Buy lights for a shade less
I‘ve been shopping estate sales and flea markets for so long there are a few things I just can’t bring myself to buy in a department store. Like lamps.
A good lamp can be expensive, but I’m constantly changing things in my house and I don’t want to pay a small fortune for something I might get tired of. And to be honest, I usually like the look of older lamps better than newer ones.
The tall, elegant, hand-carved marble or alabaster lamps that were the height of fashion from the 1930s into the 1950s are still prized by collectors and decorators.
Alabaster lamps have style and substance. Even though there are reproductions on the market, they just don’t have the same look. The older alabaster lamps aren’t always easy to find, and they can be expensive. Large table lamps can sell for $150 and up, even at the flea market, but the smaller desk lamps are often a good deal less.
The heavy art deco pressed glass lamps, or small milk glass boudoir lamps that were made to sit on a woman’s dressing table or on a bedside table, are inexpensive, easy to find, and make great accent lights for small spaces and corners. They show up frequently at flea markets and garage sales, usually priced under $10.
Basic lamp styles like the classic ceramic ginger jar and the brass pillar are timeless and never go out of fashion. And it isn’t unusual to find them for just a couple of dollars at thrift stores and garage sales.
The pottery lamps from the 1940s, in either rich jewel tones or ice cream pastels, are popular with collectors, as are delicate china lamps decorated with roses or other flowers; $20 to $50 will get you a wonderful lamp at the antique mall.
The bizarre 1950s “atomic” lamps and the tall 1960s “I Dream of Jeannie” bottle shapes with huge barrel shades are hot collectibles in other parts of the country, but cost next-to-nothing at garage sales here.
Lamps are one of the easiest vintage bargains to customize to fit your décor. Wood and even metal lamps can be painted, and the addition of a new shade, perhaps black or a deep red, can dramatically change the look of any lamp.
Rewiring vintage lamps is a simple job. Even after purchasing a rewiring kit and a new shade, you will usually spend far less than a new lamp would cost.
If you aren’t comfortable rewiring a lamp yourself, take it to a professional that specializes in lighting restoration.
Buying vintage lamps at garage sales and thrift stores means that if you change your mind, or a lamp gets broken, you aren’t out a bundle.
Several years ago I found a pair of lamps at Goodwill that I thought had a lot of potential. They were heavy cast plaster that had been painted dark brown to look like a carved wood finial. They were probably from the late 1970s. I thought they would look great if they were just prettied up a bit. The pair was marked down to $5.
I painted them white to bring out the faux wood grain and added new silk shades. They illuminated my living room until I rearranged the furniture and no longer needed the pair.
One of the lamps went upstairs and the other found a home downstairs in the family room. That is, until it was discovered on the floor, broken.
What happened to that lamp remains a mystery because each of my four children had a rock-solid alibi. Even after a lot of finger pointing, no one admitted being anywhere near the lamp the day it was broken. The cats wouldn’t talk. The dog looked guilty, but then he always looks guilty.
Since I only had $2.50 and a little elbow grease invested in the lamp and the shade was fine, I let it go. I just didn’t let on how much I would enjoy looking for a replacement.
Lamp resources
Two local sources for lighting restoration are:
•.Luminaria, 154 S. Madison, 747-9198, www.luminaria.com.
• Revival Lighting, 14 W. Main, 747-4552, www.revivallighting.com.
Both sell supplies for rewiring and restoring vintage lamps as well as replacement shades. Basic supplies can be purchased at local discount stores.
• Restoration Hardware carries reproduction alabaster, glass and milk glass lamps. You can find them in the stores or at www.restorationhardware.com
Treasure Hunting around town
This weekend is the Summer Solstice Sale at Penny Simonson’s barn (the Barnmarche) at 13409 E. Wellesley. Simonson, the former owner of Grace Monroe Antiques on Monroe Street and spaces in several local antique malls, is selling items from her inventory as well as things from her personal collection of garden items, primitives and display items. Sale hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.