Several years ago I picked up a pair of lamps from J.C. Penney’s. Here’s what they looked like when I bought them, minus the dust. Oh… and this is Izzy. She never misses a photo op.
I loved their lines but I didn’t think about how heavy they’d make the room feel. We live in a 100 year old home surrounded by towering Maple trees so we don’t get a whole lot of sun to begin with so to combine that with dark furniture and walls just makes it all seem that much more dreary.
I’m in the process of brightening the place up. Or should I say… I have lots of ideas for things I want to do ~ I haven’t had any time to do the things I want, but am hoping in the next couple of weeks, to knock out a few small projects that have patiently been waiting.
To be totally honest, I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but I wanted them lighter. I slapped on a watered down coat of CeCe Caldwell’s Dover White applying it in a VERY sloppy manner. I started this process at a CeCe Caldwell’s 101 Paint Class but quickly got sidetracked helping everyone with what they were painting so it stayed in it’s sloppy coat for a while.
At our next Paint Your Own Furniture Workshop, I shared the paint layering technique using Alaskan Tundra. I slopped this on in the same messy, thin coat manner.
Once the paint was completely dry, I did some wet distressing to expose the original finish and Viola!
It’s so weird ~ Dover White can be used in so many different ways. It’s more typically used to create a whitewash affect because of it’s translucency. I used Dover White to dry-brush over the base coat of Pittsburgh Gray on this antique buffet. Click HERE to see this transformation.
I also layered Dover White more heavily and in a random method on the top here.
Even though I used Dover White in an entirely different manner, I love the subtle affect it has and will definitely be doing this on many more pieces.
I’m not finished with it yet; to truly make it mine, it needs to have some kind of shabby, fringe-y, bead-y bling added to it. Got any ideas? I’d love to hear them!!
- Subscribe to Shizzle Design for tips, tutorials and lots of ideas & images of our furniture painted in CeCe Caldwell’s all natural chalk and clay based mineral paints.
- Like our Shizzle Design Facebook Page
- Pin us on Pinterest
- Come see our painted furniture and CeCe Caldwell’s Paints sold at Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture in Holland, Michigan. We also We carry a complete line of CeCe Caldwell’s Paints on our Online Shizzle Shop here
- Or… better yet ~ Join me and my sister Cathy for one of our Paint Your Furniture Workshops! It’s hands down my FAVORITE part of my job! I’m having so much fun meeting all of you and am BLOWN AWAY with the pieces of furniture everyone has transformed!! Check out our 2013 Schedule and availability here.
(until we meet again)
Shelly
I love the lamp. It looks so nice. Thanks for sharing.
Peggy @ southscapedesigns.com
Wow! What a difference! I think it looks great like that 🙂 Thank you for sharing this at Rustic Restorations Weekend!
Nice idea. The lamps look great made over and it’s nice you can save money by recycling something you already have. I also have a home surrounded by large trees, and lots of knotty pine woodwork/panelling and dark walls in several rooms. Light/brightness is at a premium in our cabin-style abode.