Light Control

In an effort to further update the guest room, I've made a few more things.

1.

An accent lamp.

That's right another vintage thermos lamp and I used the same tutorial linked in the first post. This thermos was the first acquired specifically for lamp-ifying and I finally came up with a suitable lampshade idea for it, so finally made it.

This time I painted the hardware, "flat black." Hmmmm. Well, the only way this paint would be flat is I'd painted a pancake! This did not do what it says on the tin. Oh, well.

This is a plain, chandelier shade from Lowe's, covered with fabric recently added to my stash - ahem - and trimmed out with black twill tape.

2. 

Replaced the ceiling fixture with a repainted fixture.

Originally I thought I'd paint the existing bright brass builders' boob light (BBL) that was in there when we moved in. Then it occurred to me that we have a small stash of fixtures we'd taken out and stored in the shop with the intent to donate them and that I should have a look to see if there was something suitable that would be better than a repainted BBL. And I think there was!

From before the 2016 kitchen remodel started.

I think of this as 1970s (and earlier?) version of the cheap, utility light and it came out of the kitchen. I never liked it in there, but always found it more charming than a BBL... at least it looks vintage. So I decided to clean it up and give it a quick paint job: both the chrome base and the glass globe.

Of course, within the 40 years I assume that thing was up it had gotten paint on it from sloppy ceiling painters. Luckily, it was all latex paint and came off pretty easy with rubbing alcohol and a little attention from a razor blade. After some simple, but thorough, masking, I painted it in the woodshed and hung it to dry in the bathroom (door shut, heat & fan on).

The globe has a little paint and some dust, so I cleaned it up and did two quick pinstripes on the side. Inspired by the schoolhouse look, even if not really replicating it because of the different style.

I bet you can guess what's coming up next just by looking at this next photo. It ends with "t" and starts with pain. That's right... PAINT!

Question: Does the angle of this photo make the ceiling fixture look off-center?

Answer: No. The ceiling fixture being WAY off-center makes the ceiling fixture look off-center.

I used the same two 60-watt-equivelent LED light bulbs that came out of the boob light in the "new" light and it's so much brighter! Just goes to show you how much the fixture can matter.

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Our supplies stashes were integral in these projects, but perhaps a little less so than the shelf backers. 

    OUT OF POCKET COSTS:
    LAMP
      $  5.98 - lamp shade
      $  2.39 - twill tape
      $  6.49 - bottle lamp kit
      $  0.49 - rubber grommet
      $15.35