Making Beauty Anywhere

Making Beauty Anywhere
Live with what makes you smile

Friday, September 10, 2010

Lamps

Last year I was watching Cityline and one of the hosts described himself as a lamptramp - that`s me!!  I am a lamptramp!!  Don`t know why, I just love love love lamps.  My first big addiction was an alabaster lamp.  I found it on ebay and decided I had to have it.  I love it, it is my favourite always has been always will.  I paid $50.00 in customs fees just to get it and then I had to re-wire it and get repairs done.
I have a shabby chic shade on it that is about 8 years old and faded from the sun, it`s pattern is soft and light and they work well together. 

I love the creamy detail of this lamp.


I had to repair this lamp when I got it (it was wobbly and had to be ground in places) and the repair guy asked me why I wanted such an old lamp.
I loved it so much I got another on ebay a few years later,




A few years ago my Mom got me a mercury glass lamp,

It`s large, bright and I get nervous when I have to carry it around.  It`s now in my Mom`s room where she is getting organized for a whole french black, white, grey look. 
As if I don`t have enough lamps I picked up this at Ikea this summer because I love the pattern, it`s shape and the light it throws off.  It was only about $15.00 which is perfect for such a pretty lamp.


I picked this little lamp up at an antique store, rewired it (Thank you Martha Stewart for teaching me how) and painted it.  I had the Rachel Ashwell Bella Rose Blue fabric but not enough to cover this lamp so I photocopied the fabric and covered the shade with the paper (put a piece of paper behind the fabric and the copy will turn out perfectly, without the paper it gets little black dots). You can see where the paper matches in the back.


Right before I left Ontario I went to Lilly`s antiques and found a lamp sitting on the stairs outside in the rain.  It was tall, weird and full of potential!!  Lilly sold it to me for $10.00 and I started planning what to do with it.  I pulled it apart and painted it with Krylon Ballet Slipper.  It looks light on the can but when painted my lamp suddenly looked like bubble gum!!  It was awful, too bright, too pink, ugh.  But.....  I gave it a light spray of white and it calmed it right down - whew.


It is such a pale pink now, and it works with all the gray crystals that came with the lamp.  It`s heavy, unusual, and delicate.  I re-wired it as well, but didn`t keep a picture of the before so it was hard  to fit all the pieces back together. 

A few years ago I did the taxes and after all that frustration I treated myself to another ebay  purchase,


I always wanted a tabletop chandelier.  These can be ornate and pricey so I stayed within my budget but sometimes I go on ebay and look at them and dream of buying another.....

Years ago I was lucky enough to pick up a lamp for free

After!!


Before

It`s always amazing what re-wiring and paint can do. 

If you need to find me I will be wandering the lamp aisle at HomeSense!!

Until next time,
Patricia

3 comments:

  1. Patricia - you have the most beautiful lamps! I have a lighting fixation as well but I don't have the nerve to take something apart and reassemble it so it has stopped me from many purchases. Martha Stewart taught you well! Enjoy your weekend.
    Lisa@SuburbanRetreat

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  2. What a gorgeous lamp collection!!! I especially love the ones dripping with crystals! The transformation of the last one is amazing! Who would have guessed there was such beauty waiting in that lamp? (You did, of course :) The new cabinet is lovely. I really like the knobs you found, and those old brass ones are incredible! Regards, Sheilla

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  3. Purchasing a poly gum light is fine as long as you realize that you are purchasing an expendable item. Antique lights from the last part of the 1800's - 1930 were normally made of the best quality materials like iron, metal, bronze, marble, onyx and steel. Large numbers of these antique lights will in any case be around in an additional 100 years and their stock cost is unquestionably up ! royal moon lamp

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