Mastering the art of learning how to update a floor lamp is something every homeowner should consider. It can be a relatively simple DIY, depending on the look you’re trying to achieve. Instead of spending money on a new piece, you can breathe life into an existing fixture.
Where Can I Find an Old Floor Lamp?
If you don’t already have a floor lamp lying around your home, there are plenty of places to find affordable light fixtures. As long as you have a creative DIY lamp in mind, you can find an assortment of floor lamps for well under retail.
Some of our favorite options include:
- Antique stores
- Discount bins at big box stores
- Thrift stores
- Garage sales
- Estate sales
The most important thing to remember when shopping for a floor lamp is the project’s total cost. You don’t want to spend the same money on the creative DIY lamp as buying a brand new fixture would cost.
How to Update a Floor Lamp
Let’s browse through some of the best DIYs you can follow to rejuvenate an old floor or accent lamp to make it the focal point of any room.
DIY 1: Repainting
One of the simplest ways to transform a floor lamp is to paint it a different color. Fortunately, there are paints for relatively any material in the world. Also, you can find an assortment of colors to match the aesthetic of your home.
Regardless of if you’re repainting a metal or wood floor lamp, you’re going to need three essential items:
- Spray paint in a color of your choosing
- Finishing spray paint
- 150-grit sandpaper
Step 1: Disassemble the Lamp
The first thing you’ll need to do is disassemble the lamp and remove the shade. Since you’ll be working on the stand, it should be the only exposed piece.
Step 2: Sand the Lamp
Your next step is to fully sand the surface of the lamp’s base, ensuring you get into every nook and cranny. Sanding is a great way to get rid of the existing finish and any caked-on dirt and grime. It provides the perfect base for your paints.
Step 3: Clean the Surface
Before you apply your spray paint, you’ll want to ensure you thoroughly clean the base material. You can use water and a soft cloth to get rid of any wood or metal shavings. Also, make sure the surface is dry before spray painting.
Step 4: Spray Paint the Lamp
Now we get into the fun part of adding color to your perfectly sanded lamp. Make sure you use long, broad strokes and get even coverage. You might need to use two to three layers to get optimal coverage.
Step 5: Add the Finishing Spray
Once you’ve given the base layers of spray paint time to dry completely (usually overnight), you can move on to this step.
A finishing spray is recommended to help protect the paint from chipping and transferring. You can also use finishing sprays to achieve a particular look, such as a glossy or matte finish.
DIY 2: Refurbishing a Lampshade
You’re in luck if you’ve found the perfect floor lamp and love everything about it but the shade.
Lampshade refurbishing is one of the simplest DIYs you can do, especially if you’re going for a unique vibe. There are multiple ways you can refinish your lampshade, whether with a brand new material or by adding embellishments.
Step 1: Plan Your Design
The first step to this project is to plan the design you want to carry out. Are you interested in changing the entire shape of the shade? Do you want it to have a different color?
You can choose from multiple options, but for the sake of this guide, let’s work with changing the lampshade color. It’s one of the simpler options and can make a standard lamp look luxurious and eye-catching.
Step 2: Find the Material
With your vision in mind, it’s time to source the materials you’ll use for the project. We recommend visiting a thrift or fabric store, as they’ll have a large selection. Ideally, you’ll want to buy enough fabric to cover the entirety of your lampshade in one piece.
Step 3: Prepare the Fabric
With your fabric in hand, you’ll want to make sure it’s prepared before you attach it to your existing shade. It’s good to iron or steam the fabric to eliminate any wrinkles beforehand.
Step 4: Attach the Fabric
The next and final step of the project is to put the new material on your lampshade. You’ll want to roll it around the entirety of the shade, ensuring it’s pulled taught. You can use sewing pins to help hold it in place before gluing it down.
Ideally, you’ll want to use a strong holding fabric glue, as it will be the longest lasting. Take the excess fabric around the top of your lampshade and glue it to the inner rim. Follow this process for the extra material at the bottom of the shade, pulling it tighter as you go.
DIY 3: Mix and Match
This DIY is perfect if you have multiple floor lamps around your home that you love. Instead of using each separately, why not combine their parts to make new pieces?
You can easily take the lamp shade from one decorative lamp and put it on another, creating a brand new light.
This can become challenging if you have uniquely designed floor lamps with different shaped shades. For example, adding a small shade onto a large lamp is more complex than a large shade to a small lamp. However, it’s a quick floor lamp update that should work with most models without needing bits of lamp hardware.
Step 1: Remove the Lampshade
First, you’ll want to take the bulbs and lampshades off the floor lamps you’ll customize. Unscrew the bulb counterclockwise, releasing the shade from the stand.
Step 2: Replace the Lampshade
Simply switch the bulbs and shades between lamps to create a brand new piece to display in your home. For as simple as this project is, it’s a foolproof way to reap the benefits of a contemporary decor piece and transform it from a generic floor lamp.
Successfully Upgrading Your Floor Lamp
There are endless ways to learn how to update a floor lamp, ranging from switching shades to painting the base. As long as you’re willing to get a little creative, you can design the perfect light fixture.
