A New Lamp for the Porch

I love lamp lighting.  Actually, I’m pretty obsessed over lighting in general.    I never use overhead lighting, unless I’m just turning it on for a few seconds to find something I’ve dropped.  One exception is a chandelier on a dimmer switch…those can really create a nice mood in a room.

Pretty early on in the process of decorating/furnishing the rooms in my home,  I discovered how lamp lighting “makes” a room.  You can have the most beautifully furnished room ever, but if you flip on an overhead light, it breaks the spell.  The magic goes away and everything becomes ordinary.  Lamp lighting softens; it entices and lures you into a space.  Lamp lighting even forgives those little wrinkles and imperfections we earn from a life well lived.  Gotta love that!

At the start of this summer I noticed the little lamp that lives on the oval table near the windows of the porch was starting to show some wear.  I didn’t mind it so much because this is a screened-in porch and a little shabbiness is totally fine, almost expected.

I had only paid $18 for the lamp…finding it in a local antique shop.  When I bought it I noticed the paint job was a bit crude.  Whoever painted it didn’t tape anything off so things you normally wouldn’t paint had been painted, too.

You can see the paint has begun to flake off after four years here on the porch.  It has actually held up really well considering it’s exposed to the elements every day.  I thought I’d give it a good “freshening up” with some white paint sometime soon but those plans changed recently.

I stopped by Tuesday Morning, just to window shop.  Yeah, right…you know how that plan always goes. 😉  While “window shopping” a lamp tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear.

It said, “I’m perfect for your screened-in porch…check out my sassy criss-cross design.  I’ll look great with your wicker furniture.”

Well, who can resist a talking lamp.  Plus, it did have a good point about the wicker furniture.

Its curvy, unique-shaped shade sealed the deal.  The price tag was pretty nice, too.  The tag said J. Hunt Home and it was marked $150, reduced to $104.99 and reduced again to $49.99.  That’s not too terrible a price for a large lamp with an all fabric shade.

You know how an item can transport you back to another place and time.  This lamp does that for me.  I can suddenly envision a trip we took over twenty years ago for a conference my husband was attending in the Palm Beach, Florida area.  We stayed in a wonderful place called The Brazilian Court Hotel & Beach Club.  I was ready to just move in.  It was the most “un-hotelish” room I’ve ever stayed in while traveling.

It was furnished like the summer home of the Rockefellars.  Okay, I’ve never been to the summer home of the Rockefellars but The Brazilian Inn, back in the day, felt very much like a summer resort.   There was lots of white furniture, big, happy floral prints and white cane chairs.  The rooms were HUGE and it was really pretty!  That was the trip where we found the Grandfather clock we bought for the entry of our home seen here:  Entry with a Glow.

Pssst:  I just Googled “The Brazilian Court” and it does still exist.  But the rooms look very different now…lots of dark wood.   Still pretty but I do wish  things wouldn’t change sometimes.  Ya know.  Wish I had taken pics of it back then.

Anyway, this lamp would have fit right in.  It feels very Palm Beach Resort-ish to me.  I never thought of my other lamp as being too small, but the scale of the new lamp is better for the size of the table and the size of the room.  It works well with the other items I like to display here.  Since it has a fabric shade, it puts out a lot more light in the evening than the wicker lamp did.

It’s already been initiated in its new home on the porch.  The day I placed it on the table, monsoons descended on our area and it got a good soaking.  It took it well and looked good as new afterwards.   The table always weathers the rain well since it has several coats of polyurethane on it.

Has anything tapped on your shoulder and whispered in your ear insisting you take it home lately?

Wicker Design Lamp for the Porch

What will you be working on this weekend around your home?  I’m going to try and finish up the shell chargers that were put to the side during the wedding/blog move.  I’m eager to use them in a table setting sometime soon.

Happy Weekend dear friends!

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Comments

  1. Michele from Finch Rest says

    I just got tapped on and whispered at. It said “You need Susan’s porch!”

    Ahem.

    NOW what do we do, friend?

    Love the lamp. Did you use your cute wicker one elsewhere in the porch? Maybe on the hutch????

    • lol You need to add one on Michele! Go for it! I’m not sure yet what I’ll do with the wicker one. I may paint it a different color and us it on the hutch. I’ve never liked the lamp that’s on the hutch…doesn’t go with the hutch or the porch. But I haven’t found one I like to replace it, yet.

