Luxury-look upcycled lamps

Marcie K creates a matching pair of lamps using just paint

I adore the way lamps cast a glow in a room, and have always been a fan of Abigail Ahern’s advice that there should be at least seven sources of light in a room – although with the recent hike in electricity bills I might start to rethink that! However, picking up lamps and shades is still one of the cheapest and easiest ways to bring some luxury to a corner of your room and they look amazing on either side of a sideboard or bed.

Rather than needing two identical lamps, just look for similar-sized ones that balance each other and you can upcycle them in the same style. These two cost me £5 each from a charity shop, and as Guild Lane paints can adhere to many surfaces I was able to use them for the whole project.

1 Prep and paint the bases

Clean your lamps, getting rid of any dirt or dust. Starting with each base, wrap any parts with masking tape that you want to protect from the paint. Stir your paint well, then cover each base with smooth brushstrokes; I used Guild Lane’s Light Bronze Green. Try not to overload your brush with paint and work fast. Don’t over-paint, as it dries quickly. Once dry, do a second coat – that’s all you need.

2 Paint the shades

Both of these lampshades have a hard shell inside, so I painted those too, using Guild Lane’s Gild in copper enamel built up over a few layers. Leave to dry completely before starting on the outside of the shades. Using Oxford Ochre, I painted both shades the same colour on the outside. Again, don’t overload your brush. Apply a second coat, then leave to dry.

3 Apply the masking tape

On the outside of the shades, use masking tape to mark off the surface to create stripes. On the bell-shaped shade, I started with one piece of tape in the middle and, using another piece as a spacer, placed the second piece. It’s important to make sure the corners line up to get a symmetrical result.

4 Paint the stripes

Load up a small brush with a contrasting colour (I used Tawny Orange) then dab some of it off on kitchen towel before painting the shade. This will help prevent any excess bleeding under the masking tape. Follow the tape down with your paint, dabbing rather than roughly painting. Sometimes the tape doesn’t adhere well, so go gently. If any paint does bleed underneath just use a small brush and paint over. Peel the tape off straight away.

Top tips

• Use a synthetic brush like those from Guild Lane, as these don’t leave brush marks
• Add fringes and trims for an even ‘extra’ individual look
• Ditch the masking tape and free-hand the stripes instead, for a hand-painted Charleston look