would add some contrast to the floor and wall tile.

 

The toilet, shower door, shower head and towel bars have all been installed which is great news for me because now I can kick my son out of my bathroom.

 My son really likes simple pieces with square lines so I found a towel bar in my budget that was square. I couldn't get all fixtures with a square detail but I managed to find a few.   

My next update will show the beautiful marble vanity top which I got at a steal from The Habitat Restore for $35. My contractor is working on it now and it looks like it will be gorgeous. Also a custom mirror that I made from an existing mirror that I've had at the house for a few years and simple silver frame. More on that later so stay tuned.

Yellow is Mellow

I’ve decided to paint my laundry room yellow. I love this sunny bright color and the way it livens up any room. Finding the right one proved to be a challenge. Just ask my son who partially painted it three times because the color was too lemony or too camel or even too peach. I finally settled on a medium yellow tone that is not too lemony but still bright and sunny. The color changed at different times of day and looked dramatically different from wall to wall so I had to sit with it a couple of days to get used to it. I am happy with what I chose much to my sons delight or should I say relief. I've only partially painted two walls so I don't have any pictures to share with you but I will soon. If you are thinking of painting a room in your home yellow, here are some photos that may inspire you.

Better Homes and Garden

Better Homes and Garden 2012

Elle Decor

Elle Decor

Emily Henderson HGTV

House Beautiful March 2012

Velvet Hammerschmidt HGTV

Metropolitan Home

Laundry Day

The downstairs bathroom is coming along nicely and I hope to be finished in a few weeks. Right now my son is using my bathroom and I'm sorry to say I don't like to share. The next room I want to work on is the laundry room. I have several projects planned such as a fresh coat of paint, new curtains, better storage, maybe a back splash treatment and certainly a new floor. I’m thinking of installing either ceramic, peel and stick vinyl or linoleum. I may rule out ceramic because of the cost. You can buy ceramic for $1 or less, but you also have to consider the cost of the mortar and grout. The room is about 300 sq. ft. so it would cost between $400 and $500. I don’t think I want to go that road so it will probably be either vinyl or linoleum. I think with a little head start from my contractor I can handle either of these myself. For linoleum I'm considering a  two tone checkerboard pattern either in two shades of gray or gray and white. For the peel and stick I am looking at a stone looking gray. Here are some laundry rooms that have inspired me.

This pale blue color give the room a nice airy feel. The metal shelf supports are a nice idea if you have open shelving. 

Better Homes and Gardens

 This yellow laundry room is so bright and sunny. If you are stuck in the house doing laundry in the middle of winter this room is sure to cheer you up. 

Better Homes and Gardens

 Painting the cabinets a non-white neutral is an interesting idea. The bead board cabinet fronts are nice too. Check out the back splash, I wonder how long that took. 

Better Homes and Gardens

 I like the combination of the gray countertop and white cabinet. The window treatment is lovely too. Is that wood floor really vinyl?

House and Home

The all white room is nice. It's the small details I like such as the green glass knobs, the metal stool, the farmhouse sink and the glass front cabinets. 

The Hampton Designs

 This gray and white checkerboard patterned floor is really crisp.

House and Home

 This color green is so fresh and I like the combination open and closed shelving. My laundry room has a similar layout. 

Style at Home

 I'm looking forward to getting started, but don't have a lot of money to spend. I will have to be patient and keep an eye out for bargains. 

B.

New Lamps for My Boudoir

Every time I shop at a HomeGoods or TJ Maxx store I never leave empty handed. Their prices are great so I guess that’s not a bad thing. I’ve mentioned before I have an ever growing collection of crystal lamps in my bedroom but the one thing I don’t like is that I don’t have two of anything. I appreciate the uniqueness of one of a kind pieces, but I realize you need repetition in order to have balance and calm. To help me achieve this balancing act I’ve kept my eye out for a set of cute, sparkly affordable lamps for my dresser. 

I found these on clearance at TJ Maxx for $20 bucks each and thought they were almost perfect. I love the size and shape of the silver base. It will add sparkle to my dresser and will complement the crystal lamps very nicely. 

My only criticism is that I am not crazy about the lamp shade. They're silky with a nice shape and go perfect with my wall color, but I wish they were a little taller. I am considering replacing them with a taller drum shade which would better compliment the height of the mirror. For now they will do.

Here are my little lamps looking lovely on my dresser.