All Project

Spray Painted Desk Lamp

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A desk with a calendar, file folders, jar of pens and a lamp with a gold base and magenta shade.

Brighten your workspace with a brightly colored desk lamp. Learn how to use spray paint in metallic and bold colors to give your home office space a new look.

Step 1: Apply painter's tape to any part of the lamp you don't want to paint.

Step 2: Vigorously shake each spray can for one minute after mixing ball begins to rattle, and shake often during use. For this project, we used
Rust-Oleum Metallic Spray Paint in Satin Bronze for the metal base and Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint in Satin Magenta for the lamp shade.

Step 3: Working in a well-ventilated space and over a drop cloth, hold the spray can upright, approximately 10-12" from surface and spray in a steady, back-and forth motion, slightly overlapping each stroke. Keep the can the same distance from the surface and in motion while spraying.

Step 4: Apply 2 or more light coats a few minutes apart to avoid drips and runs.

Step 5: Remove painter's tape and let the first color dry for approximately 1 hour.

Step 6: Remove the painter's tape to expose the next portion of the lamp you need to paint. Repeat the steps above and remove painter's tape 20 minutes after the last coat is applied.

Step 7: Let the spray paint dry for 1 hour before handling and 24 hours before full use.

Other Materials:

  • Desk Lamp
  • Painter's Tape
  • Drop Cloth
  • Gloves

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