Adding a couple of lamps on my porch was something I wanted to do, since every room needs a lamp, right? And this new porch is definitely a room we are enjoying every single day. I wasn’t going to go buy a brand new lamp to put out there, to get damp and live outside, so off to the thriftstore I went.
There’s a Goodwill about 1/4 mile from my house in Kennesaw, so I browsed in there one day and found 2 for my porch. There are lots of old brass lamps out there these days. I don’t hate brass for something like this at all. The one on the left is really heavy brass too, so I decided to leave the brass and paint the stripes a color to go on my porch. The one on the right will be painted a solid blue color and both lamps cost me $15 total.
So, to help out with this project, my trusty FrogTape comes into the picture.
I used it to mask off the areas I didn’t want to spray paint and to get a clean line. It’s tricky to tape a round object like this, which you’ll find out if you’ve ever done it. The tape won’t bend in a circle like that, so you have to either fold it and overlap which results in a not so clean line OR you can tear off small pieces and use them overlapping to get a straighter line as you can see on the right side of the lamp.
Here you can see the taped off part and I used Rustoleum’s Lagoon color, a beautiful blue Satin shade that is brand new this year. I love this color!
Outside I went to spray paint and a few light coats later, my lamp stripes were done. Oh, and I had to do the large stripe first, let it all dry and then go back and paint the smaller stripe later. As soon as I sprayed the last coat, I took off the tape for a fairly clean line. I did have a little bit of overspray on my brass and some Goof Off took it right off.
Now my $7 thriftstore lamp is even cuter in this beautiful blue shade. Since I have lots of blue pops around the porch, it will fit right in.
It’s not perfect and there are some little bubbles (probably due to the finish and the heat outside), but the Satin finish looks great. The little imperfections don’t bother me a bit.
My cute vintage yardsale fan is perfect out here and it still works. I’m so glad I hung on to this one.
Love this colorful corner of the porch.
The other lamp got a coat of solid Lagoon blue and it’s looking so much better too. The old brass was pitted and old looking, but now looks great again. I love the shape of this one too.
After spray painting, this lamp will be good to go on the porch. I still have to find a new shade for this one too.
And that’s the new additions to the screened porch, which by the way is getting daily use. I’m out here ALL the time and it’s become my new summer office. Love, love, love this space!
Disclosure: I’m a Brand Ambassador for Frogtape and am compensated to share my projects using FrogTape. All opinions and methods of using the product are all my own.
Gorgeous! Isn’t it amazing what paint can do.
I love how they look now! Also, I’m glad that you share when things are not “perfect”–nothing in this life is and you make it more real for us. Thanks. I need to try your mom’s peach cobbler recipe as I picked up some great Colorado peaches this past weekend. YUM.♥♫
I’m impressed! I just can’t get spray paint to look good. Thanks for the peach cobbler recipe. I plan on making that this week to take to work.
P.S. Did you ever reveal the winner of the Country Living book?
Your lamps are perfect! That’s exactly what I plan to do after we get a roof on our deck this fall. Isn’t it great to save money this way!
I have a brass lamp I bought at GW several years ago that I planned to paint, but I really love the brass look. Another great thing about them is they are so heavy. For some reason our cat loves to turn lamps over, and he can’t budge the brass one!
Loving the new color! So tropical. I also didn’t realize that brass lamps could be painted. . . .so now I’m eyeballing mine. . . .
Love love love this color and how it transformed your lamps for the porch. I think I’m going to give this a try. Can’t wait to see what you’re up to next!
I have purchased several lamps over the years at GW and painted them with the oil rubber bronze. I always end up finding cute shades at Home Goods for them. I like the color of yours. Good job.
I love the pop of turquoise! Turned out beautiful. I am a lover of frog tape! I used it once around some crown molding I was painting and I was totally hooked when I didn’t have to touch up. Great job and beautiful porch!
How ironic that you spray painted the lamps…that is exactly what I am planning to do tomorrow….find a thrift store lamp to spray paint. Now I know it was meant to be! I spend an incredible amount of time tweaking my house, painting furniture, sewing, etc., but my house is lacking pretty, colorful lamps!
Amazing the difference a few stripes of color can make to add zing- love the turquoise for summer!
Best, Mimi
They both look good, Rhoda. I used a rubber band one time when I was spray painting a lamp to get a clean edge.
Dorinda, now that’s a great idea!
They look wonderful, Rhoda! Love the color, and you sure can’t beat that price! Great job!
Rhoda, your slight imperfections on your lamp might be the paint itself. I added new life and color to an outdoor ceiling fan a few weeks ago and chose the Rustoleum Ultra Cover 2. It came out irregularly spitting a few clumps and was dry looking. I did shake it well and shake during the spraying process. The catch is the humidity level. Ultra Cover 2 can be used but at lower levels of humidity than other paint sprays–10% less in fact. I still use the paint but am careful of the time of day when the humidity might be higher. I am over here in Chattanooga so like you I know humidity! Love your porch and the latest additions.
Thank your Mom for the peach recipe, it finally cooled in the NE and I’ll be baking that with NJ peaches that are in season, can’t wait to try it.
Love the new and improved lamps. I have spayed brass with ORB with great success, never would have thought of using a color.
I love them, I have one on my porch that I found at GW too-just a little paint and a new shade and it’s great. I’m now looking for a shade for a large lamp filled with shells that I bought at an estate sale–it had
a brass base which I have painted satin nickel and I love it –goes really well with the shells. Yours are beautiful and I love the blue–and don’t ya just love spray paint!!!
Your projects look wonderful. I painted the base of an estate sale coffee table for my porch with Lagoon, and it was the first time that 2X ever underperformed. It did the same thing, the bubbles, etc., so after I sanded the bubbles off, I sent my husband back to get another can to fix the bloopers. It did not bubble up like the first one did. I don’t know if it was the color itself, a bad batch or what. The first can was glossy and the second was satin, with which I recoated the whole thing.
Maybe you can use your influence with Frog Tape to make one which will turn curves. I always have to piece it when painting something with lines that are not straight. Sticky bias tape would be a great invention!
The turquoise is an awesome pop of color on the brass!! I love shopping GoodWill and Habitat Re-Store for treasures that can be transformed! I love beautiful things, but I’m on a budget so creative ideas like this are so helpful to me! Thanks for continuing to inspire and educate us!
The lamps look great and adds a fun pop of color.
Wanted to let you know that I made your Moms peach cobbler on Tuesday and it was a huge hit at our house. My husband declared it the best cobbler he has ever eaten. We finished up the left overs last night and I’m already thinking about making another batch, maybe this time with fresh berries. Well, my great grandmothers recipe has now been retired and I will be making your families recipe for now on. Thank Mom for sharing the recipe, it’s a keeper!!
HI, Debbie, that makes me happy to hear! So glad it was a hit.
I love what paint will do to give something new life! And the blue you used is a great pop of color. I’m learning to have a better appreciation for the old heavy brass stuff – glad you left the one and just painted the stripes – it looks awesome!
To fit tape around curves, I use a sewing technique. As you place the tape around curve, snip along opposite side of tape to provide ‘give’ (like ‘easing in’ when sewing curves). Your tape will have a series of inverted ‘v’s (^) which will need a bit more tape to cover gaps–but you’ll get a cleaner line.