Ok...so I didn't "Take" the poll so much as "Buy" the poll...and well the "poll" was actually a Pole Lamp. Thus the "Illumination". Gawd...was that as bad as it sounds? Too bad. Here, I am King....King of bad Punville! Step inside and let's take a closer look at this beauty!
Pretty nice, right? But this thing was a HOT MESS when I bought it. It was covered in tobacco
stain. ::shudders:: It was actually pretty nasty. More so than the "Slavic Modern" (thanks Dave
...it's gonna be a thing!) Danish style chair I cleaned up a few days ago that came from the same
sale. If the chair was covered in as bad a tobacco stain, it actually probably enhanced the look
of the wood rather than detracted from it! Anyway, it was very obvious on this pole lamp.
"So what did you do to make the pole lamp look so much better Mr. Modtomic?" I'm glad you
asked! I just used some general purpose cleaner (www.progreenkleen.com - bought some
from a guy who knocked on our door. Works great. Smells good too!) and scrubbed with some
0000 steel wool. That's all it took. 0000 steel wool doesn't seem to leave scratches or swirl
marks. It just breaks down the stains while the cleaner helps to dissolve them and wash them
away. Some of you out there might be saying "duh" but I'm just figuring some of these things out!
I though the steel wool might leave scratches all over the paint or leave it dull. Nope! Looks
great. Of course I found out that I have to have a light touch near the edges or find that I've
scrubbed through the paint and down to raw steel!
It's still not perfect but it's gonna find a happy home soon. Happier (hopefully) than the stain
mongering one it came out of. If I end up keeping it I might paint the tan bits bright shiny white.
What do ya think, wouldn't that look pretty mod?
Good find! I was thinking about heading to that sale last weekend to pick this and the clock up, but never made it in the end. I think it'd look really good with the beige portion painted a flat black.
ReplyDeleteHi Nick. How about Satin black? Flat black might work too but I generally go with Satin if I'm not going with shiny black.
DeleteRe: Slavic Modern. Yer welcome. Send me a buck. ;-)
ReplyDeleteDave
Hi Dave. Sorry dog...this is a Non Profit blog. Note the lack of ads? Send ME a buck!
DeleteNice! I always love checking in here to see what goodies you find, Mid Cen stuff just doesn't come up that often down here in Jax. Bummer
ReplyDeleteHi Beccalina. Come on up to St. Lou. with a fat wallet and big van and I'll drag ya 'round to all the traps and send you home broke and laden with goodies!
Deletethis is a spectacular pole lamp, nice find.
ReplyDeleteack, isn't it so gross when things have a layer of tobacco on them, blech. i am new to the mid mod thrifting and reselling thing, so your hint about the 000 steel wool will come in handy. thx!
Hi Rachel. It is pretty gross but it covers (and therefore, protects) the surface...and lowers the price sometimes! As long as it can be prettied up again, I'm down with all that! Your so welcome about the steel wool (make sure it's 0000 though).
DeleteExcept for the metal as opposed to fiberglass shades that is almost a dead ringer for the one I just got and rehabed...I love this style!!
ReplyDeleteHi A Mod. I know! What a coincidence. I'm just glad there isn't any rewiring to be done. When I grabbed the lamp I couldn't find a price tag on it at first and was just about to get upset thinking it might not be for sale but only to light the table of smalls it was next to. I had to ask the cashier and they told me where the price tag was on it. ::sigh::
Delete