Lamps are my favorite decorating accessory; not only are they functional, but they add a focal point to vignettes. Updating a lamp for a designer touch is my favorite way to transform new, or vintage, lamps.
From Basic to Brilliant
I’ve had these teals lamps for about ten years. I bought them at TJ Maxx or Home Goods and was so excited when I found them! In my opinion, a gourd shape lamp is one of the best lamp shapes out there. The lamp on the left is what it looked like when I brought it home and how I used it for several years When I realized they were the perfect pop of teal in my dining room, I knew I need to make them a little more traditional.
The drum shade makes these lamps fully modern. That looks very out of place in this room that’s filled with a traditional sideboard, gold mirror, silver set and chinoiserie plate wall!
Replacing the shade with a pleated lampshade and chinoiserie final gives the lamp a designer touch. It’s the perfect modern mix; a modern lamp with a traditional shade–it keeps all these old items looking fresh for today’s style!
Pleated Lampshades
You can’t go wrong with a classic pleated lampshade. Scroll through below for selections of my favorites. You might see a couple of these in my home soon!
Finials
Don’t forget the finials! It’s the bit of jewelry on the lamp that finishes it!
Be sure to see my Amazon storefront of finials, too! There’s a huge selection of finials; I even wrote a blog post about them all!
Lucite Bases
The lamps above have a lucite base attached. However, if your lamp doesn’t have a base or if you need a little extra height, adding a lucite base will make a dramatic difference in making it look designer!
Harps
When switching up shades, you may need to adjust the harp size, too. In my experience, I’ve always had to go smaller; especially in vintage lamps. Vintage lamps from the 60s have very tall necks because tall shades were the trend. So I use a smaller harp to accommodate and make the right size lamp shade fit for today. I would recommend the adjustable lamp harp so you can try different sizes! See all my harp recommendations on my amazon storefront.
