How To Get A High End Look For Less - Table Lamps

I decided to repost this post from a ways back because I keep seeing the lamps show up on Pinterest, so someone must be interested! I loved this project and still adore the finished lamps, so here it is again and considering giving a similar project a try yourself!

Finding a great pair of new lamps for the Master Bedroom Redesign was a necessity, as I recently broke one that was in the room. I searched high and low, looking for a gourd lamp at a bargain basement price. The best option I found was the below lamp at Overstock.com. But at $125 each and reviews disclosing the shade has a red damask lining, not the look I'm going for, the cost of replacing the shades would have to be added to the total. I've gotten spoiled by HomeGoods and have come to believe a decent lamp can be had for $39.00!

So off to HomeGoods I went...and just look at what I found for the target price of $39.00 each! Kind of ugly, right? Cobalt blue is not a color to be included in the bedroom color palette. But the shape was right, so I decided they were worth the effort it would take to change their color to exactly what I wanted.

Back home, the socket and cord were taped and wrapped with plastic to protect them from getting covered with paint, while the black base was left exposed. I decided to streamline the look of the lamps and paint both the lamp body and base the same color and finish.

Next the lamps were sprayed with Rust-Oleum's White Primer. Two coats were applied to make certain the blue was completely covered.

The following day the lamps were sprayed with two coats of Rust-Oluem's Heirloom White.

Between the coats of primer and paint the surfaces were lightly sanded with 220 grit sandpaper, removing a few random little bubbles created by the spraying process. The lamps were also wiped down with a cotton rag between coats.

The last step was to spray the lamps with Rust-Oluem's Clear Protective Finish in Gloss.

Oh my...seriously. I love the result!!

The gloss finish (which still looks just like these photos) give the lamps a high end look.

And in the bedroom: 

(Though a bit later I did cover the shades with a favorite fabric for a tutorial for HGTV.com, see here.)

So, next time you want a high end look on lamps for less...give this a try!