Saturday, June 10, 2017

The Banker's Lamp Redo

A few months ago, I embarked on a shopping excursion via the internet. 
I'd seen a post on Instagram about Magnolia Market and that a majority of their stock came from the wholesaler, Creative Co-op. 
Not all of it, but a fair amount of their inventory comes from this source. 
Dreams of having a retail shop filled with wonderful trinkets started floating through my head. 
I saw a lamp while I was binge browsing.  
It was desk lamp with a green shade. 
The metal was gold.
I wanted it!
I was quitting my job so I did not purchase the lamp. You can find it on Amazon.  


I found a banker's lamp at the thrift store with a yummy, green shade. 
You all know how I've been crushing on green this year. 
I set it on the kitchen table. 
Bill said, "You re-bought our old lamp?" 
Indeed. 
We used to have this lamp.
Almost everyone had this lamp. 
Bill is a banker so we had an obligation to have this style of lamp on his desk. 
It was an anniversary or birthday gift to him when we were newlyweds and we had no money.
We had money but no extra money or "funny money" as we like to call it. 



The base needed a bit of an update.
Tape and paper helped keep the paint off of the yummy shade.
Oil Rubbed Bronze by Rust-Oleum is the color I used. 


It's perfect on the piano.
It adds a pop of green to that corner.

Farmhouse Style, Piano, White piano

It matches the stained glass window. 
Let's talk about the piano. 
Yup. I painted it. 
Before you embark on a freak out, let me state that I've had it evaluated twice. 
The Texas heat and humidity have not been kind to this instrument. It cannot be tuned.
It sounds terrible. 
My son and I are the only ones that ever played this piano. 
He lives in New York so it doesn't get used much.

White, Farmhouse, Piano

I checked with the guy at the antique mall. There is no market for vintage pianos. 
None. 
We could have given it to the thrift store but they didn't need another upright piano taking up their precious, retail space.
They have had several sitting there for a while.
No one in the family wanted it.
It was orange and it had flood damage.
It could have been stripped and re-stained to fix the damage but painting was so much easier.

Painted Upright Piano, White, Green Lamp


So it got the "Katie Mansfield nothing is safe from the paintbrush" treatment. 
It fits in with our decor so much better than the damaged, orange wood.



Please pray for my neighbor to the west of me because now that I'm retired, I'm going to play it again. 
Hopefully, she cannot hear it through the walls because this is painful to listen to.
The dog has been in hiding. 

Painted Upright Piano, White, Green Lamp

There it is, the unfiltered story of our piano.
The new/old lamp is adorable. 
Have a great day. 
Katie 

14 comments :

  1. Love the painted piano and love your painting of the lamp. It all looks beautiful. Have a great weekend.
    Kris

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  2. I have a banker's lamp and I'm going to copy cat you in redoing it! Thanks! Your room looks so peaceful and pretty!

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  3. Katie,
    Great update on the lamp and the piano... Have a wonderful time playing the piano. I took piano lessons when I was in high school, but never got good enough to play even for just me. My sister took lessons for many years and could play, but has not played in years.

    Judith

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  4. One of the first gifts I got my husband was a bankers lamp. Still have it, brass base, and all. Love your re-do! You are fearless when it comes to painting, but the piano looks fantastic in white!

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  5. I have a piano that can't be fixed/tuned either. It sits in my basement now. Not enough room up here for it. :( I bought an electric piano years ago and my sweet grandson borrowed it about 10 years ago and is still borrowing it. :0) i don't mind because he can play the heck out of it! I now have a small learning keyboard that I play occasionally. It serves the purpose. I like the way yours looks in your room.

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  6. I forgot to compliment you on the lamp. Looks wonderful!

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  7. I LOVE your painted piano and I am going to recommend this to our daughter in Puerto Rico. I also admire your bravery for doing it!
    Your lamp looks awesome!
    Jemma

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  8. I got a chuckle out of the "...you bought our old lamp" question. Why are men so short-sighted?

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  9. I love it but it really looks fabulous over the piano! Perfect placement and nice work. (And the "bought our old lamp" cracked me up, too!

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