Seaside DIY lamps

 My summer house is casual, softer edged and more DIY than my town home. Its decor  reflects its location and   our budget  restrictions for a second home.   About 75 % of the furniture  is built or adapted by my seriously skilled hubby or purchased second hand.   It goes without saying that when  I decide I need something to fill a spot, second hand stores are my go to solution.

 I added new art work in the master bedroom last year and I knew I couldn't keep the current lamp arrangement because the art was too commanding and the lamps too mismatched and small.  But I sure did like  my jar of pussy willows.

 I was appalled to realize I had this  small lamp for 13 years and I never did repaint the night tables.
 This is a perfect example  things in a home you are going to address and never do.  

Moving right along,  I moved the pussy willows,  got the night table painted, and mounted the artwork.  You can see the problem with the lamp; it is totally minute and  doesn't connect in any way with the art work.   I wanted something with more substance and felt it needed to overlap the artwork slightly.

I found two of these  frames  at Value Village.  I liked the fact that the base looked a little like a fish and the top was boat shaped. It had strong lines and wasn't fussy.  Of course the price was right.

 But black wasn't going to work in my seriously beachy feeling home.

A little painter's tape and then my trusty  Krylon stainless steel spray paint came to the rescue.    

I made the  lamp shade out of paintable textured wallpaper and adhered it to the metal frame with two sided carpet tape. The paper had lots of heft  and added a bit of texture to the room; it was also cheap because I had some in my art studio. 

And after all that I decided I would put new bedding on the 2016 purchase list, something much lighter, and the dresser will be repainted a lighter  BM Edgecomb gray.  The walls are BM Revere Pewter, and have been the same colour for 13 years.  Long before gray was a trend and it will be gray long after it ceases to be a trend.

Oh yes, the wood assemblages are  temporary because they are going in an exhibition this summer so the lamps might be very lonely, hopefully forever.