Lamps, to me, are like jewelry in decor. They sparkle and add the finishing touches to the room. There are lamps for every design style…and, if you can’t find one you like, I’ll show you how to make your own! First, let’s explore the different styles.
There are traditional lamps. These usually come with drum shades – and they can be casual in linen or more formal in silk.
There are more modern lamps as well. For example, in the picture above, one has a stainless steel curved base. The other has a glass base which could be filled with decorative items. You could make this glass lamp more traditional – by filling it with shells, for example – or more modern, by filling it with glass marbles or rocks.
If you’re like my son, you prefer a hanging or pendant lamp like this. These lamps allow you to get the base off the night table or other surface, while still providing light for reading.
Maybe you are attracted to shiny objects? Glam lamps like this one, with chrome and glass, add style and shine to decor.
Me? I like the rustic, industrial look:
I actually made this lamp from an old tripod!
If you can’t settle on a style, or you want a unique lamp, make your own. You can make lamps out of old bottles, tripods … anything!
Here’s how I made the tripod lamp:
The hardest part is finding the tripod. I found mine at our local thrift store. It was a whopping $6.99. When I got it, the tripod was a bit rusty:
The first thing I did was spray paint it with a paint+primer combo. I used oil-rubbed bronze paint. It took two light coats and the rust was gone.
Next step, get a lamp kit. You can find one at a big box hardware store or online.
For a place for the lamp, I removed the top part of the tripod – where the camera would have been attached. Then I was ready to install the kit.
For the lamp kit, the “nipple” (the piece the cord goes through and to which the socket attaches) was bigger than the hole in the top of the tripod. I drilled the hole a bit larger so the nipple would fit:
To drill the hole, make sure that the tripod is on a flat surface and is stable, and that you have the correct kind of drill bit (for drilling into metal). Use a clamp or a friend if needed to hold it in place. Wear safety goggles and set the drill to a pretty high setting to get through the metal. Hold your breath, know you can do it, and drill. It was easy once I got the drill to the right setting.
Now comes the second hardest part: figuring out the instructions to the lamp kit. They aren’t clear, by any stretch of the imagination. Also, you need to know how to tie an “underwriter’s knot,” which I googled to understand how to do it. There are videos.
Follow the instructions on the lamp kit…
…and add the bulb and shade of your choice.
I later changed the white cord to a brown one, so that it didn’t stand out. The whole process took me a couple of hours, and I have a unique lamp I made!
What’s your style? What’s your favorite lamp in your home?
