Oooh-la-lamps!

At a recent decorating consultation, my client asked me for ideas on how to make her living room feel more cozy. Her cavernous living room has nearly floor to ceiling windows, a massive stone fireplace, a cathedral ceiling and inset light fixtures - waaaay up above the seating area. To me, the solution was immediate - where were the table lamps? In this beautiful, open room, adding soft lighting would go a long way to warming up the space and bringing in the "cozy warmth" she was seeking.

I have always had a thing about ambient light. I feel edgy and somewhat exposed if I am sitting down to  read or watch TV while under (bright) overhead lighting. I need a table lamp. There is something comforting and cozy about having just the perfect lamp to sit with  - a companion of sorts, a private pool of light to ground your seating area and provide that missing warmth.

I didn’t realize how important this was to me until one of my matching

living room lamps went to the repair shop. The (wonderful) dimmer

switch had blown, and my electrician friend had taken it away for repair.

Suddenly my reading corner was dark, and my room felt off balance. 

We brought in a replacement for the time being as there was a definite

void in the room without that lamp. 

Pictured here is Restoration Hardware's adjustable Library Table lamp -

the very one I have in my living room. I love how it adjusts to just the

right height, and of course I couldn't live without the dimmer switch.

Restoration Hardware has a great line of lighting- affordable, stylish,

and accessible. I often recommend RH lamps to my clients. Now that mine

has been reinstated in my living room, life is good….as balance has been

restored. (That is, until the ice dam leak ruined the shade....more on that later!)

Missing my lamp got me thinking about how much I love lamps in general – not just for the warmth that they provide, but also for the decorative punch that they bring to a room. I consider a beautiful lamp to be a room's  "jewelry."  Lamps are a fabulous way to bring in a jolt of color, a new shape, or a bit of sparkle… and are a huge part of the decorative impact in a living space.

Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to stage and decorate several properties - and by far, shopping for the lamps has become my favorite part.  For one, I enjoy the quest of finding just the right shade style or lamp base - that one beautiful lamp that becomes a true attention grabber.

Check out this beauty that I used at a holiday vendor fair.

I had this lamp in my car for a staging job, and brought it

in to use on my table display at the last minute. I am glad I did,

as it totally became the centerpiece of my display.

I have often been asked if table lamps have to match - flanking

the bed or a couch - and as much as I want to shout out YES, 

the real answer is no, as long as you follow some simple guidelines.

In order to avoid the “roller coaster” effect, be sure the lamps on

either side of the bed or couch are the same height. This can be

achieved by using lamps that measure up the same, of course,

but you can also fudge it by stacking the shorter of the two lamps

on a pile of coffee table books. 

Having a similar shade style is also beneficial, providing symmetry and not confusing the eye with too many shapes.  Pairing a drum shade and an empire  bell shade won't work,  but using an empire shade in the same room with a bell shaped shade is much more harmonious.

Want some more lamp eye candy? This swirled lamp

base gives a wonderful texture to the side table in a home

recently staged by Spruce. It gets even better when lit up

at night.  Found at Home Goods for only $29.99 –

this was a steal!

In another living room we staged,  these blue lamps

bring everything together – the brown room

needed a jolt of color, but art and pillows alone

didn’t totally fit the bill – until these lamps

showed up!.

Like I said - jewelry!  Jewelry I found at Home Goods, once again. And since styles in lighting change just as much as jewelry styles do, don't be afraid to try on something in a lamp that you might not ordinarily "wear."  At Home Goods most lamps are under $60, so you can splurge on one with a funky shaped base, or try something in a metallic finish and give some spice to your lighting!

And now for a bright ending to my ode to lamps.  Just as soon as my lamp was back in action, as luck would have it an ice dam produced a lovely leak right on top of the shade. By the time we discovered it, there was a large water stain - a real bummer, for sure. (Alas, I didn't think to snap a picture.)

Before I trashed the shade and ordered a new one, I figured I had nothing to lose - so I googled and experimented and am proud to report a wonderful fix for water stains. A few scrubs with a soapy toothbrush to the water mark, and then a gentle rub with a damp cloth around the entirety of the shade - and the watermark was gone!

Balance restored. The light is on. And cozy we are.

Musings

Passing thoughts on decorating and more....

A wonderful example of this is illustrated in this  bedroom featured in a recent issue of House Beautiful. Designer Alexandra Angle purposely placed two different lamps on either side of the bed in order to avoid a "matchy-matchy" look. Notice how the bases are different, but they are the same height and also have matching shades. Very important!

AFTER

BEFORE