Archive for the ‘Floor Lamps’ Category
I just moved into a new apartment and there’s a lot about it that I really like. However, one thing I noticed that was a little bit of a problem was that there was hardly any lighting. The building is pretty close to another apartment building, so even when it’s sunny out, I don’t get much additional natural lighting in my home.
On top of that, there aren’t as many electric lights in the house as I would have anticipated, so upon moving in here, I realized that I was going to need to bring in some lighting of my own. I wound up deciding to purchase some nice Tiffany floor lamps that would add the lighting I needed and also spice the room’s décor up a little bit.
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Walking into my friend’s house is like walking into an antiques shop. It is full of old furniture and portraits of barons and baronesses from the nineteenth century. Most of her collection she inherited from her grandmother, who collected art, but she has added to the collection, piece by piece. She gets most of her items from an art dealer, but occasionally she would attend auctions and bid on works of art. She doesn’t like to do that too often because if she sees a piece she really likes, she gets carried away.
Last weekend I went with her to one of these art auctions. I’m the first to admit that I’m not the foremost expert on anything related to art, but it still confuses me how some people could spend thousands of dollars or more on something they’re just going to display in their house. I understand it’s an investment, but there are other things you could invest in that will net you more income than art. My friend ended up going over her budget while bidding on an original Tiffany floor lamp. She was happy she won the auction, but wasn’t too happy about the amount she spent.
Since I was a kid, I’ve always been afraid of things that go bump in the night. I couldn’t ever sleep with my closet door open for fear of there being a monster in it! It seems irrational now, but that fear of the dark has stuck with me into my adulthood and I don’t like walking around my house in utter darkness because it starts to give me the heebie-jeebies. When it’s dark, I can get scared by my own shadow!
Because of my fears, I’ve always made sure to have a decent amount of lighting going on in every room. I’ve learned that if you buy the right items, you can keep yourself away from creepy darkness without your electricity bill costing you an arm and a leg. To add a little pizzazz to the lights that keep away the nightmares, I keep Tiffany style floor lamps in every room.
When decorating our home I could not figure out what to do with an awkward triangular space underneath the stairs in the living room. I didn’t want to turn it into just another space for storage; I wanted a more creative solution. After browsing through design inspiration boards online, I settled on creating a reading nook.
I found a beautiful chaise lounge that fit perfectly in the space. Since you’re meant to recline on the chaise I didn’t have to worry about head space. On the outside edge of the chaise lounge I placed one of two Tiffany floor lamps that I own. I finished the reading nook off with a few colorful pillows and a throw blanket.
Contrary to popular belief, not every authentic Tiffany floor lamp bears the initials of Louis Comfort Tiffany on its lampshade. In fact, the LCT initials are considered quite rare. Most of the Tiffany lamps produced at the Tiffany studios were stamped with “Tiffany Studios New York.”
After the death of Louis Comfort Tiffany some glass workers tried to capitalize on the founder’s fame by forging his initials. An expert can correctly identify which initials are real and which ones are forgeries. If you do have a forgery this does not mean the quality of the lamp is damaged; it just won’t fetch as high a price at auction as it might have with authentic initials.
Louis Comfort Tiffany popularized stained glass lamps with his beautiful lamps made between the early 1850s and the mid 1930s at his Tiffany Studio in New York. Replicas and Tiffany-inspired lamps made after the 1930s may be beautiful, but they are not authentic. How can you spot an authentic Tiffany lamp?
First, be aware that Tiffany made six types of lamps: floor, desk, hanging shade, wall sconce, table, and chandelier. If the lamp you’re inspecting isn’t one of the aforementioned then it is not an authentic Tiffany lamp. Second, a Tiffany floor lamp would have been crafted by hand, meaning there would have been minor imperfections and variations. If the lamp you’re inspecting is perfectly smooth with no flaws, then it is not authentic. Finally, look for “Tiffany Studios New York” or L.C.T. CO. marks that can be found on the bottom rim of authentic shades.
One of the great things about walking through my grandmother’s house is looking at all the beautiful pieces of furniture that she has collected over the years. Anywhere from old sofas, with the floral design, to an old wrought iron wine rack that she purchased from a garage sale before I was even born. She’s a very eclectic person. You can tell just by all the old picture frames hanging on her walls. She has a style like no other.
My favorite pieces in the house, I have to say, would be the Tiffany style floor lamps. She has one in every room. The lamps set such an ambiance that it is captivating. The colors are brilliant and still vibrant to this day. She told me that she got them passed down to her from her grandmother and that they would be passed to me one day. I am truly honored to have such magnificent lamps some day in my home to show my future grandchildren.
When it comes to lighting a home office, there are three different types of light: ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. Ambient lighting provides general light, such as from wall sconces or overhead lighting. Task lighting is meant to illuminate a specific space, such as a desk with a small desk or table lamp.
Accent lighting, though functional, is usually meant for decorative purposes. For instance, Tiffany floor lamps can be used as artistic focal points in a home office. Choose accent lighting carefully, particularly if you expect clients to visit your home office. A quality accent lamp can enhance the overall look of your office and give off an air of professionalism and good taste.
You have a beautiful sitting area in your home and you’ve just purchased new artwork to dress up the room. Easy as this sounds, it is a very challenging project. Hanging the artwork at the right height, ensuring it is straight and avoiding the “extra” holes in the wall from the project can be challenging.
Using templates is the easiest way to hang artwork. Simply trace the outside of your frame onto paper or cardboard and use painters tape to temporarily attach the template to the wall. This way you can play with the placement and get a clear picture of the finished product. This works really well if there are multiple pieces to be arranged. This allows you to step back and take in the entire view rather than lean back with one hand holding the frame in place while eyeballing the placement from an angle.
Once you are happy with the placement, hang the actual frames one at a time and remove your template in the process.
It isn’t essential to have a wall stud behind each piece of artwork, as there are different metal and plastic anchors that can be used to stabilize the hanger. You should certainly try to locate a wall stud for very heavy items though.
Keep these pointers in mind when you hang your art.
- Always hang pictures at eye level.
- When hanging artwork over a sofa, leave only a few inches to make the picture the focal point.
- Don’t put one small picture on a large wall, or a large picture on a small wall. Keep scale in mind.
- If you hang a picture over a piece of furniture (table, chair or settee) the length of the artwork should not be longer than the width of the piece of furniture below it.
- Coordinate colors in your artwork to your current decor.
- Illuminate the artwork with an up-light, tastefully done with a tiffany style torchiere floor lamp.
Making the office a comfortable environment for employees can increase productivity and ensure they’ll stay at their desks longer, and work more. One idea to consider is to bring in plants or small trees. This not only makes the office more aesthetically pleasing, but increases the production of oxygen, allowing for more oxygen to reach the brain, and increasing mental productivity. Another idea is to replace your existing lighting panels with sky-scapes, which have colored prints of the sky, ocean, or popular characters like Dilbert. While having no scientific benefit, these add an artistic appeal to the office. You can enhance the ambiance even further by strategically placing a Tiffany floor lamp or two around the main areas of the office.
I also invested in some wholesale fragrance oil so that the office always smells great. In addition, simple changes like free coffee a couple days of the week or doughnuts from the bakery on Mondays never hurt.