LITTLE ROCK — Table lamps, in particular, often are afterthoughts.
For many, the purchase is more often pragmatic - a need for a reading light on a nightstand or next to a sofa.
Yet, says lighting expert Lucy Martin, “How you light your home is as important as how you decorate it.”
Martin writes that size matters - not only because the larger the lamp, the greater amount of light produced, but also because table lamps can be so prominent - “right in your eye line,” so she recommends investing in the best lamps you can afford.
There is a wide price range - from under $100 to more than $1,000 - determined by quality of construction and materials, and where the lamp is made. A hand-painted shade or one clad in elegant Fortuny fabric, for example, will cost more, as will hand-blown glass, stone such as marble, or fine wood with a distinctive grain.
Options reflect a variety of decorating styles, from the currently ubiquitous Belgian modern with its whitewashed wood, linen and low-lustre metals, to sleek, glamorous throwbacks to the 1930s and 1940s with a hint of art deco. From Craftsman styles to retro 1950s, coastal to log cabin, there also are modern designs that are perfect for blending styles - lending a spark even to traditional decor.
HomeStyle, Pages 39 on 02/26/2011