As you saw in a previous post, Hubs and I made our bed (Headframes and Bedboards). Since the bed is extremely customized, we were having trouble finding the right sized....anything to go with it.
List of things we need:
Nightstands
End of bed bench
After some research, we decided that we should give in and buy our "nightstands." (I say "nightstands" because we need something that's at least 36 inches high....have you ever seen a night stand that tall...? Probably not! Well we started at a flea market because we'd rather redo something and give it new life than buy something manufactured. We found a small chest of drawers that would work perfectly but it needs some TLC and we didn't want to touch it until we found it's partner in crime for the other side of the bed. A few furniture stores later, we found something that will be perfect for a "nightstand." We got it ordered and it is currently being made and stained in the color we want. Whew! One item off the list...well sorta. I'll get back to the nightstand redo in another post...
In the mean time, I figured I needed to work on decorating the top of the "nightstands." Most important thing...lamps!
We have been struggling to find bedside lamps big enough to stand next to our almost 8 foot tall bed (and I was probably being a little bit picky)...so what do we do to solve this problem? Make them, of course! All you need is a vase and a lamp shade (okay there are a few more components but that's the main ingredients).
The vase I'm using is something simple I got at a local craft store for 50% off. You can use any vase that you like the shape of. Even if it's from a 1980's garage sale, it'll work!
*Quick Tip - If you aren't crazy about any vases you have laying around the house but are still on a tight budget and don't really want to go out and purchase one, try turning one you have upside down. This will give you a new perspective on the look of the lamp as a whole.
Once you find the vase you like, you will need to go to your local home improvement store to pick up the "guts" of your lamp. This includes the 3 way socket kit, harp, and finial. Oh, and don't forget about your shade! If you want to use one from an old lamp that you already have, that will work just fine (you can even spruce it up with some ribbon to trim the edges)! Or, I picked this one up at a home improvement store for 15 bucks. Not too bad!
First step in all of this is to get your vase painted, or if you already like the design on the vase, leave it as is! I wanted to do some kind of mercury glass finish but I was struggling to get the right look on my practice glass panes. So, I decided to wing it and see how it turned out. Well, when I got the first layer of my base coat on I decided I really liked the looks of it and stopped there. Not only did it look good, but it made my life a little easier. To do this, I used basic Valspar Metallic spray paint. It only took a couple coats and then I finished it off with a high gloss top coat.
I took my own advice and decided I liked the looks of the vase better when it was turned upside down!
Once the vase was painted and dry, hubs drilled holes in the vase so we could send the wire all the way through it. He did this with a glass bit on his drill. Tape up the area you are drilling with duck tape to prevent cracking, be sure to spray your drill bit down with some water (it WILL smoke if you skip this step), and wear safety goggles. This may take a little bit of time and effort but it is worth it to be able to hide the cord in the back .
All that's left now is to put it all together! Here's the finished product. Once we get the rest of our room put together I'll be posting a better picture.
Have a good week!
KC
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