![pottery-barn-inspired-industrial-pulley-floor-lamp.jpg Pottery barn inspired industrial pulley floor lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L4P2M-EixrM/VtN1ZI_UV4I/AAAAAAABgcc/Vws4DVaX1jQ/pottery-barn-inspired-industrial-pulley-floor-lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
I’ve been alluding to this project on Instagram for a while now, but I am finally rolling out the reveal today! It is my DIY floor lamp as part of Brittany’s DIY Lighting Challenge:
However I expanded the size and put it on a concrete base to turn it into a floor lamp. This is what my plan looked like:![Pottery-Barn-Pulley-Lamp-Schematic.jpg Pottery Barn Pulley Lamp Schematic](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3F75j6DURvM/VtN1aT-OilI/AAAAAAABgcg/l4FaNzjlQ_A/Pottery-Barn-Pulley-Lamp-Schematic.jpg?imgmax=800)
And here was my original version of the knock off with a metal basket shade:![Pottery-Barn-Pulley-Lamp-Schematic.jpg Pottery Barn Pulley Lamp Schematic](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3F75j6DURvM/VtN1aT-OilI/AAAAAAABgcg/l4FaNzjlQ_A/Pottery-Barn-Pulley-Lamp-Schematic.jpg?imgmax=800)
![metal-pulley-lamp-DIY.jpg Metal pulley lamp DIY](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DjeGBAQgFaI/VtN1XugRlzI/AAAAAAABgcY/xnDUuOCwvKI/metal-pulley-lamp-DIY.jpg?imgmax=800)
But my build was actually a lot more complicated than it may first appear. First, there was the challenge of building a lamp out of wood (not that that was a requirement of the challenge, but I wanted to use my woodworking skills so I made it a personal requirement) and secondly, because I couldn’t find any industrial looking pulleys locally. (I waited to long to order them online of course.) If I was going to build this again, I could just order these actual pulleys.
Instead I found these casters which had the great industrial look. They are intended for the bottom of a piece of furniture and had large swiveling mounting brackets, but I loved the shape of the wheel and knew I could make them work. Plus they are only SIX BUCKS! Similar pulley wheels go for 4-5 times that on etsy.
![9c1841a5-6bad-4cbd-9b87-2713bc2c8cd5_1000.jpg 9c1841a5 6bad 4cbd 9b87 2713bc2c8cd5 1000](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VRWvbSStpqA/VtN1nR7xu-I/AAAAAAABgdE/wLSHVg09s2Y/9c1841a5-6bad-4cbd-9b87-2713bc2c8cd5_1000.jpg?imgmax=800)
So these are the supplies that are required for my “pulley" hack.
3 Steel Swivel Casters
3 Simpson Strong-Tie Straps (9 inch or 12 inch) (Make sure you get the 20 gauge so you can cut them!)
Tin Snips
Pliers or Channellocks
![supply-list-for-industrial-vintage-lamp.jpg Supply list for industrial vintage lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GSOLrfEqxRI/VtN1gwWsdOI/AAAAAAABgc0/fC2JKP_KJ9Q/supply-list-for-industrial-vintage-lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
First you just need to remove the wheel from the caster by loosening the bolt with the pliers. you can throw out the swiveling bracket.
![dissasembling-metal-casters.jpg Dissasembling metal casters](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jzYZeQDFmUw/VtN1OKoawnI/AAAAAAABgb4/861i0F5lXcA/dissasembling-metal-casters.jpg?imgmax=800)
Next, you need to cut down your Strong-Tie straps with the tin snips to form the new pulley “bracket". I got SO LUCKY that the large hole in the strap is the EXACT SIZE to fit the bolt from the caster. You can get 2 supports (enough for one bracket) out of each strap.
![Cutting-down-metal-connectors-for-DIY-pulleys.jpg Cutting down metal connectors for DIY pulleys](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zv6E4cRpamo/VtN1KiqIaFI/AAAAAAABgbw/zj0pP6c2v9c/Cutting-down-metal-connectors-for-DIY-pulleys.jpg?imgmax=800)
Now you just run the bolt though those cut down straps and there you have it. Brand new “pulleys” which are ready to be attached to your wooden lamp base.
![zinc-casters-turned-into-vintage-pulleys.jpg Zinc casters turned into vintage pulleys](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tDRYPTEwSVo/VtN1kDs8YoI/AAAAAAABgc8/5YdbUixAfXI/zinc-casters-turned-into-vintage-pulleys.jpg?imgmax=800)
And out of sheer luck (again, the width of the caster wheel is exactly 1-1/2 inches.. The thickness of a 1x2!
![metal-caster-turned-into-pulley.jpg Metal caster turned into pulley](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-49XUTT7bj_o/VtN1WCkZyNI/AAAAAAABgcU/R6_kUIWMxTs/metal-caster-turned-into-pulley.jpg?imgmax=800)
Here is what those pulleys look like on the actual lamp:
![pottery-barn-style-metal-and-wood-industrial-floor-lamp.jpg Pottery barn style metal and wood industrial floor lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NhYiimY83pU/VtN1ckI2N2I/AAAAAAABgco/NsmpKoMO1FE/pottery-barn-style-metal-and-wood-industrial-floor-lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
Now for the supplies for the rest of the lamp:
One 6-ft 2x2 (cut to 58 inches)
One 6-ft 1x2 (cut to 36 inches)
2 Strong-Tie 2x2 Rigid Tie Brackets
Quick Setting Concrete (I used Mortar Mix)
Router with roundover bit
Staple Gun (Optional) I like this one since it is designed for wires
Paint (I used Rustoleum Hammered Metal in Brown, to make the wood look like metal pipes)
![Pottery-Barn-Pulley-Lamp-With-Measurements.jpg Pottery Barn Pulley Lamp With Measurements](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wMwy9uSIm9Q/VtN1baizSEI/AAAAAAABgck/Ok-rpSPcsYo/Pottery-Barn-Pulley-Lamp-With-Measurements.jpg?imgmax=800)
First I cut down my boards and rounded all the corners with my router. Next I painted them with Rustoleum Hammered Metal in Brown so they would look like the Pottery Barn Inspiration piece.
