Today’s What Would You Do? is a little bit more personal than most. You guys are like legit my favorite people in the world and I want to know what you would do to some projects I am working on!!
Up first is the Industrial Work Lamp that I posted about yesterday. Since our eyes first met I have been on the fence about leaving it vs. changing it. While the brown isn’t what I would necessarily choose I LOVE the character in it. In the pics it may look like chippy paint but it actually is a few spots where it was filed down, like it was on someone’s work bench and they used it to dull a file a little before they went to work. It makes me happy to look up and see it. So what would you do? Paint it? Leaf it? Leave it? I looked it up online to find out the value (its a Dazor Floating Fixture #602) and while they are going for $60-$100 I think its in fairly poor shape (because of the filing) and wouldn’t be worth much. So I am not opposed to busting out the spray paint.
I am doing a really fun segment on Studio 5 that will air on March 1st (mark your calendars!) called What Would Mandi Do? As you can tell by the title I am handing out decorating advice like its candy. One lucky viewer is actually getting an update. Check out this fireplace that Sierra shared with us:
It has an AMZING story behind it (that you will have to wait until the segment airs to hear about) but I am headed over today to work on it and make it super Mandilicious. I have a $100 budget (so keep that in mind!) What would you do to it?
Weigh in below, I love hearing your ideas!!
Wow, I’m torn! I really, really, love your lamp the way it is! So much so that I know the perfect place for it… on the other hand it would look lovely with a coat of spray paint too. But please do NOT leaf it…. I don’t know why but it just one of those visceral reactions when it comes to this lovely little lamp! And the mantel…such potential. No recommendations because I’m not a mantle girl. You need a bit of open space for one…. 🙂
Have a great day!
I’d actually strip it down to bare metal and leave it alone. But then again, I’m a bare metal fanatic…so much so that we’re putting raw steel countertops in my kitchen this year!
I think it would make an amazing headboard. Maybe add some upholstery in the opening. Such a statement piece!
i’d either strip the lamp or paint it. not a fan of the brown—it doesn’t feel happy like you 😉
no idea what i’d do with the fireplace. maybe strip off the paint, turn it upside down and attach a few strips of leather or pieces of plexi to make “shelves”? or cut off the legs, fasten it to a wall under a window and make a little bench with cute pillows?
On the lamp: I think I would leave it – for a while at least! I do like the file marks – it speaks of a life it had before it came to your house. If you are distracted by it in a month, paint it. I’d pick up a color that would coordinate with the map like a fun mustard-y color that picks up those little highlights in the map.
I would paint the lamp a glossy emerald green, especially if the cord is black and the inside of the lamp is bare metal.
Put vaseline on the lamp where you want to keep the “character” and then spray paint. Once it’s dry you wipe of the vaseline and the character is still there!
Leave it…love it had another life before you!
I would paint it. I think that it would look good painted the same shade as the purple chandelier in your entry way.
That mantle is screaming for some stainless tiling in the recesses….and the addition of a bottom moulding. Throw an old builder’s bathroom mirror in there and voila….hugest, most “decoratable” mantle mirror in existence 🙂
I would leave the lamp alone. Mostly because I’ve got so many to-do projects that need doing that anything OK as-is pretty much stays as-is. 🙂 But also because there’s something I really love about a piece that shows its history. Sometimes history is more ugly than charming and has to go, but I’m with you in thinking this piece’s history is charming, especially if it fits with your space.
Paint the lamp: yellow or coral or sea foam or jade…
I would leave the mantle the way it is, and cut round pieces of wood (the width of the firebox it looks like it’s only a couple inches) and fill in that area. I am loving that look right now.
I just bought a great navy colored Krylon today that I’m going to use on some outdoor (maybe indoor) furniture, I think the light would be great in that! Blue is the color this year.
I would either leave it alone or paint it in a copper color.
This comment is not for this post, but I’m too lazy to go all the way back to your leather drawer pulls. Just saw a very similar project (cough cough)pop up today over at the Brick House and thought it looked familiar. It’s good to be inspiring, right?
Or maybe she really did have an identical idea a few months later by coincidence. Who knows. https://www.the-brick-house.com/2013/02/leather-handle-diy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=leather-handle-diy
Strip the old paint off the mantle and stain it. Then add some moulding across the bottom and put a big family picture in the middle….I hope she has high ceilings. :/
I would only paint the arm, obviously would have to be a complimentary color to the brown. Then leave the shade part as is and enjoy the character and story that it brings:)
If you like it as is, I would keep it. However, if it were my lamp I think it might be a fun piece to try the new Pantone color of the year on, emerald! How fun would that be in a rich bright emerald?! Either way it is a great find.
If you love the character so much, paint just the cord! It needs a pop of color, like the purple of your chandelier. Just another place to tie it all together. That way you have the character you love, with a fun twist!
I would leave the lamp with it’s character and paint the silver piece inside! Something super bright (turquoise comes to mind) and add a little phrase around the edge “Let there be light and there was light” Genesis three is big for me. Isn’t that silly? But I figure as long as I am willing to let there be a light in any situation there will be one. “The light at the end of the tunnel” could be a fun one, too. Okay, I will shut up now I am just rambling really.
Hmmm i’d paint it a bright cheery yellow, perhaps that won’t fit with your vintage look though? Or maybe just paint the inside. Either way it’s gorgeous! Happy weekend.
I would leave it! Yes it would be fabulous painted some great mandilicious color but it would lose part of its character if it was covered in paint. I would however add a pop of color by painting the inside of the lamp where the light bulb is a yellow, orange or emerald green even the same color you painted the antlers would be fab
Mandi, a while ago, I emailed you about the amazing warehouse type building filled with furniture waiting to be fixed up. You did a blog post about it and included a little video of you and your friend while there… you told me what it was called, but I have lost the email with the info and I NEED it again, as I am going to Salt Lake in a couple weeks to shop! Can you let me know??? I’ll be your best friend! 😉 Thanks friend!
Mandi, the key words in your post are, “It makes me happy to look up and see it.” That means you should leave it.
leave it!