So, I admit it. I’m a sucker for cheap, cheesy, kicked-to-the-curb, seen-better-days kinds of lamps that fill the shelves of thrift stores across America. And, yes, I’ve been known to buy a lamp even when I didn’t need one because I just can’t resist a good makeover candidate. I found my latest one a couple of weeks ago among the sea of brass lamps at my favorite Goodwill & I knew it’d be perfect in my bedroom. And for only $5, it was mine.

I decided to give it an antiqued silver effect, so I used 2 of my favorite sprays from my paint stash to get it done. First, I did one light coat of the Krylon Premium Silver Foil Metallic…

Then, I took the same paint in gold & held the can around 24 inches away from the lamp & did a very light spray-over.

It took very little paint to cover this thing, and the effect was a silver finish with some gold spotting, a lot like tarnished silver.

As for a shade, I bought a plain white drum shade from Target & added a couple strips of silver ribbon with a little craft glue to dress it up a bit.

And another lamp gets a new life at my house.

If you’d like to try a thrift store lamp makeover for yourself, here are a few tips:

  • Choose a lamp for its shape or size, not for its current finish. Try to see past the present state it may be in & view it for its potential.
  • Check the wiring, socket & switch for any obvious problems. You can purchase lamp re-wiring kits from Lowes or HD & replace the old with the new if needed (directions are provided on the packaging). Otherwise, for myself, I never leave old lamps unattended while turned on, just to be cautious.
  • As for the new finish, spray paints are the perfect option, especially for brass, because of the smooth finish they produce. I don’t even bother with primer on mine because I know they’ll rarely be handled & the surface will stay nice. For more casual looks, craft paints or other acrylic paints can be brushed on.

Click here to see a few more of my lamp makeovers. I’ll be sharing this project with a few of these sites.