Lamps and Shades

I am so drawn to lampshades,  especially unique vintage shades.  I have integrated them throughout my home. 

I will start with my favorite (at least it is for the time being).

I spotted this handsome gentleman at a local antique shop and was immediately drawn to the shape of the shade and weight of the base.  I was not however drawn to the price so I decided to leave him behind.  As luck would have it,  after a few months the price came down and he was soon mine.  I love everything about him, his strong yet elegant base, the shape of the shade, even the little finial.  He has found a perfect spot on a book cabinet in our livingroom.

Another antique find that is also in the livingroom is our very rugged triple candelabra standing lamp.  These offer such a varying amount of light which is what we were in need of in the particular room it ended up in.    Some of them can be quite expensive but we found this one for $20!! This one came with an old center bulb that I wish I had taken a picture of.  It was huge, 100 watts, really funky looking and got so hot I think it could have burned a hole in the ceiling!  We replaced all of them with energy efficient bulbs which as we all know are U-G-L-Y.  On yet another day of exploring we found 2 large matching lampshades that once again caught my attention.  We purchased them just because I really liked them and figured I would find a use for them one day.  Well that evening after unpacking them it occurred to me they might possibly fit over our not so pretty lamp base.  Voila!  It fit perfectly and looks like it was made for this lamp. 




Before




After!

I could not be happier with the look.
I have another shade exactly the same and it sits atop a torchiere lamp in our master bedroom.

This is one of my favorites that looks old but actually is not.  It was a Homegoods find a few year's back.  The shade is a golden colored glass that has a matte frost with nice etching.

This little fella sits in my kitchen and is on all the time.  It makes a great night light.  I picked this up at a local artistan while on a trip to Sedona, AZ recently.

This one below is a shade I saw at a thrift shop.  It was standing vertically between some furniture when I spotted it (or rather, it spotted me - I think that's what really happened).
I have no idea what I will do with it.  I imagine I will dress it up somehow--cover the exterior to give it some color and maybe texture.  It is very feminie and reminds me of a lady's hat.  It measures 30 inches in diameter!

Don't forget your local thrift shops when it comes to lamps and shades.  You might be surprised what you find!  It is so fun to mix and match them with what you may already have!  

-Lisa