Thrift Store Lamp Gets a Country Makeover

4 Materials
$14
1 Hour
Easy
So, a few months ago, I went to my local thrift store to get myself a sweater to make mug koozies for my Christmas in a Jar post. I left the thrift store with two sweaters, some shop rags, a mirror tray and a lamp! To be fair I still only spent $8 and no one really believed I was just gonna be able to get one sweater right? It honestly hadn’t occurred to me to replace one of my living room lamps until I literally ran right into this one. I took one look at it and just grabbed it. It was perfect! And I didn’t even know I’d been looking for it!


My old living room had a lot of lovely things going for it but it was never quite right. I started rearranging and doing some fall cleaning late last year with BIG plans for later this year. I had one lamp I had already given a makeover to that deserved an accompanying lamp that fit more with its style. (The previous lamp I had painted just never fit in here as well as I would have liked.) I gave this $2 lamp the same treatment I gave my other lamp. I painted it out with matte white paint and then added twine with a glue gun for some interest. All in I spent $2 for this lamp and $12 for the shade. $14 for a new lamp I consider to be a great deal!


Tip when working with twine: To get rid of all of those crazy fly aways run a lighter over it to burn them away. Unfortunately it is still winter here so I couldn’t spray paint it outside like I wanted to so I had to hand paint it so it took lots and lots of coats!


I am REALLY excited about my living room even though I won’t be starting work on it for a long while. I’m tackling my garage this spring/summer and I have plans on moving my sofa out there along with the chair, the coffee table and the sofa and chair from my deck as well. I’m going to take the opportunity then (when this room is nearly empty) to paint it out and refinish the floors which is the same treatment I’m giving the entire first floor of my home after everything was so badly damaged from wood smoke. (You can see the complete makeover I just  gave my workshop here and  my laundry room here next up I’m so excted to share my finished entryway too!)


And then, for the first time in my life, I will be picking out and purchasing myself a brand new sofa and that makes me really happy for some reason lol.


I have a coffee table out on my deck I plan on bringing in here and adding a tufted top to it and I am also going to be painting out that hideous stone that my ex put on my chimney!


In the meantime, this lamp reminds me of all my fun dreams and plans to come for my living room! And all it took was a few coats of flat white paint and some twine glued on with a glue gun.


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  • Leah Leah on Apr 13, 2019

    What kind of damage to what kind of floors with wood smok?

  • Jeanne Martin Jeanne Martin on Apr 13, 2019

    Love the "new" lamp! I also just want to mention I visited your workshop room reveal and I got quite a few ideas for my still pending workshop. Ya know the backslpash wainscotting kinda looks like a cityscape to me (dark tall & shorter buildings). Do you see it or am I just a nut? But I’m a good kinda nut! 😁 Love it all!

  • PamPam PamPam on Apr 13, 2019

    What are you going to do with the stone fireplace/chimney?


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  • Peach123 Peach123 on Apr 15, 2019

    Too cute! I love this idea ❤ definitely going to do this soon! Thanks a lot

  • Sue c. Sue c. on May 21, 2019

    A very spiffy upgrade indeed. Sometimes I believe items call out to be rescued. Then they repay us by sharing their new beauty with us. You did a lovely job. And where did you get the shade? I love it.

    • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on May 22, 2019

      Thank you for much Sue! The shade was a purchase a few years ago from Walmart :)

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