New Lamp for the Guest Room & Contemplating a Change

Welcome to the 651st Metamorphosis Monday!

How was your weekend? Hope you had a wonderful one! Last week I shared a lamp I had ordered for my guest room. I’ve had the same lamp here in the guest room for many years and had been hoping to eventually replace it with something that better suited the colors/fabrics in this space.

Decorate Your Guest Room

 

You may remember this photo of the lamp from that previous post. So with what did I replace it?

Shopping Lamps for Guest Room

 

This was the lamp I ordered. I came across it and several more blue and white lamps that day that were really pretty. I loved the design but wasn’t sure how it would work here in the guest room, but since returns were easy, I decided to give it a try.

 

Blue and White Lamp

 

It’s always a challenge to take a photo of this room since cameras don’t like facing into windows but this is pretty accurate of the wall color in person.

Guest Room in Blue and White

 

When I first ordered this lamp, I was unsure of the measurements because most of the other blue and white lamps this company had for sale were around 22 inches tall, and this one was listed as being 29 inches tall. I wondered if that was a typo. Thankfully, it wasn’t! This lamp is 29 inches tall to the top of the finial and 27-1/2 inches tall to the top of the shade. I do really like the size for this space!

Guest Room in Blue & White

 

Here’s how it looks when off.

Decorating in Blue and White, Guest Room

 

And here’s how it looks when on. I tried to get a photo that would let you see how it looks with the bedding and decorative pillows. I love layering patterns if/when they work well together. I am loving how the blue and white chinoiserie design of the lamp looks with the other fabrics in this room.

Decorating in Blue and White

 

Here’s a view looking down so you can see how the lamp looks against the floral Sanderson fabric I chose for this room so many years ago. I still love this fabric as much as the day I chose it. I can’t remember the pattern name but I think it had the words “blue ribbon” in the name since the pattern has a blue ribbon running throughout.

 

Not claiming to be an expert at mixing patterns, but I’ve found over the years that I can be more adventurous as long as the patterns vary enough in size/scale. I think the Chinoiserie pattern in the lamp works here because it is significantly smaller in size than the floral-ribbon pattern in the Sanderson fabric.

I know someone mentioned in my previous post that I may need to change out the tissue box. Initially, I was thinking the same thing when I first ordered the lamp–that the tissue box would possibly be too “ivory” for the lamp. But I think it looks fine since the shade is not a stark white and the tabletop fabric has a soft, yellow background. Since it’s not overly patterned, I think it still works fine here.

 

The one thing that really surprised me about this lamp is the quality! Because the price was so reasonable, I was half-expecting the porcelain base to feel a bit rough and not as smooth as what you would find in more expensive lamps. I also anticipated that the fabric shade would be okay but that the metal stays (or whatever you call the supports in a shade) would probably show through when the lamp was turned on. That’s been my experience with lamps in this price range and lower in the past. Thankfully, I was wrong on both accounts!

Blue and White Porcelain Lamp

 

The porcelain base is silky smooth and the pattern is crisp and clear.

Elegant Lamp

 

The shade is beautiful and the supports do not show through at all when the lamp is turned on. Maybe they wrapped them in fabric before they were added to the shade. I’m so glad they don’t show through!

Decorating in Blue and White

 

I really could not be more pleased with the quality of this lamp. Lamps of this quality were usually double or triple the cost in the beautiful furniture stores I used to love walking through here in the Atlanta area before they all vanished. This lamp is currently showing out of stock, but here’s the link if you wish to check back. I bet it will eventually be back in stock: Blue and White Chinoiserie Lamp.

After I unboxed this lamp, I was so impressed with the quality, I immediately went online to look at their other lamp designs. I love lamps, they truly are the jewelry of a room, and it’s so hard to find nice ones these days. (If you love a bit of Chinoiserie design in your decor, you’ll find all the lamps they currently have available online here: Elegant Porcelain Lamps.)

