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The Great Unsung Storyteller in a Room

A statement lamp can bring artistry, history and personality to your interior. Which of these styles speaks to you?

Becky Dietrich December 3, 2013

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An older gentleman was walking along a path one day when he encountered a frog. The frog said to him, “Sir, if you will pick me up and kiss me, I will turn into a beautiful princess.” The man bent down and picked up the frog, and then put it in his pocket. “But,” the frog reiterated, “if you kiss me, I will turn into a beautiful princess!”

“I heard you,” replied the man. “But at my age, I have more use for a talking frog.”

This story reminds me of lamps. I feel sorry for lamps. They could be beautiful princesses, but we settle instead for frogs. They are so often a second-class citizen — an afterthought — when in point of fact they should be the jewelry of a room, the final touch that brings a space to life. Take a look around your home, paying particular attention to the lamps. Do they make you smile? Do they evoke a memory or a story? Are they even turned on?

Consider these ideas to help change lamps from frogs into princesses.

Living Room by Elad Gonen

Isn’t this a spectacular yurt? But the color and architecture aren’t the only attractions; check out the lamp! Stones and driftwood have been stacked in a wonderfully haphazard way to create a lamp base that begs to be touched, and that wants to tell its story. The shape of the lampshade mirrors the shape of the base, creating perfect harmony.

Transitional Dining Room by J Steven Kemp Architect

J Steven Kemp Architect

Perhaps these lamp bases are old gears. Or perhaps some enterprising manufacturer made them. No matter — they are tactile and fascinating, and almost the focal point of this space. Notice how their square shades are juxtaposed with their round gears, resulting in a remarkably successful mix of shapes.

Farmhouse Living Room by Kasha Paris

Have you tried to find a decent floor lamp lately? I have been on the hunt myself, and it is not easy! So I am jealous (in the best possible way) of this oh-so-creative use of an apple tree branch. The resulting floor lamp makes an eye-catching sculpture and is very functional as well. Just imagine how striking it must look in the evening when it casts a warming pool of light.

Eclectic Living Room by Shannon Malone

This floor lamp, constructed from painted teacups and teapots, is the polar opposite, designwise, of the tree branch lamp. But it’s just as inviting to the eye. I want to go up to it and touch it and investigate each of its parts. Were they collected over time? Were they someone’s grandma’s? Or did this homeowner simply have a spectacular idea and raid her local thrift shop? Whatever. Anytime a component of your design arouses curiosity, it’s a good thing.

Contemporary Family Room by Craig Denis

This large piece of driftwood has been transformed into a unique and hefty floor lamp. It makes such a sculptural statement in this room; the space would be greatly diminished without it.

Traditional Bedroom by Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders

Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders

How’s this for spectacularly interesting? An old dressmaker’s form has been repurposed into a sublime floor lamp. If this room were a classic little black dress, the lamp would be the 18-karat-gold necklace.

Eclectic Living Room by Lauren Liess Interiors

Lauren Liess Interiors

This bulbous wire lamp calls to me. I love the shape and the gossamer presence. And I can imagine an antique birdcage used this way, or some of the marvelous wire garden art that abounds in gift stores and garden centers. A see-through lamp like this provides great function without taking up too much visual space.

Beach Style Family Room Folk art in the family room

Lamps often perform well in pairs, as you can see here. The beautiful color of these vintage pails is perfectly complemented by shades that look like they’re made from old French linens. These lamps practically beg to tell you this family’s history.

Beach Style by Chango

Fillable bases are a surefire way to tell a bit about yourself with your lamps. Anything from the pink sands of Bermuda to seashells, jelly beans, pasta or pebbles can fill these lamps with color or texture. You can buy them ready to fill, or find your own jar in a shape that particularly appeals to you and make it yourself.

Eclectic Home Office by Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Every lamp in the home I share with Mike is made from something we love. We have tall lamps made from altar candlesticks, a small table lamp made from a favorite old blue and white jar, and an accent lamp made from a dog sculpture, to name a few. But this is Mike’s favorite. It’s an intricately carved early-20th-century wood Santo, and she shows her hundred years of wear. A large split runs up the center, and her paint is peeling and worn, but she captivates everyone who visits our home and looks marvelous when light is shining down on her.