      • Michele from Finch Rest says

        I think we’ve decided to go the covered patio route……kinda like what we have now only a major upgrade in construction. As you are well aware I have been sitting on this over and over in my head…..and I think it’s more in line with where it will be located and how it will be used.
        At least that’s my mind today – could change again, and until it is a firm resolve, well, I come over between my own naps to take naps virtually on YOUR awesome porch!! ♥

    • Funny I was thinking the same thing and wishing your contractor lived in the Pacific Northwest ;0) I love, love that porch and many days find myself “there” with a glass of sweet tea…maybe someday I can have a wonderful screened in porch but alas, I must finish the kitchen 1st…oh and convince the hubs we “need” a porch:0)
      Love the new lamp (and despise overhead lighting!) I think the size is great and the pattern is perfect for the scale of the room!

  2. I totally agree with you on lamp light! I hate (such a strong word, but absolutely true in this case) overhead lighting. Lamplight is soft and magical. Love your new lamp!

  3. Chris…I so agree! That’s all I grew up with was overhead lighting and never realized how awful it made rooms look until I was decorating my own home.

  4. I also love lamplight, but I despise those new lightbulbs we are being forced to use! I work in a senior community and our maintenance team recently went around and replaced all the bulbs in the apartments with the new bulbs. (A few of the brave residents stood their ground! LOL) They were going to throw all the incandescents away until I told them I was going to start hoarding them – they gave me about a hundred of them! LOL I do love your new lamp – the only thing that has tapped me on the shoulder recently is more dishes… they keep launching eBay on my computer and forcing me to look at them with their come-hither stares!! 😀

    • I don’t like the new bulbs either! It’s a totally different look. Makes me want to buy a few gazillion to hoard away. Funny! 🙂 You can find some great dishes on ebay! I keep trying to find the “clock” plates but when I see them on there, they always go beyond my budget.

    • Laurie Carlton says

      Hi… would love to chime in about the new bulbs. I just became a new convert to them in the last few months and now love them! Also, they are making some that are shorter/smaller, so they are not as obtrusive. And, they also have the “instant on” feature…which is great! I hated them when they first came out because I was too impatient to wait for the brightness level to increase. Plus, they were ugly!…lol. But now, I’m 100& all about keeping my electric bill down as much as possible and so I converted. Main thing that converted me was that I have lots of lamps and also ceiling fixtures etc that have a “Maximum” level of a 60 watt bulb. I like LOTS of light, and so prefer 75 and 100 watt bulbs most of the time. Now – I can have brighter light because of the wattage differences! That sold me. Then – there is the heat matter. The old bulbs put off so much heat…especially at 75 or 100 watts. (my now-deceased cat used to love ‘sunning’ under the warmth of the desk lamp I had by my computer ) Now I can have really bright sun-like daytime light – without the heatwave, and I do not have to worry about my electric useage either. (the bulb itself of course gets as hot, it just does not emit heat into the room, which is so wonderful)

      I need to buy a few more…. can’t wait to put one in the vent-a-hood over my stove – and be free to leave it on all the time if I want to and not be afraid of my electric bill. I learned the hard way though to always get the “daylight” bulbs… the ‘regular’ of soft-light type of light puts off a yellow glow… and I do not like that. Yes, they are expensive, however, for me now, the benefits far outweigh the cost. They keep making improvements and providing more choices. Now just have to wait for the prices to go down, like it does with every new thing. Hugs to all.

  5. Merle Turner says

    Sure things tap me on the shoulder all the time sometimes I look at the price tag and the tapping goes away often not, but I have a rule I go and get coffee then go back if I still want it. I do love your lamp good choice.
    Merle.

  6. I love the new lamp. I love the old lamp. I love that the lamp whispered to you. What I love most is your ceiling fans! I need them!

  7. The latest thing that tapped me on the shoulder were the palm tree dishes at Walgreens. Luckily they ended up on sale for only $1.34 each. I love your new lamp, it balanced that side of the porch nicely.

  8. I’m the same way about light. No overhead lights, please! Especially can lighting! Lamps just give off such a wonderful ambience. Your new one is perfect! They both are actually, but I really like the one from Tuesday Morning. It compliments your white wicker nicely.