Blue & White Lamp, Guest Room Decor

 

I may be changing this room up a bit in the future…still undecided about that. You may remember from my previous post that I’ve ordered two pretty cabinets for this wall, so I’ve moved the trunk that was on this wall to another wall in this room.

Wall for Ikea Oxberg Cabinets

 

The trunk is crowding out the bedside table so I’m contemplating placing the bed/headboard against the wall instead of having it in the corner.

Antique Dresser, Yellow Dollhouse

 

I’ve always loved how it looked in the corner, but if I place it against the wall to the right, I can place the trunk with the dollhouse underneath the window to the right of the secretary. Moving this bed is quite the challenge, but I may slide it over just to see how that looks in this room. Not sure yet–just thinking.

Blue and White Decor, Decorate in Blue & White

 

I never like walking into a room and seeing the side view of a bed, but since the door to this room is at one end, if I do move the bed against the right wall, that would place the view more at the foot of the bed when walking in. Hope that makes sense.

Guest Room in Blue and White

 

Do you love decorating in blue and white? If so, here are two books I think you’ll enjoy. I love both of these! A Passion for Blue & White AND William Yeoward Blue & White.

Blue and White Decorating Books

 

Hope you enjoyed this little guest-room update.  I’m looking forward to all the great Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

Guest Room in Blue and White

 

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Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. Susan,
    I love that pretty bedroom!!
    Thanks so much for hosting this charming party each and every week!! I so appreciate all the time and effort that does into it!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

  2. I’m so pleased to hear the quality of the lamp is better than you expected.
    That rarely happens! The pattern seems to pull the whole blue and white theme to that little corner of the room. What are you doing with the crystal one you removed?

    The idea of moving the bed to the wall seems like a good one. Practical, and I think the room would still look very similar to the way it does now. I don’t think it would be a ‘demotion,’ lol. Of course, you won’t know until you try.

    Btw, I love your pretty crystal decanter/glass. I have a decanter for the nightstand, but it’s not nearly as pretty as that one.

    • Thanks, Pam! The chair and ottoman in that room are also blue and white, so that spreads the blue and white out a little. Thanks! I was trying to remember where I found the decanter but it was so long ago, it escapes me now. I remember the glass that came with it ended up getting broken at some point, but I was able to find another one that works just as well.
      I just may try the bed on that wall. I love the idea of the trunk under the window…but not sure how I like the idea of the dollhouse in front of the window. I may end up moving both out of the room–not sure.

      • Well what if you put the nightstand and lamp on the window side of the bed and the trunk and dollhouse on the other?

        • I thought about that but I love seeing that table and I’m afraid it would be hidden on the other side of the bed. But I may try that if I start moving stuff around. lol

          • Lol, I thought that would be the case. I know what you mean. We all have certain pieces that we love the look of and don’t want to hide. When this sort of thing happens to me, I reason that it’s a lovely surprise. Meaning, if someone sits on the chair or walks over to the secretary, they get to see something pretty they weren’t necessarily expecting. Like you said, once you start moving stuff around you’ll figure it out. 🙂 If all else fails, maybe the trunk and doll house can go into the Someday Library. Perhaps not ideal, but needs must, as they say.

  3. franki Parde says

    That lamp nailed it…WINNER!! I truky do love it!! AND, you do seem to have the elusive “Pattern Gene”…just saying. KUDOS!! franki

  4. Dear Susan, I have often considered the idea of placing furniture diagonally in a room, especially after seeing your decorating!
    What do you think are the pros (or cons) of that arrangement?
    Does it seem as if there is less area in the room left when a bed is in that position or does it give more floor space?
    Don’t forget the Super Sliders when considering room re-arranging!!

    • I am normally one to love balance and symmetry so it surprises me that I love this corner layout so much. It’s been this way for probably 20 years now, so it’s hard to remember why I first placed it this way. I had probably seen something like this in a magazine and decided to see how it worked in this room.

