Lux Lampshades {giveaway}

Today our giveaway is from Lux Lampshades one of our newest sponsors!  Lux offers a variety of styles and sizes of shades as well as customization.  They are a wonderful resource for designers and the public.  My favorite shade has always been the Barrel shade!!

By simply replacing a lampshade, a room's personality can be dramatically altered. We offer a large selection of stock shades and our custom shade program allows you to create your own designs using our selection of fabrics.

Lux is nice enough to offer you my lovely readers a chance to win a $200.00 gift certificate to spend as you please on their site.

For a chance to win please visit Lux Lampshades and leave a comment below, for an additional chances to win you can tweet (easy to tweet just hit retweet at the bottom of the post), follow us here on the blog or on twitter or blog about our giveaway.  The winner will be chosen at random on November 17th .  

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

  **Don't forget I have to be able to contact you...  Please leave your name and some type of contact information if you are not able to be contacted with your profile** 

images via lux lampshades

the art of layering

 

Layering in design is a true art form. It is mastered by a great stylist but in reality can we really live that way?  Is there a spot for my water glass or my collection of work papers?  

How about you have you mastered the art of layering?  Does your home look like a shop?

On good days parts of mine do, but let's face it I live here and life is very busy!

image via

The best cheat sheet for buying lamps.

Source

Here in the elbow of the world, otherwise known as Nashville, Tennessee, lamp stores are hard to come by. We have some great stores like Graham's lighting, and Lumen Lamps, but our lamp stores are few and far between. That is one of the reasons I go to Market so many times a year, to see trends, and  FIND resources.

Everything I purchase, whether for me or a client, I always approach with my first motto, GO BIG OR GO HOME. Now I am sure my inbox will be chalked full of discontent, but I don't subscribe to short squatty lamps. (Not. Gonna. Do. It.) Isn't the whole point of a lamp to SEE things? I would rather SEE the cocktail table before it bites me and leaves me with a big red toe; BEFORE I walk into it. But hey, who am I to say that short squatty lamps are pointless....Gaaa! ok I am going to say it, "Short squatty lamps are pointless!"

Stray Dog

If you missed my post on how to select the right lamp, I would highly recommend you read it. This post is an excellent guideline to follow when searching for a lamp, and how to shop effectively to get the results you want, and the light you need. Also, many consumers like to have options and as a result many manufacturers sell lamp bases and shades separately to give you choices. As good as options and choices are, the manufacturer suddenly turned purchasing a lamp into rocket science. If you would like to skip the aero physics degree I would recommend you read How to select the right lamp shade to help you get through the mud of buying a lamp and shade separately.

Robert Abbey

In my opinion lamps are like cars,.... f-a-n-c-y cars! And I have a theory on purchasing a fancy, expensive car. If you are going to be extravagant and throw a ridiculous amount of money at a car, 

GO BIG OR GO HOME! For example, I have a client that waited six months for a special Mercedes that came from over seas. He went on and on, AND on about how fabulous this thing was and all the features. He almost had me convinced that I needed to rob a bank, and sell my right kidney to get one. Finally, the day came and it arrived, and I ran out side to see a big white car that looked like my assistants KIA. In fact, I mistakenly walked to her car! YIKES!! 

Really, I thought? You spent the equivalent of my lifes income on one vehicle and you got WHITE. I'm sorry, but if you are going to buy a big fancy car, buy a big fancy car with the paint job to show it off. If that wasn't your point in the first place (to show it off) you would not have purchased it in the first place. (and waited six months for it!) A nice white KIA would do. The same goes for lamps. I believe that lamps are like jewelry and they should be shown off. Keep them big, and find lamps that are unique, exotic or have fancy paint jobs. Make them as unique and special as possible! Vroom, Vroom.

