Recently I bought a pair of lamps that were on sale. They were being sold for $64 but were originally priced at $219….I couldn’t pass up a deal like that! The only issue was that they were um….too white. So I took inspiration from Jonathan Adler’s Grand Tour lamps (pictured below) and transformed the white lamps into something a bit more interesting.

First I bought square black lamp shades. I’m a big fan of black shades because they are so dramatic. This is the first time I’ve ever bought any though. I ended up getting linen shades which means that light shines through them, but you can also get shades that are more heavily lined or made from heavier material (like a thick paper stock) that will be completely opaque. Basically it just comes down to taste and how much light you want the lamp to provide.

Next, I bought some spray paint in Himalayan blue and sprayed down the lamp bases. It was pretty easy and within an hour of painting them, I had these totally original table lamps!

By the way, the white shades that came with the lamps have been transferred to some Ikea lamps I have. So nothing was wasted in this makeover!

Project 1: Parsons Desk

Prep: Sanded surface
Paint: Glossy White Latex + “a little bit of turquoise and brown acrylic craft paint” for the color (3 coats)
Post Paint Treatment: Two coats of Wipe On Poly. “Yes, it’s as easy and awesome as it sounds. Polyurethane sealer that you wipe on.”

Project 2: Credenza

Prep: Primed the top of the credenza (since it gets the most wear) with Zinsser primer
Paint: Rustoleum’s ‘Saftey Red’ Spray Enamel applied with a spray gun
Post Paint Treatment: Two coats of Wipe-On Poly

So, looking back at my DIY sideboard project, it seems like my paint choice (a mix of latex enamel and latex paint) was fine, but I should have primed the top beforehand and used some of the ever-so-helpful Wipe-On Poly to seal the deal. Next time, I will feel much more confident . And hopefully this will help you too!

Here’s some of the products Jenny used in these projects:

This blog is for people with little to no money for home decorating. But thanks to $6 gold metallic spray paint, we can make our homes look like they belong on MTV Cribs (is that show still on?). Here’s an example: I bought this lamp at West Elm on sale after eyeing it for months. I really love it’s faceted base, but truth be told, I really don’t need another white thing in my apartment. Because I live in a studio, I have kept the walls a very subtle light gray color…very very subtle light gray. This means that all the fashionable white lamps and pottery out there don’t contrast well with my walls. And that sucks!

So this weekend, while my boyfriend was out of town, I decided to stake out a corner of the apartment next to an OPEN window and spray down my faceted lamp with gold metallic spray paint. I think seeing how Kelly Wearstler uses metallics in her spaces inspired me a little bit.

Anyway, I think my lamp turned out pretty well. I used a “hammered” texture spray paint so that the color would not look too flat. I think the texture helps make it look a bit more believable – not that anyone will think this is actually gold. Anyway, I like the result. Next, I want to paint the console the lamp is sitting on but I’ll have to get back to you on that one.

And now a word about spray painting in New York City:

I admit that I have not used spray paint much in the past. This is probably because since the age of 19 I have lived in New York and apartments are not very…um conducive to painting with messy, smelly spray paint. But whatever! Sometimes you’ve gotta throw caution to the wind. Just promise me three things if you spray paint something in your apartment:

1. Open all the windows and turn on all your fans!
2. Please, make sure you cover all the surfaces surrounding your object so you don’t accidentally spray the wall or the floor or whatever
3. Only spray paint SMALL objects in your apartment! Don’t do big projects because then the fumes will be too crazy!

I know that you are probably thinking that my advice about spray painting indoors is reckless and stupid, but where else is there to do it!? I have no yard, no artist space and I’m pretty sure doing it on the sidewalk is a bad idea (is that illegal too?). So I’m just saying…no, its not the smartest thing to do, but if you take precautions and limit the amount of paint you are going to use, you should be fine…I mean look at me. I’m fine.