Bright Renovation

Lately, we've been watching so much HGTV and DIY Network, simply to gain ideas for the home we will soon be moving into. It is a brand new home, so there isn't much reason to renovate...HOWEVER, this is our first home and we just can't wait to make it our own. So, i'm starting small with my first renovation project (one that can be done before we actually move in).

See my before...

Beautiful crystal, ugly gold details. My goal was to accent the crystal with white to make the crystal the focal point of the lamp. This project was inspired by this creative project by Centsational Girl. It looked like a simple project that could be a good first try. I found two of these lamps at a local used and antique furniture store nearby. With the move-in ideas flowing, i'm hoping to create a black and white room in our new house and use these lamps as bedside tables.

Marc was the photographer while I learned the do's and do not's of spray painting. I read all about "light dusting" when spray painting. However, my light dusting of the primer was still dripy. Spent some time sanding it once it dried and cured. I followed it, the next day, with white spray paint, giving it time to dry and cure as well. Whew!



Final product...


I think it turned out great! What do you think?!? Minor problem... the lamp shade i bought at Walmart is too big. Aaaaaaaand this is lamp shade attempt #2. These are just tiny lamps, and this shade is the smallest one Walmart sells. So, i'll have to keep my eyes peeled for nice, tiny lamp shades...unless someone has a better idea :)


My next projects, which may or may not be done before we move into the house...

This is the lamp that we already own, but don't use because it it doesn't "fit" into any room in our duplex. If it were a different color and maybe had a more interesting shade, it could also find a home in our future home. Ooooo, maybe I will put it into the blue and white room we will have....
The bed behind this lamp, a white metal daybed, is in need of some updating. It's a perfectly functional bed, that due to the loss of some hardware during it's 6 or so moves in the last year, is barely holding on. It's also old-fashioned looking and i'd like to keep it and renovate it. I'm thinking a coat of black paint with new hardware. This would be the bed in the black and white room. It's all coming together in my mind!


This funky looking object is a coffee table we found at Goodwill for $12 in Little Rock, AR, while we were PCSing from Corpus Christi to our current location, En Route through Little Rock. (It is standing on it's side so i can park in the garage) We had nearly everything in storage, with no tables, so we used this as our kitchen table and coffee table for 3 months. Before this renovation kick of mine, seeing as it's a piece of junk, I would have just put it in a garage sale or throw it out. Now, I can see it sitting in front of the above daybed, either black or white, to go with the decor of the room..


Ooooo, I can't wait to get started on these projects. And Marc's mother is coming to visit on Tuesday. I wonder if she like to renovate, too?!?