      For me the bed is always the “star” of any bedroom, it’s normally the biggest piece in the room and the first thing you notice when you walk into the room. If a bed can be placed where when you walk into the room, you’re viewing it from the foot (or an end corner as it is in my master bedroom) I think it elevates the whole room. Sometimes you can’t avoid placing it where you walk in with a side view, but I always try to avoid that if possible. If there are any cons, it’s probably going to vary according to the layout of the room, where the windows are, and what furniture needs to go in the room.

      A pro in this situation is the secretary ends up being the “side table” for the left side of the bed. I love that! Funny story: I have a thing for secretaries. Back in the day when I worked for a plantation shutter company, going out on appointments for them to design and give estimates for interior shutters, I once visited a home where I saw a secretary in one of the teenage children’s bedroom. That very much impressed my young self because we were just starting out and I could only dream of having a secretary in my living room, much less having one tucked away in a kid’s bedroom! 🙂

      So, since that day, I’ve always loved the look of a secretary in a bedroom. When I came across this one in A Classy Flea, I knew exactly where I wanted it to go. I had been looking for something to go on that section of wall between the windows. Since the bed was in the room in this position, it ended up being a side table for the bed and another spot for a lamp.

      In some bedrooms, this configuration may allow for more space. I think when you see a bed placed like this, it’s probably more for aesthetic reasons than a functional reason. If I get a chance this week, I may play around with moving it. The cabinets I ordered are coming this Thursday, so I may wait to assemble those first and see how they look in this room with the bed in the corner, although it would probably be easier to move it before those in place.

      Liz, if you’ve thought about doing this in a room, try it out and see what you think. You can always move it back to a wall.

    • I was just thinking, I do this diagonal/corner placing of furniture a lot. lol I hadn’t realized how often until now. I have the highboy in my master bedroom in a corner facing out into the room and I did the same with an armoire in my living room. I realize now that one of the reasons I do that is I once read a decorating tip that said most people have a tendency to line furniture up along the walls in a room and it makes the room feel so static and lifeless, not to mention it makes conversation a lot harder. You see that a lot in living rooms where the sofa is on one wall and the chairs are way across the room on another wall…not great for communication and just looks too predictable. So whenever I can, I try to avoid lining the furniture up along the walls. That may have been what I had in mind when I put the bed this way so many years ago. It feels like it interjects a lot of life into the room, which probably sounds crazy. lol

  5. Your new lamp looks lovely Susan and I love the pattern mix in this room. Thanks for the Monday fun~

  6. I love the new lamp! It is the perfect size for the room and the table. It really accentuates the pattern in the pillow shams (which I really had never noticed before) and makes the florals even richer and prettier. I actually like the tissue box with the pattern in the table skirt. Thanks for a great post and update.

    • Thanks so much, Gail! Hard to see in the picture since the ottoman is blocking it, but the bedskirt is also in that same fabric as the shams.

  7. Love your new lamp, Susan. It coordinates with the patterns perfectly. Have a great week!

  8. I love the lamp Susan and love how it looks in your guest room! It is indeed big and beautiful, it doesn’t disappear like your other lamp did. Instead it takes front center stage and looks amazingly beautiful. Goes so well in this room for sure. I love your bed in the corner, but I also know that it takes up more of the room space doing a bed this way. I hope you find a spot that you will love and will give you more room. Hugs, Brenda

    • That’s so true, Brenda–the other one really did disappear. Thanks! Amazingly, it really doesn’t take up that much more room and sorta frees up space in other areas of the room. I may move it just to see how I like it against the wall. Good thing is, if I don’t like it, I can always move it back. Easier said than done, though. lol

  9. You could not find a better complement to your room than the new lamp that you shared with us ! It was made to be in this room !

  10. Deborah D says

    That lamp is absolutely beautiful. Definitely a keeper.

    • Thanks so much, Deborah! It’s so hard to find pretty lamps these days, I’m always so excited when I find a nicely made one!

