See the “lovely” fake cane webbing and plastic wood trim? It just screams “worst of the 70’s”.
Once you strip off all that ugly, there’s actually a pretty awesome wire shade underneath, so I started to think I might keep it as a hanging light.
I love scalloped wire lamp shades, but I can do without the bronze parts and gold cord.
I’m horrible with electrical stuff, so I took it to my husband and asked him how many parts we could remove and still be able to use the bulb socket. We’ll probably use this light in our bedroom we’re remodeling, but the ceilings are really low and a hanging light won’t work, so he removed all the ugly bronze parts, chain and cord, and added a ceiling attachment he had in the garage.
The ceiling cap is fairly new – too new looking, so used sandpaper to it to age it up a little.
There were spots of residual glue around the bottom edge of the shade, so I just sanded those areas off as well.
A vintage style bulb completes the look. The nifty thing about the ceiling attachment he used is that it bends, so if you have an angled ceiling (which we don’t), you can still make the light hang straight (which it isn’t in this photo, because we were dangling it by the elecctric cord).
Twenty years from now, someone may look at my version of this lamp shade and think, “Dang, that’s ugly!”, and fake cane webbing and plastic wood trim might be all the rage again, but I love the look it has now and am will to risk the thought that someone will think I had really bad taste down the road (some may be thinking that now).
So, if you own the world’s ugliest light, you can give it a whole new personality for very little money and cross “new hanging light” off your Christmas list.
I hope you have a wonderful July 4th, filled with fireworks, family, friends and fun!
Blessings,
Angie
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Ha! Hopefully, “fake cane webbing and plastic wood trim” will never, ever return. LOVE your reno! I really need to find some of those Edison bulbs – they are awesome!
Have a great Holiday Angie!
I love it!! Looks very vintage to me.
~Cindy
bellissima idea di recupero! fantastico ciao Angie^^
I remember those lights and I never liked them way back then! I love the bare bones look. I’m sure it wouldn’t be long before it ended up in dumpster.
That turned out so great, Angie! I think that might have come out of our first apartment in 1972 lol…
Girl!
I own some ugly lights… but not this model of ugly.
But I want one!!!!
I love it. So simple.
you have some of the best I.simple.DEAS!
it looks good….and as long as you like, that’s all that matters, right? :0)
Debbi
–yankeeburrow
I agree … an ugly lamp. Love the naked shades. Smart move to buy it for parts. I do that all the time. Love the look.
Blessings and happy 4th.
Audrey Z @ Timeless Treasures
Love it, Angie. I had one of those when they were “cool”…actually I had two of them- one dark one and one in a soft yellow and white color- Your “look” is much cooler than my own was- xo Diana
Industrial Mary Poppins is what I’d call it, and I’d also call it amazing!
Hi Angie, This was really a super ugly lamp. Good thing you found it and peeled off the covering. It’s beautiful now.
Happy 4th of July!
Hugs,
Julia
Or, one might think, boy, is that person creative!!!! Really pretty. I had that lamp and didn’t think of that. Happy Fourth.
Love the shape of that frame Angela! Hmmm yes why I do have some pretty ugly light fixtures.Waiting until I find the right ones.There is no fixing them as you did.They are the ceiling mounted ones.
xx
Anne
I like it. It looks like an umbrella. Oh, I just looked up and saw someone mentioned Mary Poppin’s. That is what I thought initially. I thought it would look good in a child’s room too.
I would never have thought to take that goofy wicker stuff off. That little lamp looks so cute naked!