16 December 2019

A LICK OF PAINT

 
In the spring we went to a brocante at Leugny where Nick bought this standard lamp for 1€.
Actually, it cost him 2€ because although it had a 1€ label on it he only had a 2€ coin and the seller had no change.  (Or so she said!) 
 
 
We needed a lamp for a dark corner of the dining room but this wasn't really what I had in mind.  So I thought it would benefit from a lick of paint and decided to have a go at painting it.
 
 
Daisy has a thing about standard lamps.  So far she has trashed three of them.  Two of ours and one in a hotel bedroom.  Oops!  I think she thinks they are trees and doesn't expect them to fall over. 
 
 

The first step (after rewiring the lamp) was to give it two coats of the main colour which was an ivory colour, then a coat of clear wax.  The next step would be to give it a wash of diluted dark wax which would settle into the grooves in the pattern to highlight them.
 

  I had never done this before so I decided to practise on a table lamp first.


 
The table lamp was originally black and we'd had it a few years so I wasn't too worried if the paint didn't work.  It looks much better in the ivory colour I think. 
 

 
We are very pleased with the finished lamp.  For the cost of some paint and wax, a switch and bulb holder, some flex and a new shade, we have a "new" standard lamp which is unique.
 

 
In fact we're so pleased that my next project will be this side table.  Nick sanded a couple of patches on the top to check what the wood was like underneath the dark brown stain.  Our plan is to sand and wax the top to produce a light oak kind of finish, then paint and wax the sides and legs the same colour as the standard lamp. 
 

6 comments:

  1. SO much better! It's amazing what "a lick of paint" can achieve (who licks paint? Is it something that cats do?)

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    1. HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS, ANGELA.
      I am dismayed for you that things have taken a nasty turn and hope for a good outcome.

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  2. Excellent, well done. Cheers Diane

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    1. HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND NIGEL, DIANE!
      All the best for the New Year. XX

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  3. Happy Christmas to you and yours!
    I continue to watch and enjoy this space.

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    1. Thank you Michael, I hope your Christmas is a good one and the next year even better!

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