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Let Your Light Shine!

June 20, 2007 By Rhoda 42 Comments

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“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Psalms 119:105


Have you ever counted how many lamps you have around your home? I really had not either, but started taking count of how many I do have…and it’s a lot….28!! I suspect you have a lot of lamps at your house too. Can you imagine what our homes and rooms would look like without lamplight glowing? They really do add such a nice ambience and if you’re like me, I tend to use lamplight much more than overhead lights for most of my rooms. Just thought I’d show you the many and varied lamps that are strewn about my home (and this just a portion of them). They are all different, on purpose, since I grew tired of the more formal look of silk shades and bases and now I have quite a collection of interesting, but totally different lamps. I tend to keep my lamps for many years & redo them as needed. I don’t need more lamps right now at all, but when one calls my name at a yardsale, sometimes I can’t resist. Come with me for a tour of my lamps….

The one pictured above is a yardsale lamp that I bought for $5 & now it sits on a black desk in the den. Oops, I see I need to move that shade around so it sits properly.

Floor lamp that I’ve had for many years. It used to be a taupe color & I repainted it with a bronze finish last year. Added a new brick red drum shade (from Walmart no less) & now it has a whole new look.
Another lamp I’ve had for probably 12 years (& paid too much for then, around $100), it was originally a brighter gold finish & is metal. Again, a new bronze finish & lamp shade from JoAnn’s & it’s a whole new look. I’m really attracted to these drum shades the last couple of years. Another trick is to change out finials for a new look. They can be painted to match your lamp finish & really give a lot of interest to lamps.
This tiny little cutie also came from a yardsale for $2.00 & I had to buy the shade. It dresses up a wall shelf in the den.
This one was the wrong color green when I bought it. Found some Green Apple paint at Lowes & gave it a new look too. Added the trim around the bottom of the shade with fabric glue. This one is on my desk in my office nook. This one came from a yardsale too, for maybe $4. I had the shade already to add to it. It’s in my upstairs guestbath. You can see my love of leopard print is a sure thing. Keep scrolling if you don’t believe that!
Another little lamp that’s in one guestroom that was found yardsaling too. I also found the leopard fabric at another yardsale & used it around my house (got probably a yard of it for $1.00 & used it on lampshades & pillows). Embellished with trim & beaded fringe.
This floorlamp is really vintage, found at a yardsale for $10.00 several years ago. I treaure this one, the base is really pretty too. Covered a plain square shade with my checked fabric in this guestroom & added fringe.
Another yardsale lamp for $5. It was gold, repainted bronze. Covered the shade with my black/tan toile fabric in the guestroom.
Yet another yardsale vintage lamp, I think this one was $1.00. It had a chip on one edge & I repaired it with Plaster of Paris. Repainted it & added the leopard fabric & beads. Also in a guestroom. One of my favorite lamps of all, another yardsale find at $7. It also had one leg missing, but the leg got repaired & painted black to match. It had no shade, so I bought a square one, covered it in one of my kitchen fabrics, added the fringe. Just love this little cutie! I was told one of these was once in a Southern Living house & was very expensive.
One of 2 Bronze buffet lamps in the Diningroom. These were bought new. I love tassels used around the house & love how they add some pizazz to lamps. You’ll see tassels on lots of my lamps.
Picked this little funky lamp up at a design shop in Marietta for around $13, if I remember right. I love the shape & beading on the top & bottom. This one’s on my vanity in the master bedroom.
Getting away from the more traditional lamps I had always had in the bedroom, I found these ceramic lamps with square shades at Olde Time Pottery & thought they’d be a nice change & added some of the blue that I have in there.
Also, found the little mate to the larger ones in the bedroom. This little one is on a shelf in the master bathroom. Another yardsale find from last year, this one was $3. I already had the shade in the closet & it’s a nice fit. This is the type of shade I was always using for years, until I branched out to more unique & less formal ones. I love the classic shape of this lamp & it’s pretty old. Love the fleur de lis, which are also favorites of mine.
Buffet lamp on my foyer table was found at Tuesday AM. It had a simple cream shade & I changed it out to this black fabric one that I found at a closeout type store in GA for $2. I painted it with a bronze finish, original was brighter gold.
Can you believe another yardsale lamp for $5? This is a classic column lamp & I just love the shape of it. Added the linen shade from JoAnn’s. I liked this lampshade so much I used it on 2 lamps…one upstairs & one downstairs.
This is one of the most expensive lamps I have. Think I paid about $100 for this one from a decorator in GA. I used to shop at her home store & bought this one more than 10 years ago when I was first trying to outfit my house with lamps. It has a hand-painted motif of fruit. I probably would never pay that much for a lamp again, but I know that’s not a lot for a lamp these days. It was for me though! It originally had a cream silk shade & I deformalized it with this linen one from JoAnn’s & sits in my LR. This one came from a really neat store in Atlanta called Hill Street Warehouse. They have a closeout room with lots of great deals on things & they had a huge clearance on lamps one day when I was in there about 3 years ago. I paid $50 for this one. It’s a nice ceramic with a pretty fruit design on the front. Reminds me of Raymond Waites, whose designs I love. This one is in the livingroom also. I had to add the bronze fixture above to show you. Found this while yardsaling last weekend for $3.00. It is an outside light & will look smashing on our front porch to replace the ugly builder’s one that is there now. I can’t wait to get it up!

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Now go and count how many lamps you have (I’d love to know!). I bet you may be surprised just how they add up.

Let’s let our lights shine…in more ways than one!

