diy fail – gold lined lamp shade

February 4, 2014

I like the look of a lined lamp shade. I especially love a gold lined lamp shade. No surprise there I’m sure. So way back in the fall of 2012, yes 2012, when adding a few final decorative touches to my hub’s newly updated home office I did a little diy on the lamp shade.

It looked great during the day!

Gold and copper makes for a lovely metallic combo.

I was planning to let you all in on this little how to or let me rephrase – don’t do – but then I sort of forgot to spill the beans on this complete and total diy fail. Oops – my bad! So almost a year and a half later I’m finally getting around to it – better late than never right?

It looked awful at night……..just plain not good.

And there was no fixing this fail either. I used a sponge brush and gold craft paint and it looked great – so nice and even – not streaky at all – until I turned the light on and it was all like…..let’s call it a Monet…..or something…….bad, just bad.

So I lived with it for a few months, and then………..made a change – for the better…….and I’ll tell you about it tomorrow……because I’m all tease-y like that. 😉 But mainly because I’m still finishing up the tile project from last week, so I don’t have the time to put it all in one post. Hey, at least I’m being real with you all. The tile is up – and grouting is underway, but whole-y mole-y there’s about one bagillion grout lines people!!

Almost there though……….thank goodness! Back tomorrow with the fix to the failed lamp shade situation.

Do you like the look of gold lined lamp shades? Have you ever tried to diy one? I’m thinking I probably should have used a gold fabric or something?

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Oh that lamp is so pretty! I really want to make one now, but don't want to make the same mistake 😉 Hope that some other blog readers have a solution!

I've DIY'd a gold lined lamp shade and loved it. I think the key is you've got to have a dark shade to hide the paint. Or you could try spray paint, it worked well for me. http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/2012/02/gold-metallic-glow.html
I so admire you for DIY'ing the tile!

that tile is amazing with that fixture!
and what a bummer about the shade- can't wait to see what you did to fix it!

and by fix i mean how you got rid of it and did something different…

I love gold lined lamp shades and bought some at Target a couple of weeks ago. They give such a nice warm glow.

I've had lights "ruin" projects like that, too! I once tried to make some decoupaged candle holders out of old glass jars. They looked SO CUTE when the candle inside wasn't lit, but as soon as you added direct light into the equation, it just looked like a splotchy mess. Ugh.

I have a black lampshade that is lined with gold, but it came that way, and it was an expensive lamp. I have another floor lamp in that same room, and a few years ago I bought a black lamshade for it but it isn't lined with gold. I have been actually thinking of doing it though. I might not have the problem you had since the shade is black and not white? Not sure, but if I decide to do it I will let you know!

Since gold leafed shade interiors only cast light downward and not out into the room since they are opaque, if you covered the outside of the shade with fabric I think you would "cover up" the nighttime issue and you'd still have the same type and amount of lighting from the lamp. May be not worth the effort but knowing that shades aren't inexpensive, thought I'd mention the option. HTH. Robin

I have never tried to line a shade with that before. I have just purchased my gold lined shades. I would be interested to know how to do it. There has to be a way out there. I thought Elizabeth from the Little Black Door did some, but I could be wrong. Your tile and light looks amazing btw!! xo Kristin

I did one with spray paint and it worked fine but the outside of my shade is covered in fabric.

Thanks so much for sharing! Yes, I think spray paint would have been a much better solution – live and learn. 😉

Great point – and it's also one of the reasons why I ended up ditching that lamp all together – it just never gave off enough light after I added the gold lining.

Cannot wait to see more of that tile! And that is such a bummer about the lamp shade! It was gorgeous during the day. 🙁

Angela @ Number Fifty-Three

I love the shade in daylight – bummer it wasn't working at night, though!! I am so distracted by the gorgeous tile peek though that I can barely focus on the shade. Can't wait to see more – go you!!

Oh, looks so chic in daylight! I kind on like the night look, too 🙂 It could be the light or the camera, but the lamp has a sketchy appearance, I imagine a big graphic novel poster on the wall behind it.
The tile project looks great, btw.
Greetings,
London Spring Cleaning

bummer, I love it in the daylight! everyone has a couple fails. the tile looks amazing!

ooooooooh look at that tile!! The shade does look awesome though. Im sure you'll come up with a good fix:)

I love hear about the DIY projects that DONT work as much as the ones that do. I know it can vary by region, but what kind of range is the cost of having the electrician visit to install the sconces?

Thanks!

I like to keep it real – every project doesn't work out they way it looks in my head. 😉 My electrician has become a friend – he was referred to me by my mil – so he doesn't charge me what he would normally charge other clients. Whenever I've worked with other electricians in the past – they've either charged by the hour or by the job.

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