  11. My suggestions: Move the bed, and put the platter over it along with 2 smaller blue and white plates on either side. Make the room totally blue and white by removing the other print. The swag valance really dates the room. My bedroom is totally blue/white with transferware all over, and I love it! Hope you don’t mind my ideas. Love your blog!

    • Thanks for those suggestions, Sheila–always appreciate those!
      That’s not a platter, it’s a HUGE, Gigantic bowl. It was a gift and I think it may have originally been part of a wash basin set with a huge pitcher, but not sure.
      I still love the balloon valances I had custom-made from the Sanderson fabric so many years ago. To me, they are a classic look. I saw an article last year saying they were still very much in style, especially nice ones that are designed with a lot of pretty volume. You can see some beautiful ones if you Google “Decorating with Custom Balloon Valances.” Also, check out these: https://prioritywindowvalances.com/balloon-valances-shades-tips/

  12. Have you read feng shui bedroom, interesting

  13. Love the blue and white but personally I’d change the pillows am
    Nd curtains they fight each other then things will come together maybe navy and white stripe would do well or a small blue white print in that theme
    Just a thought

  14. Looks great, and I love the lamp. When you posted all the lamps, of course I went browsing. This morning I had an email prompt from Amazon for this one. Lol. I’ve started adding just a few decor items in blue & white chinoiserie, but I don’t think I’m quite ready to spring for the lamp. But I do love it.

  15. Your room is beautiful. The fabric you chose is timeless. If you decide to leave the bed where it is, the lamp balances the blue around the room. But I really think moving the bed might be a great idea. The trunk might be hidden by the bed, but the dollhouse would really stand out! I love your vanity and your secretary. Your room has lots of personality, which the “grey” trend in decorating certainly lacks. Whatever you decide to do will be beautiful.

  16. I Love the blue and white checkered chair and footstool! I would love to find a couch like that with chair! Love the lamp, too!

  17. I love the lamp. It is perfect in your room.

  18. This room is so lovely Susan, and your lamp fits perfectly! Your table fabric is beautiful! I’ve never actually used large prints like that, but you’re inspiring me – this one is gorgeous! Happy Monday and as always, thanks so much for hosting!

  19. Kathleen says

    I love your new lamp! It is beautiful. I think, though, I’m in the minority when I say it competes with the floral. In the closeup shot the sham and the lamp look like friends, but the floral pillow looks to be hanging back. lol But, then when you do your overall shot of the room all is well. Also, I have a smaller version of the smaller lamp (Home Depot for $19 a long, long time ago) and I love it in my very very small parlor. Cats have knocked it off several times until I used one of your ideas with those plastic buffers for doors and glass! I also had my bed angled; took awhile to adjust to sleeping that way (lol). I made holes in the wall to accommodate hanging lamps (again very small room). It did make the room appear larger, but now back to standard under the window with end tables on either side and a patch job on the wall!

  20. The lamp is beautiful. I think blue and white is one of those design elements that will never go out of style. It’s timeless.

  21. Susan, you choose the one I would have chosen. I have a blue and white bedroom, and love it. The lamp is beautiful!

    • Thanks so much, Jacqueline! I’m still shocked how great the price was. I want to buy more lamps from them in the future. I hope all their lamps are th same quality because the pricing is pretty awesome!
      XXX

  22. Absolutely beautiful, warm and welcoming. I love the new lamp.

  23. Oh, it does look beautiful. Gorgeous lamp, too. Like it was waiting for that spot. I was the naysayer that said you needed a solid lamp. This one is just perfect.

  24. Cyndi Raines says

    Good choice Susan, looks so nice on the table with the decanter. I like a bed on an angle, my guest bedroom is that way and surprisingly it seems to have more room then with the headboard against a wall. As one reader mentioned you may have to put the dollhouse in the “one day library” if things start to get too tight. However, I am sure you will work it out and we will all love it. I am binge reading on your blog trying to get caught up as I was on vacation last week!