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Filed Under: Decorating Ideas 42 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. OldBagNewTricks says

    June 20, 2007 at 9:16 am

    Hi Rhoda — these are some darn cute lamps. They inspire me to… redo something somewhere. I am catching up on my blog-reading this morning and I want to thank you for stopping in to take a peek at my brand new1st ever grandchild. I am still in awe and you have said the nicest things — thank you.

    Jenny

    Reply
  2. Francie of The Scented Cottage says

    June 20, 2007 at 9:17 am

    Ah Roda, you definitely do NOT hide your beautiful light under a bushel!

    Reply
  3. PAT says

    June 20, 2007 at 10:05 am

    Great looking lamps, Rhoda. Your bunny lamp has always been a favorite of mine!

    There are many lamps all through our home, too. I love the glow of a lamp in the evening. Warms a room, wonderfully!

    Pat

    Reply
  4. ShabbyInTheCity says

    June 20, 2007 at 10:43 am

    I know I don’t have that many lamps! Those are all so pretty. I love the harlequin design the most. I’m gonna let my other light shine today!

    Reply
  5. the feathered nest says

    June 20, 2007 at 11:05 am

    I never thought to count them, but I know I don’t have as many as you. How do you change the fabric on a lampshade? I’d love to do that with some of mine. Maybe you could do a tutorial post on how to do that one day? Love all the leopard print lamps and the bunny lamp!

    Manuela

    Reply
  6. Lacy says

    June 20, 2007 at 11:41 am

    how fun!!!…I think I have 22 lamps…(I’m @ work so I’m doing a mental count..)I didn’t pay too much for any of them either…I really like your guestroom lamp with the toile shade…they’re all wonderful!!!…Lacy

    Reply
  7. Sophie Honeysuckle says

    June 20, 2007 at 12:51 pm

    Haha! I’m going to count my lamps too! You have some fab lamps-love the green one!

    Reply
  8. Sue says

    June 20, 2007 at 2:00 pm

    Great post Rhoda. You are right, I’m surprised to know that I have 30 lamps……That does not include the ones that are in the basement storage area. Your lamps are so pretty, love the custom details.
    Sue

    Reply
  9. Lizzie says

    June 20, 2007 at 2:28 pm

    Rhoda, what a fun post! I loved seeing how your style has evolved through your lamps, and I love all the different ones you have collected!

    Reply
  10. Rosemary says

    June 20, 2007 at 3:10 pm

    Hi Rhoda,
    Well I counted 16, not as many as you have. I love all of your lamps.
    I keep buying them and redoing them as well. Thanks for the lamp tour.
    Have a great day!
    Rosemary

    Reply
  11. Anonymous says

    June 20, 2007 at 3:48 pm

    LOL….. I counted 20….now to go room to room. I too have a thing for lamps & nightlights !!!

    We recently put in a new kitchen, the first thing I saw while deciding on paint color etc. was a black wrought iron lamp with a black & cream (cabinets are a cream color) shade with little roosters…everything was built around my lamp…my inspiration piece !!!

    Thanks again that was fun !!!

    Kathy =)

    Reply
  12. Sheila says

    June 20, 2007 at 3:56 pm

    I too prefer lamps to overhead lighting. You have a gorgeous and eclectic collection.
    I think my favourite has to be the one with the tan and black toile shade.
    I will have to count mine, I’m sure I don’t have anywhere near as many as you, and certainly none are as eye catching..!

    Reply
  13. sandi@ the whistlestop cafe says

    June 20, 2007 at 4:13 pm

    Great collection of lamps!
    I am tempted to paint my dated shiny brass fixtures in the bath…do you think it might work?
    Worse case… I ruin them and have to buy new light fixtures.

    Reply
  14. Ribbon Rock Star says

    June 20, 2007 at 4:14 pm

    WOW now I want to go lamp shopping!

    Love your lamps!!

    Linda

    Reply
  15. Southern Heart says

    June 20, 2007 at 5:01 pm

    Rhoda, I love all of your lamps—what a beautiful collection! You and I are so much alike. 🙂 I have lamps on almost every “available” surface, and love to have all of them on in the evening. I, too, like to have a variety of styles.

    I loved seeing your lamps today!

    Reply
  16. B says

    June 20, 2007 at 5:04 pm

    Wow, you really DO “let your light shine”, huh! I have 11 lamps in my house, and I thought that was alot. I love your collection. My favorites are the buffet lamps in the dining room and foyer and the lamp from Hill Street Warehouse. 🙂

    Reply
  17. KLKinFLA says

    June 20, 2007 at 6:33 pm

    Love your lamps…what a great post! I keep all my lamps on every day…gotta have that ambience.

    Reply
  18. Anonymous says

    June 20, 2007 at 7:22 pm

    Loved the lamp tour! Could you give us a tutorial on covering a lampshade, please?
    Connie

    Reply
  19. Suzanne says

    June 20, 2007 at 7:36 pm

    Rhoda~ What a fun post. I loved the tour of all of your lovely lamps. It’s neat that they each have a story behind them too. I love the bunny lamp with it’s pretty shade (and the folk art fruit plate hiding behind it?).
    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  20. Rhoda says

    June 20, 2007 at 8:01 pm

    Thank you all for the great comments! I hear a couple of you want to find out how to cover lampshades, so I’ll get something together to show you soon! How about that? Stay tuned….

    Rhoda

    Reply
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Thanks for stopping by! I'm Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn't have to cost a fortune and I've spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I'm here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won't you join me?

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