The $15 DIY: The Hardware Store Clamp Light Improved

With a minor tweak, a lamp from the hardware store is personalized–by way of color choice–and elevated. Easy, quick, and useful in every rooms, it’s the DIY every summer house needs.

Photography by Alexa Hotz for Remodelista.

Materials

• One Incandescent Clamp Light with an aluminum shade–sourced from your local hardware store or online at Home Depot for $8.47.
• Rust-Oleum Gloss Protective Enamel Spray Paint; I used Smoke Gray; $3.88 at Lowe’s.

Instructions

Step 1: Remove all labels and clip off unwanted tags to prepare the light for painting.

Step 2: Remove the lampshade, paying close attention so that you can reassemble it later.

Step 3: In a well-ventilated area, spray the exterior of the lampshade with a coat of paint. Allow it to dry before adding a second coat.

Step 4: When the exterior is completely dry, flip the shade over and apply two coats to the inside.

Step 5: Reassemble the clamp light with the painted lampshade.

The Finished Look

Above: Here’s a detail of the light on my kitchen shelf.

Above: For a look at Justine’s off-white version, see The Soulful Side of Old Cape Cod: Justine’s Family Cottage.

Looking to make some quick lighting tweaks at home? Visit Design Sleuth: The Tolomeo Light Takes a Turn, DIY: Razor Clam Pendant Light, and A New $60 Lindsey Adelman Pendant Light.

This post is an update; it originally ran on September 29, 2014, as part of our Belgian Masters issue.