Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Vintage Lamp Love

I was nodding along with Amanda's post, today, as I am also fond of collecting antique or vintage lamps or lights. Lamps on tables, in corners, over beds, next to beds, next to chairs, on the back of the toilet, even, are essential, in my mind. Ambient and accent lighting are two of the simplest ways to soften and cozy up a room. Put a lamp on any ordinary kitchen counter, tucked next to the tea basket, for instance, and you have an instant cafe, with little shop on the corner charm.

Rewiring those vintage lamps is essential, of course, as no one wants to accidentally burn their house down for the sake of making cozy corners. And being able to rewire a lamp means I get to keep adding to my rather substantial vintage lamp collection. Let's take a look:

it was a long day and a late night (morning), and it's good to be home #interiors #home
old lamp with snooty magazines

Many of my lamps are not in perfect condition. Far from it. In fact, the new wiring is the only thing about them that is in very good shape. So many of my lamps have damaged shades, chips in the pottery, missing pieces, wonky, ill-fitting shades on bent harps, all problems that I could most likely fix if I were to do a little shopping. All of these lamps were found in crowded, jumbled junk shops of the best sort.

a cozy corner

art & gardening books

Easter morning, before the kids are up

inspiration

old house, eclectic style #bathroom #thisoldhouse #smallspaces #interiors #welivehere

freshened up the guest room : expecting company #yule

guestroom nightstand #maineaesthetic #maine #interiors #home #spaces #diy #thisoldhouse

sewing corner

old trunk, funky lamp and lithographs in the guestroom #thisoldhouse #spaces #home #interiors #maine #maineaesthetic

guest room #home

guest bedroom corner - I love a funky lamp

I prefer to keep original shades, even if they are torn or stained, but some lamps I found without shades, so they were both rewired and received new shades.

milk glass and summer flowers

good morning, Ginger : our bedroom #home

4:20pm #winter

This lamp is a favorite. It's been with us for as long as Alex and I have been a couple (that's nearly 23 years, folks) and it came from the home of his great aunt. The shade has a magnolia decal on it, perhaps cut from wallpaper. The shade is battered and worn, but I'll never replace it, as it provides a warm, vintage glow, that is just right for reading. This wall lamp has lived in many rooms of our home. Now it lives in Olivia's room.

vintage lamp love - thinking of @soulemama

battered shade I'll never replace

I've long loved finding these lamps, sometimes funky, often shabby and unloved. I purchased my first vintage lamp at the age of 12, for $1.

vintage McCoy lamp

It's been a satisfying task to clean these lamps, rewire them and move them around our home over the years. These old, rewired lamps have lit our corners, bringing warmth to once dull, flat spaces, transforming our home to the cozy space we know today.

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