Floor Lamp Makeover

The floor lamp in our basement has gone through so many transformations.  Originally it was a yellow and cream lamp many years ago when my mom bought it.  Then I painted it white when my son was born and used it in his nursery.  Then I painted it oil rubbed bronze a year or so ago.  

I actually love the lamp this way, however, I am trying to add some color to the basement and not have just a sea of brown anymore.  I thought painting the lamp would be the first step in adding some color.

I saw these candlesticks and was inspired to paint the lamp in similar colors.

So with my inspiration photo in hand, I started to paint the lamp using Annie Sloan chalk paint in Duck Egg and Old White.  I haven't done a chalk paint project in a while. 

 I forgot how easy it is to use this paint.

I just sort of made it up as I went along.

After the paint had dried, I used the clear wax first, followed by the dark wax.

I distressed it a bit by rubbing and buffing the wax with a soft cloth.

Here is what the lamp looks like now.

Something didn't look exactly right.

I tied a blue and brown ribbon to the bottom of the lampshade and I think it ties it into the lamp much better (no pun intended).  What do you think?

I can't wait to hear.

-Judy

Awards and Lamps

I want to say a big thank you to Janell from Isabella and Max Rooms for presenting me with the Stylish Blogger Award.  She has one of the best blogs in blogland.  If you haven't checked it out, you need to.  She is so incredibly talented.  A few months back she even got her own segment on the Nate Berkus show!

I also want to send a big thank you out to Heather from Straight Stitches for also awarding me the Stylish Blogger Award.  She has such an inspirational blog filled with great ideas.

They both made my day by passing this award on to me.

So the idea behind the award is to tell seven things about yourself and pass the award on to seven blogs you love.  I won this award a week or so ago and I revealed many things about myself.  You can read all about it here.  

I will tell you seven more things about myself:

1. I often blog at night while sitting in the lobby of my kids tennis academy.

2. My idea of relaxing is to do a huge project.  I don't relax in the "normal" way.

3. I have been playing the piano since I was 5 years old.  

4. I was on bed rest for 17 weeks when I was pregnant with my son...trust me...that's a long time...especially for someone who doesn't know how to relax. 

5. My favorite colors to decorate with at the moment are blue (robin's egg especially) and grey...not necessarily in the same room.

6. I do not enjoy cooking.  My husband is an amazing cook and does all of the cooking on the weekends.  I do cook during the week, but mostly so me and the kids can survive.  

7. I love having organized closets and drawers.  Organizing spaces is another way I enjoy relaxing...I know, a little wacky.  

Here are the seven blogs I am presenting the award to:

1. Sassy Sites

2. All Things Heart and Home

3. Blue Cricket Design

4. House Of Grace

5. French Country Cottage

6. Embellishing Life

7. Pinkapotamus

Each of these blogs I visit on a daily basis.  These blogs provide gorgeous inspiration.  These blogs are amongst my favorites.  I hope you will check them all out.

Now, back to our regular scheduled programming:

Here is my home office.  The lamp on the desk I have always loved, but it really didn't provide me with enough light to work at my desk.

I had gotten it years ago at Bombay and still love it, but I really needed a desk lamp that I could illuminate my work space.  In the same trip to Home Goods where I bought the new lampshade for the floor lamp in my downstairs family room (you can check it out here) I also came across a great lamp for my desk.

It was in the center of the aisle on one of the tables where the store displays some new merchandise.  It was very Pottery Barn/Ballard Design looking.  For $39.99 it made my wallet happy as well.

I love the warm bronze tone of the lamp.  I think it goes so well in the room.  An unexpected benefit of buying the lamp happened as well.  As I was deciding what I thought of the lamp, and trying to find a place for the other lamp (the one from Bombay), I started cleaning up my desk area.  This led to a total reorganization of the office.  Each and every piece of paper was either filed or thrown out.  Almost four hours later the office was done.

 Here is the finished, cleaned up, organized office.  It feels so good to have a clear workspace.  As you can see, I still have the tag on the lamp.  I'd love your opinion.  Do you love it as much as I do?  Let me know what you think.  As always,  I love and appreciate your comments.  Have a great day.  

-Judy

It's all in the lampshade

It's amazing the difference the right lampshade can make.  I stopped by Home Goods on Sunday (there's a shocker, right?).  When I walked in I saw that the line to check out went all the way to the back of the store.  I said to myself, I hope I don't find anything.  Isn't it Murphy's Law that I would.
Do you remember this lamp?

This lamp started out looking like this:

Now, the truth is that this lamp has been in my family for a very long time.  I remember it when I was a kid.  We used to call it the yellow lamp (I wish I had a picture of it but I don't).  The base was painted yellow and it had a narrow, tall lamp shade (it was the 1970's after all - very Brady Bunch-like). When I painted it white for my son's nursery years ago, I tried to find a long and narrow lamp shade similar to the orginal.  I couldn't find any that worked at the time (or at least none that were reasonably priced).

Here is the bell shaped lamp shade

When I moved the lamp to the basement hangout area and painted it bronze,  I found a bell lampshade from Target for the lamp.  I never felt like it really did anything for the lamp and have been looking ever since for the perfect lamp shade.  Specifically I was looking for one in the original shape and size that was once on the "yellow" lamp.  While walking through the very crowded Home Goods I found the PERFECT lamp shade.  It was in a brown silk finished both on the outside and inside.  Perfect price as well $29.99.

The proportions are so much better.  I think the original shade from 1970 was a little narrower than this one, but this is pretty darn close.  Since I can't find a picture, I am totally going off of my recollection.

Regardless, it is much more appropriate for the lamp.  Look at the soft glow it gives off.

It's so nice to have the lamp finished off as it was originally intended.

It's amazing the difference the right lamp shade can make.  Proportion can make or break the look of the lamp.
I picked up a few other things while I was there...at least that way it was worth the wait on that long line.  I'll share the rest later this week.  Let me know what you think of the new lampshade.  As always, I love and appreciate your visits and comments.

-Judy