    • I just can’t make myself placing against the wall. It finally hit me this past week that one reason I like it in the corner is I like how it looks silhouetted against the window and the shutters. That’s just prettier to me than if it were against the wall. That’s true…I think I do need to move the trunk out of the room.
      I hope you had an amazing vacation and lots of fun catching up with your friend! ♥

      • Cyndi Raines says

        Thank you Susan we really did. We took a tour of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it did not disappoint. Saw beautiful waterfalls, lighthouses, the pretty Lake of the Clouds and the awesome Great Lake Superior. Also wanted you to know, I love my beautiful kleenex box cover. Thank you for telling us about it.

  25. Michele M. says

    That lamp is perfect, Susan. I was worried when you were putting yet another printed something in place of the crystal one – but you hit it spot-on. It looks great.

    My bedroom is similarly shaped and I have had the bed in so many ways – including the angle as you have now. I have found my room looks so much larger when not on an angle. So don’t keep it like that anymore. I think you will love it once it is moved. Though – yes- the move is a pain for sure.

    Well done on the lamp purchase. I am so happy it is a good quality for you.

  26. Sandra Baron says

    Susan, the lamp is fine, glad it’s such a high quality for such a good price. I love the bed in the corner with the secretary doing double duty. Perhaps if you moved the footstool over to the chair on the wall and (don’t hate me) replace the side table with a white top the same size but a much leaner base. The fabric skirt is just too much with the bed and the swags. I agree that the dollhouse will never hide the trunk. Yep, that’s my two cents 😉

  27. Leah H Rucker says

    Susan, I love the lamp and also the great touch of having ice and water in the carafe for your photos. You can just imagine sitting down on the bed and having a cool drink. The TJ Maxx stores in my area (NC) often have Ralph Lauren blue and white lamps, but they’re usually smaller than yours. Your new shade is perfect; it’s great to see a lamp that does not have a drum shade!

    Some other commenters mentioned they prefer beds not on an angle, but I think the angle sometimes really works. And…it gives you great storage behind it which can’t be seen unless you peep over the headboard. For years that’s where I kept my Barbie airplane and boxed wedding gown. 🙂 I agree with you that seeing the sides of beds is not the best – although it’s what I have in my guest room now!

    Have a great week.

  28. Love the lamp you chose, it’s perfect for this space! Thanks so much for hosting each week and letting us be a part of your design process. I always learn a lot. Hugs, CoCo

  29. Susan – another late comment, but is there a “story” connected with your beautiful iron bed?? How did you find it – a family heirloom, antique shopping, luck? Also, did you have to renovate it at all? It is definitely the centerpiece of the room and looks as if it is in perfect condition!

    • Thanks, Liz! No, no real story…wish it did have some amazing story. 🙂 When my son went off to undergraduate college at the University of Georgia, I let him take the guest bedroom furniture which was a lovely, full-size wooden bed that had belonged to a great, great uncle. At that point, I had an empty guest bedroom so went on the hunt for a new bed. I found one while antiquing one day in Woodstock, Georgia…at least I think that’s where I was. This was around 19-20 years ago so hard to remember now. It is in amazing condition, especially for it age. There are a few scratches here and there on the white finish, but overall, it looks really good.

  30. Susan, the lamp is perfect and absolutely beautiful! And I love your guest room, it’s so warm and inviting. You always put things together in such a lovely way.
    P.S. The diamond wreath earrings are so pretty and a must have — for some reason I couldn’t post a comment there. But thanks for those. They would be pretty in pearls, too, or emerald and rubies for Christmas! (might have to do those in CZ’s, though!)

  31. About two nights ago, I wrote a long comment “redecorating” your guest room! I don’t see it here. I hope I didn’t upset you!

    Love your new lamps!

  32. Cyndi Raines says

    Thank you Susan we really did. We took a tour of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it did not disappoint. Saw beautiful waterfalls, lighthouses, the pretty Lake of the Clouds and the awesome Great Lake Superior. Also wanted you to know, I love my beautiful kleenex box cover. Thank you for telling us about it. ♥️

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