With little more than paint, new shades, and a few hours, you can transform even the dullest, dowdiest lamp into a real shiner.

Get Wired
One glance at the 30-plus-year-old wiring made us want to pull out the Yellow Pages and look up the fire department's emergency line. Because we actually wanted to use the lamps, we opted for the safety-first approach in our makeover, taking them to a lighting store and having them rewired. It cost about $20 per lamp. (For a less-expensive option, check out rewiring kits at the hardware store.)

Paint Away
To bring the lamps into the modern age, we gave them a fresh coat of color. First, all the surfaces were primed so paint would adhere. Then we painted the lamps a glossy-finish butter-yellow hue. For added interest, we painted the bases, tops, and some of the raised details bright white. After the lamp bases dried, we sprayed them with a protective clear enamel finish.

Quick Tip
If you can find two-of-a-kind lamps, we suggest buying them. Having a pair offers more design flexibility and a more put-together look. Team them up on a sideboard or sofa table for a beautiful symmetrical grouping similar to ours. Or, position them on different end tables in the same room for unity.