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The Steve Buscemi's of Lamps

September 30, 2011

Months ago, my friend Kristi sent me a picture text with these lamps and said she was going to throw them out and wondered if I would like them.  "Sure!" I figured if I couldn't rescue them, I could always just donate them.  They have been sitting in our basement since the move and yesterday, I finally remembered them and wondered how they would look in our room.  Currently:  pretty bad.  But they do have potential.

For one, they both are just about the same height (the one on the left is 3/4" taller).  I love how tall they are.  With a low bed and low nightstands, the room is begging for some height--and these tall lamps might be our ticket.  They also both have a gourd shape to them.  The fact that it isn't the exact same lamp is kinda endearing to me.  Of course, I would spray paint the bases the same color for unity and and I would also need to do something about the shades.  The lamp on the right has the shade shape that I would like to work with--a tall drum shade that I can easily cover:

The lamp on the left has a bizarre shade that I am most likely going to have to break down to the bones and try to recreate the same shade as the one on the right (oh, and do something about those tassles!):

I am excited about the prospect of upcycling these lamps and making them something special again.  Chris?  Not too excited.  In fact, he would rather just buy new lamps.  Which is our backup plan.  But you know me, I love a challenge--even when I don't know exactly what I'm doing.  How to make a lampshade?  No clue.  But I'll figure it out and share every last detail.

For now, we are just super excited to have lamps.  For the first time since moving, we had a warm glow  illuminating our room last night:

What do you think?  Are you frightened?  Are you stoked for the transformation?  Are you confused as Chris was when he saw these lamps flanking our bed?

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  1. I'm a bit afraid right now, but I have TOTAL confidence in you. I know you're figure out something amazing for those lamps and they will look completely different than what they look like now! And it is amazing how much beautiful light side table lamps bring into a room. I LOVE reading with my lamp on.

  2. I think I Dream of Jeannie is going to pop out of the one by the window! Those tassels!
    And.... sadly.... I side with Chris. You could probably score some brand new lamps and killer shades for less money (and time) it'll take to bring these up to par. But... as always... you've got me intrigued.

  3. Steve Buscemi. That's rich. I love upcycling. Especially free stuff. I'm so glad you are doing this because I just went to Goodwill over my lunch break and found two matching lamp bases. No shades. But it's cool. Can't wait to see the finished product!

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