  9. Oh, Susan!
    I love your new lamp and I get what you’re saying, my friend!
    A month ago a glass display cabinet with lighting and 6 rotary shelves tapped me on the shoulder and whispered:
    “Cecilia, you know I would be perfect for displaying some of your wonderful cherubs, don’t you? I know you love me! And I’d love to be in your living room! So, what will you do?”
    Susan, you must know I believe in angels and I love and am collecting cherubs for years, spreading them all over the house! I’m not sure but I think I’ve about 150 of them.
    I couldn’t sleep for days because of that cabinet! But I have been lucky because since the store was going out of business and the owners sold their furniture too, I got my beloved cabinet for 60 euros only! (About 73 US dollar.) At first they wanted 150 euros! Now I have an excuse to buy more more more cherubs! lol
    (Fortunately, I always find room for my beloved chubby cherubs!)
    Hugs to you!
    Cecilia

  10. I love the new lamp and it really belongs in that setting.

    I will be glad to see the shell chargers finished. I have questions about them, and you seem like a likely source to get answers. I think they are lovely, but I don’t really understand them; their use or purpose. I surely can’t be the only one wondering about this. Maybe when you write your article you will elaborate. I am still thinking about the blue ones you just wrote about and the nice lady that sent the 2 needed to complete your set.

    • Hi Madonna, They mainly just add a decorative touch. They are good for catching spills under a soup bowl, but mainly they are just to make the table prettier and add another layer.

  11. Gee Singh Newbanks says

    Still stifling a giggle at the ‘talking lamp’ 😀 We too were planning to ‘window shop’ at Tuesday Morning today. But we spent too long in Hobby Lobby and it was closed when we drove by 🙁

    Beautiful lamp. Does go well with the wicker furniture. Took some pictures of my room a few days ago. Will be posting in a few days. As always I luv, luv your screened porch!!!

  12. Oh, I love the new lamp! Now seeing the before/after pics, the new lamp is much better. I, too, love lamp lighting. I have them all over my house. My kids tried to talk me into having canned lights installed when we built our house, but I stood firm. I love the soft light that lamps give. I plan on going shopping for an antique style bookshelf soon and am hoping that one taps me on the shoulder. Sure will make my shopping easier if that happens 😉

  13. I love lamp light, too and turn them on all over the first floor as the sun starts to set. That lamp is perfect in there. Things tap me on the shoulder all the time.

  14. Hi Susan! Oh, what a beautiful lamp and it does look perfect on your porch! It breaks my heart that rain comes in on your lovely porch! Well, you’re not alone about things calling your name…happens to me all the time! 🙂
    Have a great weekend and be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉

  15. Susan, this is so pretty! I love your porch! It’s gorgeous! I would never leave! The lamp is just perfect!

  16. Good thing you listened to that lamp. It’s perfect on “The Porch”.
    Have a great weekend. Quiet one here……….Sarah

  17. Just a great room too! Love the windows! Great lamp!

  18. Susan, your new lamp is just perfect for your porch. I’ve been having to slap that person that taps me on the shoulder since I’ve been living on a budget the past few years!

  19. I love the new lamp. I know what you mean about lamps. I bought two new lamps for our livingroom and loved them, but they were alittle too small. I bought two more that was perfect. I needed lamps in other rooms and the ones I bought first was perfect in them. Great deal on the lamp too.

  20. Love, love, love your porch! Quite frankly either one of the lamps looks good but the new one being a little larger made more of a statement. Love the adorable birdcage. BTW, FYI couldn’t mouse over in the email, could mouse over tho on the blog, that is so neat.

    • Terri, thanks for letting me know. I need to remember to put that info in the post so when the email goes out, folks will know to visit the site to view the mouse over. I love mouse-overs now…so easy to see the change than scrolling up and down between 2 pics.

  21. I noticed a bottle tree outside your porch window. I recently made one from an old pine tree stump covered with ivy. I posted it on our craft guild website: bethanycraftguild.com

    Also I am looking for websites that have crafting ideas for making for bazaars. Any help out there???

    • Dee, that’s awesome! I love seeing them made from tree stumps! Umm, not sure. The only thing I could think to do would be to Google for that. Or check out Etsy for lots of inspiration.

