I found these two heavy, real brass lamps at a garage sale. Two for $5! What a deal - but they were dull and dated and had no lampshades. I needed some lighting by the bed, so I decided to give them a makeover to match the nightstands I posted about earlier.
I started by using a 120 grit sanding sponge, which worked really well, even molding itself into the small grooves. Then I used steel wool, then sanded again the spots that were still heavily tarnished or still too shiny.
As you can see, it took some elbow grease, but eventually I was able to remove the tarnish, and the finish, and get it down to pretty much down to the raw brass.
Then, using the same Valspar blue spray paint I used on the wooden nightstands, I gave the lamps two coats, allowing them to dry over night between coats.
I purchased two shades at the same Hotel Liquidators in Dayton (Ohio) - for $2.79 each, and I have a custom look for my bedroom that was super inexpensive!
