DIY Restoration Hardware Inspired Lamp Makeover
3 Materials
These beautiful brass lamps were lovely, but my client wanted to give them a more modern updated makeover. We both loved the look of the lamps we'd seen in catalogs like Ballard Designs, Pottery Barn and of course Restoration Hardware but we didn't want to spend the money on new lamps. I decided to try to recreate the "greige" finish on these brass lamps and we both were thrilled about how they came out!
Here is the before. I cleaned them thoroughly before priming them with a shellac based primer. My favorite is Zinzer primer.
I made sure that I let the primer dry very well in between each coat.
Then I applied 2 coats of Sherwin Williams paint in a matte finish. The color I used was Virtual Taupe.
The next step I did was to make my own liming wax. I used Johnson's paste wax mixed with white latex paint. I used a cheap chip brush to kind of dry brush the liming wax all over the lamps. I let the wax kind of settle into the brush marks of the base coat. I wiped off any excess with a blue shop towel.
Here is the finished product! The lamp is totally transformed!
Since there were two sets of lamps, I decided to make the other set darker. For this set, I also made a diy wax but instead of using paint I used dark stain. I used the same technique, dry brushing the wax on and then removing any excess.
And here it is finished! For more photos and information click the link to go to my blog!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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2 of 123 comments
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Absolutely stunning! Love both finishes!
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How much wax did you mix with the stain? Your project came out amazing !!!!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
This project is at the top of my to do list with a pair of lamps I found at an auction. However, I'm having a difficult time finding new shades that I like. May I ask where you found the ones in this post? They are just what I have in mind! Thank you!
Where did you get the lampshades?
Which Zinzer Primer did you use as they do a number of primers which are very different.
I actually like the finish with just the primer!