Such an item in your home will have you singing in the rain as you’re sure to have sunshine on a rainy day. No sir, no one will be raining on your parade with this umbrella lamp. Purple rain.
I couldn’t quite integrate that last one into the cheap pun, but it has to be here.

The Umbrella Lamp by Pablo Designs is a whimsical take on photography lighting integrated into your home. Photographers go to great lengths to study proper lighting arrangements for a scene, but it is often forgotten that good lighting can make just as drastic a difference in a home environment. Not only are several points of different lighting in a room convenient for different tasks, but spot lighting can also greatly enhance a rooms’ ambiance and highlight interesting features and decorative objects.

This lamp is fully adjustable and is fitted with a removable, washable lycra shade. The shade also comes in different colors of silver, plum, black and ice blue. It is available in three sizes:

1. Small table lamp: 13″ diameter, 18″ height
2. Large table lamp: 15″ diameter, 24″ height
3. Floor lamp: 20″ diameter, 55″ height

Available at Modern Essentials, ranging from $110-190 depending on size.

On yet another trip to Aruba, I saw these oil lamps in a beautiful but unnecessarily overpriced and over hyped steakhouse L.G. Smith’s. OK, so I’m not reviewing the restaurant, just had to put in my two cents about it… Anyway, I thought the lamps put such a beautifully sleek and modern spin on an historic and almost forgotten item that I even took a picture with one (see evidence after jump) hoping to one day discover the makers of this product.

Who would have thought that I would stumble across this very item completely by accident when I saw the company advertise on my very own blog! (Turns out those ads can lead to some pretty neat stuff!) This oil lamp is one of several that Glass Dimensions offers.

They have some other beautiful designs, but this one in particular is designed by New England glass blower and founder of Glass Dimensions, David Perkins. It’s called Lexington Oil Lamp – Style C and it retails for $74.00. For $89.00, you can get the Anniversary Lexington, which you can have engraved with whatever special names and dates you like.

I’m just excited at how randomly and unexpectedly I came across an item that struck my fancy 2 years ago, and right here on my blog at that! It was just fate for me to bring you this breaking story.

There are pop-up books and then there are wired pop-up books! Using 3mm LED bulbs your guests well never see this one coming as they reach to lazily flip through the pages of this coffee table book. The cover is bound with linen and it’s available in the traditional lampshade (above) or the Parisian street lamp (after jump). I’ll take both.

Available at Unica Home for $95.00

Clever designs like this make me wonder why no one thought of this sooner! That’s not just any toggle switch on there either, it’s an illuminated dimmer. So not only is this table lamp highly functional, it’s also quite striking in it’s retro style.

Available in chrome (polished) or pewter (matte) finish at Comfort House for $134.00

Geeks and rockers alike can appreciate this baby. It is a lamp with a sense of humor. Designed by Nik Wilmore and obviously stylized after a tube amp, its charm is in the funky details.

Much like the tube amps renowned for their “warmth of sound,” weight, hefty price tag and the glow they produce (or so my husband informs me); the tube lamp aims to call back to these iconic features so treasured by the audio snobs of the world.

Unlike a tube amp, however, the bulbs of this lamp won’t burn out any time soon as the custom dimmer circuits limit the current from that of a full house current thus increasing the life of the bulbs.

The neat features include a Bakelite case, toggle switch (those are always fun), and a mirrored top. For once, even the bulbs are included (nine 25 watt tubular bulbs). The coolest feature of all though is the dimmer knob, which is a chromed replacement knob for a Fender Telecaster electric guitar!

The only online retailer, Uncommon Goods, is currently out of stock. Hopefully, they will replenish as I’ve had my eye on this gadget for some time.
Other distributors are Move Lab in NYC, Lighting by Gregory in NYC, the SFMoMA shop, and Manhattan Loft in Salt Lake City.

Depending on the store, it retails between $225 and $275.

This is what a tube amp looks like:

I have a weakness for gorgeous chandeliers that hang significantly lower than my eight-foot ceilings will allow. That certainly didn’t stop me from purchasing several such fixtures for my new house and then having my husband rack his brain attempting to modify them all so that we don’t hit our heads when walking around. Luckily, we’re not very tall. Some of our guests have been less fortunate.

My next home purchase will be based on whether I’ll be able to incorporate this iron and hand-blown glass creation somewhere into the house’s interior. This chandelier is one piece from the Mardi Gras collection by KALCO Lighting. The glass diffusers are available in four different color finishes. The Mardi Gras line can be purchased at Lighting Universe. This particular piece runs for $680.23.

Chandeliers such as this do more than provide light. In fact, the light that chandeliers such as this provide is usually not very luminous. BUT, chandeliers such as this serve another purpose, they are an art form. They are beautifully designed, glowing sculptures that can not only dramatically alter a room’s appearance, but its’ mood. While their traditional crystal counterparts certainly have a place in any traditional home, I like to think that my home is anything but traditional; and I know I’m not the only one out there attempting to stylize my dwelling in a way more befitting my eclectic taste buds.