Make an old lamp new again, or change the color of that lamp that you found on the clearance rack.
This is a quick fix that you can use to change the look of a lamp that you love, or a lamp that you thought you loved when you bought it. I have a set of lamps that I have painted several times over the years. I'm going to walk you through painting a lamp that I bought one day for $8. No kidding.
You will need:
a lamp
an all purpose cleaner
soft cloths
spray paint
mineral spirits
painters tape
gloves
protective mask
AFFILIATE MARKETING & DISCLOSURE POLICY
From time to time, I may engage in affiliate marketing. This means that if you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, I will receive a commission on that purchase at no additional cost to you. All efforts are made to ensure that affiliate links are disclosed in accordance with the FTC.
Work in a well ventilated area.
Wear a protective mask.
I found this lamp at Home Depot on the bargain shelf. I really liked the hammered metal, but I wasn't crazy about the color. I've been lightening up the walls and furnishings in my house, so I didn't want to use it like it was, it was just too dark.
I grabbed a can of white spray paint and got to work.
Clean your lamp with an all purpose cleaner and a soft cloth, or some of those cleaning wipes. You need to remove any dust and sticky residue that might be on it.
Use painters tape to cover up any parts that you don't want to paint.
Lightly spray on the first coat and allow it to dry. Follow up with additional light layers until your happy with the coverage.
This is after 1 coat of spray paint with built in primer. This lamp is dark brown, and textured, so it's going to take several coats to cover without having drips and runs.
A few coats of spray paint and looking better. After the paint dries completely, you can use light sand paper to sand away drips and runs. Then you'll need to lightly re-spray the areas that you sanded, allowing it to dry between coats, to cover the thin spots. It's easier to paint a smooth surface with spray paint than a textured one. So, you may not have any trouble at all if you're painting a smooth lamp.
You could actually use this painting method on other things, like candle sticks and picture frames. Don't worry about messing up something that you don't really enjoy as it is. If you don't like it the way it is, then change it. There's usually a fix for any mishap. Just dig in!
I saw this lamp at a local store. Hmmmm. Looks familiar.
The finished product! Black-brown to white in less than an hour. Times will vary depending on the weather and how fast the paint dries. I actually did this over a couple of days just because of my schedule. But total time was less than an hour. I'm happy with it for now, but I reserve the right to paint it green or purple later on!