Painted White Vintage Lamp

I've seen lamps like this one called Mariposa by Z Gallerie

and this Turned table lamp by West Elm, but their price tags leave me sighing. 

So when I spotted this one at the local Goodwill for $6, I had big plans for creating a similar effect like the lamps above.  So I cleaned it up with soap and water and gave it a good sanding with some 220 grit sand paper.

Then I applied one coat of spray primer.

To get a nice finish, I had to use about 6 light coats of Valspar's Lacquer Hi-Gloss spray in White.

Then when it was all nice and dry I brought it inside to test it out.  It worked of course, as they say they test all the lamps at the Goodwill. The only problem was they forgot to test whether you could turn it off.  Unfortunately it turned on, but the off switch wasn't working.  So off to Lowes I went and picked up a replacement socket. My super awesome husband took over at this point, following the instructions included with the replacement socket, and this tutorial.  

First, he removed the felt circle on the bottom, revealing two large metal discs that anchor the metal rod, through which the electrical cord runs. He ran more of the cord through the knot, to give himself a bit of slack on the other end.

He then gently disconnected the socket from the base ( a slight pinch, then pull), revealing the connections from the power cord.

He then removed the shell and insulation (looks like a cardboard tube).

He cut the cord and tossed the old socket, then stripped 1/2" from each wire, and gave them a little curl to wrap around the screws on the new socket leads.

He tied an Underwriter's knot just below the wires, then connected them to the new socket. Underwriter's knots prevent tugs at the bottom of the cord from fraying the connection at the socket end.

The new socket shell slipped onto the socket, wires fit carefully under the shell, and the socket popped right back onto the base.

Now to test:

So far, so good...

Success! 

(Yes, this is actually the same picture as above, but the new socket does work)

Budget Breakdown:
Lamp at thrift Store - $6
White Spray Paint - $6
Lamp Shade - $14
Replacement socket - $3
Total - $29 for my lamp

$149 for this almost identical lamp at Z Gallerie. That's a $120 Savings!!!

Did you find something like this at a thrift store and turn it into a modern lux decor item for your home? It's crazy sometimes what you can fix up with a little imagination and little know-how.

xo
Cathleen


p.s. Did anyone watch Nate Berkus yesterday?? Nate did the same thing with a vintage gold lamp. I must be channeling his psyche!