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Serendipity Saves the Lamps

Thursday, March 24, 2011 by Chris

13 Comments

My lamp makeover question got so many comments and opinions I feel a duty to let you know how things turned out. I initially used two different kinds of paint, which blistered and cracked forcing me to strip and begin again. Also, the inside of the lamps was filthy and the only way to clean them was to completely disassemble them and hose them down. After taking them apart I put all the bits and pieces in a plastic bag so that nothing got separated or lost. This proved to be a stroke of luck because among the parts was a little brass ring that I forgot all about so it didn't get painted. In the end, I think the ring is what really makes them work.

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Reader Success Story

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 by Chris

5 Comments

StyleNorth reader Robin wrote to me this week to share a makeover inspired by my post about stripping brass plate using oven cleaner. "I picked up the table at Goodwill shortly after I read your posting and got to work right away," she writes. "It took about two hours, but I think the result speaks for itself . . . thanks so much for a great tip." Robin is flipping the table on Craigslist and will make a tidy profit off her sweat equity. "I love projects like this," she writes, "because you get almost immediate gratification. I do a fair amount of furniture painting, but have never attempted anything like this before. Now, we'll see if someone else appreciates my labour!"

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Dear styleNorth . . . Strip or Paint?

Sunday, February 27, 2011 by Chris

9 Comments

StyleNorth reader Lorena wrote to me yesterday for advice about the distressed but very grand frame she found at the side of the road. "Because of the scrolls of the wood It would be a nightmare to strip," she observes, "but that's exactly what I'd like to do. The wood is old enough that it would look great in its weathered natural state. Also, I have a fairly modern space and I think an old mirror would make a great foil. Wondering if you would mind having a look at the attached pix and venturing whether you think it's worth the trouble, or better to just paint?"

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Lamp Rehab: Before OR After?

Thursday, February 24, 2011 by Chris

39 Comments

Even a fearless DIYer like me needs a little push sometimes. I saw these lamps at a Toronto junk shop (Odds & Ends, 703 Queen Street West) but couldn't bring myself to drop $40 on them because the bases were so damn ugly. I'm a sucker for pierced porcelain and yet I still walked away from them . . . twice. It wasn't until I saw some awesome all-white lamps in the latest issue of Canadian House & Home that I knew what to do. Paint them! But then a funny thing happened; after cleaning and spraying the first one, I got cold feet. The painted metal looked kind of cheap and the more I lived with the brass one, the more I liked the contrast of materials.

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Strip Brass With Oven Cleaner

Sunday, February 13, 2011 by Chris

32 Comments

I've written about stripping brass plate many times but I finally discovered the perfect one-two combination to make the job faster and easier. The secret — and I expect a decor blogger's Hall of Fame Award for this — is Easy Off oven cleaner and a spongy sanding block. In the past I've used fine and super-fine steel wool with Blue Magic metal polish to do the job, but boy, oh boy, it was hard work. The oven cleaner's corrosive action cuts down significantly on the amount of elbow grease required.

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