Hoot Hoot!
Happy August Y’all! Soooo excited to share my Vintage Owl Lamp Makeover with you!
Do you remember the office makeover? You know, the one where I have been Stripping Multiple Layers of Paint, Fixing Cracks in Door Panels & Repairing a Patched Plaster Ceiling. Yep, that one. It is STILL going on and I may lose my mind soon! The project that was doomed from the beginning. After starting this room makeover, I had sinus surgery, fractured my elbow and my husband had major heart surgery and there were a few more things sprinkled in there for added measure. When it rains, it pours!
I started out enthusiastic, had a plan, even an Olioboard. After multiple derailments, it was like pulling nails out with my teeth every time I worked on this room. To distract myself (humm hoarding?) I started thrifting quite a bit. Of course, I was looking for some really cool stuff for the office. (every hoarder has an plan). Finding cool cheap vintage stuff with potential really spurs me on. One fine day on a Goodwill run through, I spied these little owl faces looking down at me from the top shelf. I immediately knew what I would do to it! This vintage owl lamp was perfect for the top of the file cabinet in the office.
I was so excited that I even took pictures of it in the parking lot and posted on Facebook.
Not everyone share my vision for this 1970’s beauty complete with an ashtray! And the lampshade oh my, still had the plastic on it and was crusty and scary.
Okay so, I get REALLY excited when I find something like this, and then I get home to a gigantic mess.
The kind of mess that I have always feared. Where you move everything out of one room into another so you can make it pretty and suddenly other stuff is added and things start getting dirty and smelly. Then I start to question my sanity and wonder if maybe I might be going crazy and then I have the urge to pack up EVERYTHING and donate it.
OKAY get a GRIP already! Go buy a can of gloss white RUST-OLEUM, a new lamp shade and finial and create the masterpiece that is in your mind!
But first, let’s check out how it looks in it’s future home…
Check it out! Pretty cool huh? I am getting excited all over again! And yes, you see a painted wall with some stenciling going on! Making progress baby!
Now for some up-cycling magic. RUST-OLEUM here we come…
Can you believe the difference all ready? The trick to spray painting is to keep it light. Just spray light coats, allow each coat to dry and do it again, over and over until you are happy!
So happy RUST-OLEUM has this Paint and Primer in One! Saved $ and Saved a step!
Now to add the finishing touches. This tweed lampshade from Lowes and a Clear Crystal Finial from Garden Ridge will complete the look and make this $5.00 Vintage Owl Lamp look like a masterpiece.
The built in ashtray got a little greenery ball that was scored from Hobby Lobby end of season sale for a buck! Is this like the perfect lamp for this spot or what!
HOOT HOOT!
So Happy this little corner is taking shape and looking GOOD!
Just curious, if you saw this lamp for $5.00, would you snatch it?
What would you do with it?
Stay tuned for another office update soon including more vintage thrift store finds!
OK I’ll eat my words. I am one who thought it was ugly on Facebook. Never would have bought it in a million years. But it is darling!
Thanks Gloria! Yes, it was a bit scary and ugly wasn’t it LOL!
LOL it’s ok GLoria we love you know matter if you love it or hate it.
What a fabulous transformation to your owl lamp! Looks so stylish now! I also really love your wallpaper!
Thanks soo Much Bees! BTY it is a stencil. Can’t wait to finish it so that I can share.
It’s a stencil lol Isn’t it Beautiful ! lesley
This is amazing I would look and think I am nit creative enough too do that. …. ps love that filing cabinet. … do you have instructions on that?
Hi Judy, I am so glad you like it and yes, I will be doing a post on the furniture refinish soon. Stay Tuned!
You are correct. That looks incredible! Now I want to go owl hunting at goodwill!
Evidently, these are starting to show up all over so you might just find one Lindee! Let us know if you do!
This turned out amazing!! I would have so passed this by ! Love it!
Thanks so much Christy!
I like your words, “get a grip and create the masterpiece that is in your mind.” Words to LIVE BY! And oh my gosh I love the lamp. Yeah I would have happily bought that ashtray owl lamp. ( By the way…. was the ashtray part removable? That would be no fun to empty.)
Who else has one? Show of hands? Yeah no one except you, and the shade and the place is truly perfect. One of my fave makeovers I have seen in awhile.
Thanks so much Michelle! I never thought about that ashtray being hard to clean! No, it is not removable. I guess it had to be vacuumed with their Electrolux LOL! Oh and I have to tell myself to get a grip quite often. Thanks for stopping by!
I would have totally snatched this. When I saw the before I immediately thought of painting it white or a seafoam/pistachio green. Love it great job!
Thanks Michelle! Pistachio would be awesome as well!
I just have 3 words for this lamp..,, GOR-GE-OUS!! I would, however, add a lovely crocheted doily under it. I LOVE doilies under everything; they’re a finisher like curtains and a rug. Try it, you’ll love it!
Hi Shelby, thanks so much! I love dollies too. I’ll have to look and see what I have and try one.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but that lamp is UGLY! Then you painted it, add a cool shade and filled the ashtray part and it is just BEAUTIFUL!!! I never would have thought it would look so good! Kudos to you!
I know it was so ugly LOL! Isn’t it amazing what paint does? Thanks for stopping by!
You’re not going to believe this…but last year I found one of these (minus the ashtray!) and snatched it up quickly! I cut off the threaded lamp rod and painted it in hammered bronze for a cool sculpture.
Then this summer I spied TWO with the ashtray indentations (but no ashtrays) and grabbed them too! They are out in the garage yet…
My mom collected owls and now my family thinks I’ve gone a little nuts with them but, oh well…
Love your post!
Hi CeCe G, when I saw it I decided to get it even if it didn’t work because it would still have been so neat with the lamp part cut off. So you have a pair in your garage! What are you going to do with them?
I was thinking about using them as the legs for a console table in front of my picture window in the living room. But then again, I usually have things lying around for so long that I change my mind just a few (hundred!) times.
Now that is a cool idea. You will have to let us know what you end up doing with them.
OMG I love this!!! Why do i never find stuff that is this cool at my thrift stores? LOL Awesome job!
Kat, Mom finds the best stuff. I really think I just get overwhelmed… unless it’s furniture. But all the smaller stuff she has like a beacon that laser zooms in on it. lol
What an amazing transformation – I love it now !
I just ordered an ugly brown plastick cuckoo clock which will be painted white too – the magic of paint !
XOX
Susan, a cuckoo clock painted white sounds so awesome! Thanks for stopping by!
This turned out amazing! All I can think about is how fab it would be covered in moss, or glitter. Now, I need to go on a quest to find a fun lamp.
I know they are so much fun to find and re-do. Send us a picture if you do one! Thanks for stopping by!
now this is a makeover. you should submit this lamp to the better after blog, she’s doing her annual lamp contest soon.
b
I love this sooo much! One of the best thrift store makeovers I have ever seen I want one!
Thanks so much Laura! These lamps are starting to show up at thrift stores so maybe you can find one!
Just stumbled on this….you’re not going to believe this but I have this exact lamp X2! Got them at an auction. Mine were originally painted white and brown with orange eyes! I painted one teal and sold it and the other white and kept it! Love your blog!
Awesome! And someone recommended that we paint it a bright color like yours! We’d love to see yours Amy!