Mediterranean Living Room by Summerour Architects

Summerour Architects

Speaking of beloved blue and white vases, this is a lamp style that is never out of vogue, and that invariably brings color and interest to a room. If you cannot find one you like ready made, find a vase you love and take it to your local lamp shop to have it drilled and wired. Having a piece made into a lamp is usually not inexpensive, but you will have something that will last a lifetime.

Traditional Porch by Judith Balis Interiors

Judith Balis Interiors

This lamp base reminds me of something you might find in a French flea market, or if you’re really lucky, an estate sale. It makes the loveliest lamp, and that fabulous scalloped sage-green shade sets it off beautifully.

Midcentury Living Room by Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor

If your budget does not allow for lamp making, try reworking something you find in a thrift or consignment store. The stunning lamp on this sideboard reminds me of the large-scale and often ugly lamps from the 1950s and ’60s that get donated or thrown away. But a creative paint job and a new shade have made it the star of this room. Its sheer size gives the space pop and interest.

How to Fix Up a Thrifted Lamp

Transitional Nursery by Thom Filicia Inc.

Thom Filicia Inc.

Here is another way to personalize an otherwise standard lamp. Apply decals or cut felt to the lampshade, then finish off your design with trim or ribbon. I find this bird shade enchanting.

Eclectic Kids by Shannon Berrey Design

Shannon Berrey Design

Here is a close-up of the same idea, only this time the felt has been cut into a monogram, and the shade finished off with fringe. Stunning! (I’m also in love with the mixed patterns of the headboard on the left and the curtains on the right.)

Eclectic Patio by Shannon Malone

A fixture made from bottles, old or new, absolutely nails my thesis that lighting makes or breaks a room. It’s hard to imagine anything that would dress and serve this outdoor table better than this bottle-happy chandelier.

Traditional Kids by Home Staging

How about a chandelier made from an amalgamation of lampshades? Whether done in multiple colors like this one, or in neutral colors, it’ll glow gorgeously when lit and look equally appealing turned off.

by gailmarionphotography

gailmarionphotography

When it comes to statement lamps, don’t forget your child’s room. This young man’s grandfather owned this sports figurine in his youth, and now it has been made into a lamp. Every time he turns the light on, he has an important and anchoring connection to his grandpa.

Shabby-chic Style Kids by Designing Solutions

Designing Solutions

My granddaughters (all four of them) would be gaga over this lamp, and it would be all about the shade. Never, never skimp on a lampshade. The right shade takes a lamp from ordinary to fantastic, while putting a skimpy or boring or lifeless shade on a base is like wearing saddle shoes with a black lace dress. (My husband has no idea what this means, but hopefully the ladies get my point. And if you’re just too young, use Google.)

Shabby-chic Style Bedroom by Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects

Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects

I like to imagine that this lamp base was purchased on some really memorable vacation — maybe in Mexico or Spain. It was wrapped in clothes and lugged home in a suitcase, and now it graces this master bedroom, reminding its owners of that trip every night: the smells, the food, the shopping, the time away together. Like a frog turning into a princess, this is the magic that a personalized lamp brings to your interior design. It’s a lamp that actually means something to you. It has a story or a connection to your family history.

Roam your home with a fresh eye, looking for something that is meaningful to you or that you love, and consider how it would look as a lamp. Happy hunting!

More: How to Choose a Lampshade

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Comments (70)

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kroze

I bet they are!! No, I have no ideas. Wish I did. I too have things that challenge traditional cleaning products. I actually clean one object with a Q-tip saturated in Endust!

Like January 20, 2014 at 7:13PM

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ParrotUncle

ok. I guess we have to protect them well away from dust usually. And maybe we have to try blower or vacuum cleaner. But they are beautiful, i love them, and sometimes, we have to undergo this for our loves. :)

1 Like January 20, 2014 at 7:19PM

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mdnotdr

Thanks, for such a great article, Becky. I ended up with floor lamp for my dining room that had everything to do with price and nothing to do with like. But now I'm thinking I have the basic structure for something more interesting and beautiful. Oh, btw, I love that Santo lamp!

Like January 22, 2014 at 6:51AM

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