  22. Hi, Susan. I LOVE the new lamp! It’s such a great addition! Funny how we’re satisfied with something/don’t know to not be satisfied with it until we see an alternative. When I tell my husband we need to change something he tells me he thought it was fine until I mentioned it! LOL Great addition! ~Zuni

  23. Susan,
    Love, love, love your new lamp…it is an elegant piece and looks “right at home” on your porch!!! The “price was right”, too! “Mr. Ed’s” been a ‘busy bee’ making wood boxes for On Crooked Creek, so now it’s up to me to complete the finishes!!!Have a great weekend, dear friend…perhaps things will slow down a bit and I’ll be able to join in a weekly meme soon!
    Fondly,
    Pat

  24. Susan, cute lamp! Would the little wicker lamp be cute on your hutch? I like the way it looks- all chippy and sweet.

    • Bettsi, I’m thinking about placing it there…don’t like the one that’s there now. The white looks a little stark against the green hutch though and the wicker just doesn’t put out much light. So not quite sure yet where it may end up. I kind of like the chippy part, too. 🙂

  25. Love the new lamp and I always like to see a little light on the porch.

  26. Several things have tapped me on the shoulder recently! I bought a new rattan wrapped vase at TJMaxx (and posted about it) and I also found 2 pillows that I have SEARCHED for, for MONTHS there! Last month I also bought 2 rattan base lamps for the new house. I am TRYING not to but things yet but you know how THAT goes;):) XO, Pinky

  27. Shirley Harvey says

    love your website, just beautiful

  28. So, your lamp whispered….I have a few, that jumped out at me (in the store) screaming, “take me home with you”…that’s truly how a gorgeous one affects me. We ladies can justify our lamps by this simple statement: Lamps don’t require anyone to climb a ladder to change out a bulb! Love your new lamp!

  29. Hi Susan, I had to read your post out loud to my husband…. it could have been written by me…. but what we call them at our house are S.L.L.’s… (Otherwise known as stupid little lights….) That’s only when he does not know which ones to turn off, and which ones are on timers, and which ones STAY ON! 🙂 As for ceiling lights – Almost all our ceiling lights are on dimmers, even in the new bathroom we just finished! As usual – I adored your post – and feel that if we lived next door to each other – we would be very good friends!

    • lol Too funny! I know how he feels. I forgot sometimes and turn off the lamps in the family room at the lamp instead of on the wall switch. Maggie, I bet we would! 🙂

  30. Laurie Carlton says

    Hi…. goodness, I had totally missed this blog. Came here after reading the new tablescape and saw the mention about the lamp. Love the new one…. I agree with you that the larger size is better. Lovely find and great blog – as usual! A fun read.

    Have not had anything whisper to me….. however, I live by the motto, “get while the gettin’s good”. Learned that lesson several years ago when I mentioned to my family (husband and 2 kids) that I really wanted a set of Campbells’s Soup Mugs that were being sold at Walmart in the Christmas gift section. And no one bought them for me. And when I went to get them for myself – they were gone. I’ve regretted that loss to this day – they were perfect for my decor style, and since then none of the sets have looked quite a nice. I don’t collect them…just wanted that particular set. I went to every Walmart in this area, an no one had any left. Since then, if I see something I like or love and can get it, I go ahead and buy it. If I change my mind later, I simply take it back. Tomorrow it might be gone forever. (I call myself the Queen of Returns… because I have no problem with it, much to the dismay of my children who were embarrassed that I did returns…gasp…lol). I’m going to start listening for whispers!

    • Laurie, I know how you feel…I’ve had that happen. Have you checked on eBay…wonder if you can find them there? I’m amazed at what all turns up on good ole eBay. About Queen of Returns, I don’t hesitate at all to return something if it’s not a good look/fit. I don’t like to buy from stores that won’t let you return at item because you often just don’t know how it’s going to work until you get it home.

  31. Meghan Grace says

    What a beautiful lamp you got at a fantastic price! I just love your beautiful porch and would just love to sit on the swing gazing at that lovelyness! You really have a special style, Susan! Hugs, Meghan

  32. Vicki Patton says

    Beautiful! And I live two minutes from the J Hunt Lamp Factory here in sometimes sunny Bono Arkansas. My friend, Joann Hunt’s late husband was one of the Hunt brothers. Small world.

  33. Do you happen to know where you got the bird house that sits beside the beautiful light? That is so pretty.

    • Thanks Patty. I bought it so long ago, it’s been about 5 years. I can’t remember now. I think it was just a regular store though…like a Tuesday Morning or something like that. If I remember, I’ll come back and leave another reply/comment. Now that I think about it, it may have been a birding store. Just can’t remember for sure. You may want to google “mosaic bird houses” and see if some similar ones pop up. I love the mosaic design/colors. Every so often I repaint the green wood part with left over hutch paint because it tends to fade in the sun every couple of years.

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