The Lamp Factory

I currently have three pairs of lamps in various stages of makeover.

It's no secret that I L.O.V.E. Home Goods lamps. They have a wide variety, they often have pairs (and I love pairs of lamps almost as much as pairs of chairs), and you can't beat the price. Even other mass retailers that I think of as being inexpensive, like Pier 1 or West Elm, sell lamps for about three times as much. Many of my faves from Home Goods look unique, and you would never guess I paid under $50 at a discount store.

However.

For some reason, the default base seems to be that brushed nickel, no matter what the style of lamp. And with gold accents in most of my house, nickel lamp bases just won't do.


So I've been spraying a couple of them with metallic brass rustoleum. In the un-ventilated basement. (Still too cold to open the windows here!) When the girls and I walked in the back door after school pick up, the house reeked. Oops.

This pair also had mismatched finials, and neither looked like it went with the lamps.
So I got an extra $5 knocked off each one and figured that a matching finish would at least distract from the mismatched shapes. Maybe eventually I'll buy new finials (but I doubt it.)

Pair number 2: ikea wall lamps for the guest room. You can see one in the middle there, also going from nickel to brassy, along with the wonky finials.


(You can also see the legs of a set of 4 white Ghost chairs, all stacked up. I almost sprayed them gold, just by the proximity of that spraying station. That would have been a VERY expensive mistake. Sometimes I'm a total idiot about my projects that way.)

Pair number 3: What do you think about this classic navy ticking to top off these brass stick lamps? The original white shade is feeling a bit stark against the new navy walls.


I think I'll probably go for it. This is the last project for the guest room, and then I can share the results! But at least this is a sneak peek of the wall color. I like it more and more and more and more. And our weekend guests dug it, too.

Oh, and the green lamps back in the living room.

Perhaps the most subtle "after" shot on earth. But much, much better, especially since the frames on the wall RIGHT THERE are black and gold.


Sometimes it's the little things, isn't it?

Seven Things You Don't Know About Me

Danika, my best blog bud over at Gorgeous Shiny Things, nominated me for a Stylish Blogger award.

Isn't she the sweetest?

Apparently this means I have to tell you seven things about myself, and actual design content will have to wait a day.

So here goes.

1. I love costumes and costume parties. I once dressed up as the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo using only items I already had in my closet. I made the unibrow with a mascara wand. (I wish I had a better picture of the whole thing!)

-- My first career was in commercial photography. For one major shoot, I spent three weeks in Tuscany with vintage Ferraris on the streets of 14th-century towns. It was cool.


-- I have four uncles who are priests. My dad is from Ireland and one of 12 kids, so it's almost surprising there aren't more of them in the mix.

-- New Mexico is my favorite state in the union.


Before grad school, I took a 6 week road trip from NY to NM all by my lonesome. When I arrived in Taos, my intention was to stay in these teepees in Arroyo Seco, but turns out its freezing in there at night.


-- My husband and I were married by "Judge Happy," the guy who does a mass wedding ceremony on the radio each valentine's day.

-- I am very good at making simple things complicated. In college, I was the costume designer for a student production of Woody Allen's "God." It calls for togas, and instead of wrapping everyone up in sheets and calling it a day, I researched ancient greek toga design, bought about 30 yards of white linen, and sewed a dozen unique togas, with greek key trim and everything. (Perhaps I shoul dhave just said the thing you don't know about me is that I'm a huge nerd.)


BTW, that's Jon Togo on the left, he of CSI Miami, when he was a sophomore in college!

-- My younger daughter was born at home--accidentally. When it became clear that we would not make it to the hospital, my husband rolled up his sleeves and said "looks like we're gonna have to do this old school." I swear, that's a direct quote.

-- I used to have a fro. I loved it and I miss it, but my hair calmed down after two pregnancies.



So there you go. Too much information.

And now I get to pass the award on to some other bloggers.
I pass the torch to:

Abby of a Delightful Design
Anne Marie at 10 Rooms
Jessica at The Eagle's Nest
Danielle at Danielle Oakey Interiors

And tomorrow I'll be back with more decorating.