Free Clothing Swap Lamp Gets Powned

Several months ago I picked up two large lamps for free from a clothing swap at my mom's church. They had enough redeeming qualities to let me see potential in them, so I took one and my mom took one. The lamps had that 70's look as if they tried to make the lamp look like a giant fancy candlestick and candle, and eventually I got frustrated trying to find large enough lampshade (lampshades are expensive!) that would compliment the intricate design. And even if I found one, I was afraid that the silvery-pearl glaze, frosty flower design, and brassy base would still look more "tacky" than "antique-y".



Finally, a few days ago, I found a gigantic, beautiful lampshade for $6.50 at MCC Furniture Thrift store! It perfectly covers the "candle-look" on the neck of the lamp that was apparently so popular in 1970's lamp decor... I was very pleased, but not as pleased as I was when my friend gave me a can of gloss cream coloured spray paint she wasn't going to use. I decided to spray paint the tacky right out of my lamp.

The finished product!

The result? I love it! The details are still visible, like the flower design on the bowl of the lamp, and the intricate filigrees on the base and neck actually stand out more than they did with all the distracting shimmer glazes and silver-brass. I think the result looks solid and clean, but still holds on to the "antique" appeal.