![spray-painting-boards-for-lamp.jpg Spray painting boards for lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O_WkaQ3NrWQ/VtN1eLtBxjI/AAAAAAABgcs/fKfGXVc7b0o/spray-painting-boards-for-lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
![drilling-pivot-hole-for-connection.jpg Drilling pivot hole for connection](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F9QJ2McHmU0/VtN1TjzRd8I/AAAAAAABgcM/BF5DoeKrKx8/drilling-pivot-hole-for-connection.jpg?imgmax=800)
![strong-tie-connector-lamp.jpg Strong tie connector lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ejHIkiyCauw/VtN1fqkP6kI/AAAAAAABgcw/zK6_Q6JPeqY/strong-tie-connector-lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
![diagram-of-pivot-point-on-Pulley-lamp.jpg Diagram of pivot point on Pulley lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DOgatQLV6kA/VtN1MTGrg0I/AAAAAAABgb0/CxwMW4axqzI/diagram-of-pivot-point-on-Pulley-lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
![swivel-metal-connector.jpg Swivel metal connector](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0gra815ecCA/VtN1iMpBhKI/AAAAAAABgc4/xp2AF7nchl4/swivel-metal-connector.jpg?imgmax=800)
I also needed to support the post in the concrete base so I used a stepping stone mold and I cut to slits into it so the Strong Tie Connector would protrude from the surface. then I filled it with concrete and let it set.
![attaching-wood-to-concrete-base.jpg Attaching wood to concrete base](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ieMyULX1pGw/VtN0qEkEOdI/AAAAAAABgbg/gA3iAzCen5w/attaching-wood-to-concrete-base.jpg?imgmax=800)
I screwed the 2x2 into the bracket. It was a lot more stable than I thought it would be. I was worried the heavy metal caster wheels would weigh too much, but that wasn’t a problem at all.
![diy-concrete-lamp-base.jpg Diy concrete lamp base](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-toyCvQdi1qk/VtN1PoHpxZI/AAAAAAABgb8/VUYf3MasBgE/diy-concrete-lamp-base.jpg?imgmax=800)
Once I had all the pulleys and brackets attached, I was finally able to string my old Dollar Store Wastepaper Pendant lamp through the pulleys:
I did use a few staples to keep the wire in place. This is what the lamp looked like with that original shade. It seemed a tad too airy for the heaviness of the pulleys.
![basket-and-pulley-vintage-industrial-floor-lamp.jpg Basket and pulley vintage industrial floor lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kleHjz87-m8/VtN1EbTTXDI/AAAAAAABgbk/_IXbsF1YaR0/basket-and-pulley-vintage-industrial-floor-lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
So I ran to Ikea and bought this fun copper lined shade (NYMO) instead (Ironically the shade cost as much as the entire lamp!) :
![copper-lined-lamp-shade-with-cut-outs.jpg Copper lined lamp shade with cut outs](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EuXbzGPDu9E/VtN1IVIB5yI/AAAAAAABgbs/KCjkt2p2JEw/copper-lined-lamp-shade-with-cut-outs.jpg?imgmax=800)
![copper-and-black-lamp-shade.jpg Copper and black lamp shade](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HOI69y_UTfQ/VtN1GrSm-aI/AAAAAAABgbo/3kYIp04zlh4/copper-and-black-lamp-shade.jpg?imgmax=800)
And gives it a fun Mid Century Modern vibe. I really like it.
![industrial-lamp-with-pulleys.jpg Industrial lamp with pulleys](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YorfMa4mJjA/VtN1VC7LtVI/AAAAAAABgcQ/HFmMpXzQuTQ/industrial-lamp-with-pulleys.jpg?imgmax=800)
![DIY-wood-and-metal-pulley-floor-lamp.jpg DIY wood and metal pulley floor lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cNRnA4SF-K4/VtN1STm5bxI/AAAAAAABgcI/uCRlv3ZoeRU/DIY-wood-and-metal-pulley-floor-lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
I have to admit, this project through me for a loop.. And it took me a long time to figure out exactly how to get the pulleys to work, but now that I have the final project I’m pretty excited about it. Definitely a one of a kind lamp for a one of a kind girl!
![DIY-Pottery-Barn-Pulley-Floor-Lamp.jpg DIY Pottery Barn Pulley Floor Lamp](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HAGnFuu6Z5Q/VtN1RHJR0II/AAAAAAABgcA/PODZ_iIMEvA/DIY-Pottery-Barn-Pulley-Floor-Lamp.jpg?imgmax=800)
If you have a DIY lighting project you would like to share, or are just looking for more inspiration, check out the link up below: