How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps

Since moving to our new/old home things have gotten very complicated.  The rest of the…

Since moving to our new/old home things have gotten very complicated.  The rest of the family was already living here so instead of starting from scratch with a clean slate, I came into a house that had way too much already.  My dad who also lives here had accumulated a LOT of stuff.  

Most of it will have to go (read: garage sale in the spring) but some of it is useable. Point in case this lamp you see below.  I found two of them and knew they’d be perfect for my daughters’ room.  Let’s seen how I gave a new life to old lamps.  
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White lamp before, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com
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What I used:

  • DecoArt Americana Decor Satin Enamels in Black
  • DecoArt Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Everlasting
  • Paint brush​
the paints used for the project, Satin Enamels, Chalky Finish paint, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com

The How to:

The lamp base was so strange.  It had white wooden parts and then it had these other parts that were made of plastic.  The plastic parts which were an off white color, did not look good next to the white wooden parts, so I painted them black.

​This has to be the easiest paint project I have ever done.  I simply painted these sections you see below using the satin enamels black paint.  I added about 3 coats in the space of an hour and left it to harden overnight.  The great thing about this paint is that it dried to a hard shine.  I was really impressed because when I was doing the painting it did not look like it would cover.  Was I wrong!!

​And the cool thing about the paint is that you can even use it on cabinets.  You can bet I’ll be using this paint a lot more now that I’ve discovered it. 
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Painted body of lamp in black, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com
The white parts were left untouched.  They were already a nice crisp color.  
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White base of lamp, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com
The shades were also painted using the chalky finish paint.  You can see the difference below.  The shade in the background is painted Everlasting white.  All it took was a few coats of the paint using brushstrokes going across and then up and down to cover the whole thing.  

I really didn’t like that off white beigey color. 

In fact I’ve painted a shade before with black trim this time. 
lamp shade one unpainted, and one painted with chalky finish everlasting, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com

​Here is a close up.  You can see that it looks very rough and is full of texture.  I left it like this intentionally.  If you want a smoother finish you can sand it down a bit and add a wax.  But at this point I am loving the texture as is! 
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close up of textured painted shade, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com
I think this black and white combo is so much more interesting than the boring white/off white look from before. 
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body of lamp in black, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com

Don’t they look so much better?  
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Two lamp shades upcycled with paint, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com
They will end up in the girls room and I’ll be sharing lots of projects from that room in the months ahead. They want it to be mostly black and white, naturally!  
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Lamp upcycled with paint, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com

​I added this picture frame in the back and used my friend, Katrin of KreativK’s Hygge printable.  You can also get one for yourself here. I love the crisp whiteness of the paper against the linen mat fabric that I have placed behind it. And we all love to Hygge in the winter!
Picture frame with linen matt and Hygge printable, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com
upcycling old lamps with paint, How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com
This is the first step in transforming the room, with these statement making lamps!  Have you ever tried to give an new life to your old lamps?  It’s easier than you think. 
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Upcycling old lamps with satin paint and chalky type paint #upcycle #makeover #newlifeforoldlamp #paintedlampshade #easydiy How to Give a New Life to Old Lamps www.theboondocksblog.com
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33 Comments

  1. I have several lamps I don’t know what to do with. I don’t think another thrift store can handle another lamp. So I am going to find a place somewhere in my new home for them. Thanks for the inspirations. Love the soft pastel colors.
    Maria

  2. Hi Mary,
    This lamp makeover is gorgeous. It went from okay to chic and modern. I have several lamps that need a makeover and this one is very inspiring.

  4. Oh yes!!! My favorite transformation! You know I always change the look of my table lamps. It is my favorite diy game! Yours look fantastic know… simple and elegant! Excellent work my friend, excellent!

  5. The lamps look great. I never would have thought to paint a lamp shade! I think you are going to have fun recycling everything in your new home!

  6. Looks sharp, so much better. Love the little sign behind too. Great idea to up-cycle everything or at least as much as you can.

  9. The contrast between the black and white give these lamps a contemporary yet classic look. So much nicer than the original boring beige.
    I like that this paint product as a shine to it. I need to look into it.

  10. I like that classic combination of black and white. Really creates a sharp look, Mary. I’ve also used the Americana brand chalk finish and just love it! I’ve used it in some of my own craft projects and highly recommend it. Great job on this transformation!

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