this shiny before & after comes from d*s reader jaclyn wiebe of soma design. she was planning on buying a new lamp but was inspired to get creative when she saw this lamp at a thrift store. she used a matte white spray paint to refinish the body of the lamp and then she bought some chromolux posterboard ($5 at art supply store) to make the new lampshade, which is wrapped around the existing shade. the result is a super luxe lamp that only looks expensive. great work, jaclyn!
[have a before and after you'd like to share on d*s? just send me an email right here with your images]
[ps: please come share your wedding hair and makeup stories here. i'm in need of some advice after a cruddy savannah hair/makeup experience...]
52 Comments
this is brilliant–I LOVE this. I’m on the hunt for something similar…great inspiration!
Now that is very cool.
wow, way to see the potential in that cruddy looking lamp. I love the result.
hi! great job! i would love to know which brand of matte white spray paint you used. i have had some unfortunate results in the past… thanks so much-
I love this–especially the shade.
I have a friend who buys hideous multicolored dragon statues, Kuan-Yins, et cetera, in Chinatown and then spray-paints them white … they look very chic once that’s been done.
I feel inspired. Love the shade.
i love the before and afters, keep ‘em coming! i just bought a house and have been on craigslist every day looking for pieces to refinish.
would you mind sharing where those pillow are from? i love them!
Gorgeous! I love it
beautiful!
where did you get the shade? love it.
wow – I always enjoy your before and after posts, but this is so dramatic I had to say ‘wow’!! awesome.
so simple and awesome..could hardly recognize it
Looks great! I wonder what the seam looks like on the posterboard lampshade, though.
Oooooooh My! Swexy!
LOVE this before and after. The lamp shade is AMAZING!
The beautiful carving on the lamp stand really comes out when it’s all white. Love it.
only thing is, spray paint is bad for the environment.
I’m looking at this ‘before’ shot. and the back ground looks might familiar! those stairs.. those ugly couches… thats in Winnipeg! the shop on keewatin? If I’m wrong I must be nuts! if I’m right I’m proud to see someone in Winnipeg with such fresh ideas :)I go there monthly looking for a vintage night stand to paint up.
What an awesome finished product! I would have gone with a different color though…white can be boring at times and gets really dirty…I would have gone with something like a nice burnt umber, or something that would contrast the blue, gray, and white of the living room…the silver lampshade was a nice touch!
the silver touch.. brilliant!
I really like the project- I’ve done something similar in the past, but I’m commenting because you MUST tell me where that fabric behind the lamp is from- it is BEYOND fabulous!!
Wonderful results; the whole corner of the rooms comes together so nicely! Where did you get your sofa?
So simple and beautiful and just perfect for that living room! Yum.
Totally slick. I love it. It’s like a new incarnation.
looks great! what a difference.
@kate – those pillows are from ikea
Thanks for the great comments everyone.
Lynn: The “fabric” is actually sample of a graham and brown wallpaper that i fell in love with (will be putting up on the wall) and the silver and white on it inspired the lamp colors.
Aly: that’s crazy that you recognized MCC thrift store from that photo, yup I’m a Winnipegger!
The couch is from EQ3.
The seam of the lamp is not visible since the lamp resides in the corner, but I was going to use chrome tape to tidy it up. A seam is pretty much unavoidable no matter what material you use.
The paint is Tremclad Rust Paint in flat white. It’s meant to adhere to metal so ceramic was no trouble.
A very inspirational transformation! Love the silver shade!
Oh, nice…! I love the silver shade.
That’s an awesome transformation!
stunning! i would never has seen all that potential in that poor lamp!
for some reason i always have my eye out for vintage furniture to refinish at the thrift stores but i completely over-look the lamp section. thanks for the inspiration!
that is sexy
i love it! was wondering if you could share where the nesting tables are from… they’re perfectly understated and simple.
I love this and have been thinking about using chromulux posterboard for quite some time for a lamp project I have been mulling over. However, I have been hesitant because I am not sure what safe way there is to do it. Do you know how she attached it on there? I am afraid to use certain glues because the heat from the lightbulb. Help! I want to do this!
Awesome!
It looks even more stunning in the “flesh”!
I love how a simple layer of paint can transform things so well. In my old apartment, my roomie and I got a bunch of gaudy frames from a thrift store and painted them all sunny yellow, and then filled a wall with them. It is great how one color can unite so many different things.
Recycling at it’s best! This is absolutely wonderful.
thanks for the info kay*
Wow! Love the before & afters. This looks great.
it’s too bad that in any NYC thrift store that lamp would be $80
that’s so true. i was trying to explain that to someone the other day- nyc’s thrift stores really aren’t like normal thrift stores- there’s so marked up.
i love using spray paint to make ugly items new and pretty! i have been on the look out for a lamp but haven’t found one yet. excellent find!
amazing job.
I wonder, does it give off much light? Especially with the new shade and all.
Love the B&A’s. The lamp is super. I think I would have used a matte or brushed finish on shade – but that’s just me. It’s great.
Brilliant makeover! I might have gone for a darker base; maybe I would have stained the base with a walnut stain, but this effect for this room works brilliantly.
best before and after yet!
Jayne, did you paint the posterboard? It’s beautiful.
what a looker! love it. now where is my spray paint? there has to be something I can resurrect.
If you dont say it, I could believe is worth about $700,at least. Wondeful job, keep going.
Didn’t see that beauty coming! Great job at seeing beyond what that lamp was…I could have NEVER imagined it!
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