Arteriors

Lamps are special accessories. Not only can they provide light so you can SEE, ( so you don't end up with a red toe) but they are jewelry to your home. Make it count. A special lamp gives you wow factor, and helps you achieve a well appointed home. Always keep your lamps tall, and buy quality. Ever wonder the difference between one lamp and another? Ever wonder why a lamp at Target costs $100, and a boutique lamp costs $500? There are many factors, and just like linens buy the BEST you can afford. Factors that can affect price can vary a lot, but typically it is the way they have been wired, how they were made, and the material that is used. 

So now that you know what to look for, and how to buy, where can you find the best lamps? I have listed a few of my favorites above with attached links, and here are a few more of AB HOME's trusted list of lamps that we would rob a bank and sell our right kidney for:

Zia Priven

Jamie Young

Four Hands

Shine Everyday 

Keep a binder or notepad with you at all times that is small but easy to find. Keep dimensions, and lamp needs handy so you know what you are looking for. Keep in mind the scale of the room, and furniture the lamp will be used on. Try to have a lamp in mind that you are looking for, but don't set your sights so high that you spend a year looking for something that doesn't exist. And don't overlook other great styles that could work even better. GO BIG OR GO HOME should be at the front of your mind. Look for unique styles, fancy paint jobs, and if you would rob a bank and sell your right kidney for it, I'd say it is the perfect lamp!!

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Need design help from an experienced design professional with over 12 years experience? Want to work with someone who listens to your needs and sticks to your budget? Call our office for a design consultation that will change the way you live and think about your home. Contact us @ info@abhomeinteriors.com or call us @ 

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Nashville Interior Designer~ How to select the right lamp

 Have you ever been out shopping for a lamp only to get underwhelmed? These days it has become increasingly hard to find a good looking lamp that does everything our high multi tasking lifestyle demands. One of THE most important factors in choosing a lamp for a room is selecting one with proper scale. If you are unclear about scale make sure you read this post about Scale and Proportion. As I perused the internet I was amazed to find so many photos with the wrong scale of lamp.

DIY

This is a beautiful room, however the lamp is getting lost next to the large sofa. In fact the lamp shade is really the only thing that the eye sees.

                                         

The lennox

Once again, this lamp is too small. It is too close to the adjacent wall color and the size does not work for the large items next to it.

                                     

Ivaro

This little floor lamp should go back to her super model days, she is just too skinny and wimpy in this room of high ceilings and large furniture.

When choosing a lamp always remember our motto, "GO BIG or GO HOME". A home doesn't need a lot of accessories. But lamps are a necessity. Choose lamps that are tall, 30" or higher. And pay attention to the wall color that the lamp will be up against. Ask yourself these questions when choosing a lamp.Will there be a contrast? What color is the shade? How large is the shade? Will the type of shade provide the right amount of light for my room? Does the shade work with the wall color, and the furniture next to it? Does the lamp have the right scale in proportion to the other pieces in the room? Here are some examples that will leave you with a bright idea on selecting your next lamp!

                                               

DIY

Here is a beautiful example of the perfect lamp for this room. It has a wonderful proportion, beautiful contrast with wall color and the shade also has contrast. It applies to our "GBGH" (GO BIG or GO HOME) motto and the shade is the perfect size to diffuse light onto the sofa for an afternoon of guilty pleasures with Nora Ephron.

                                         

DIY

Perfect symmetry to balance a well decorated room. Black shades are the perfect choice against the handsome burlap colored silk draperies, adding depth and texture. The height is ideal for reading and the lamps will create a bewitching glow and shadowing, in the evening as the light dances in and out of the drapery folds.

Selecting lamps 101

1) Make sure the scale and proportion works for the room you are decorating. ( review the photos above. It is easy to see that the lamps are not "right".

2) Choose a shade and lamp that has contrast with the adjacent surroundings. Contrast can come from direct color variation or simple texture differences.

3) Select a lamp shade that works with the function of the room. Round shades ( also known as drum shades) put out a lot of light in all directions. Ribbed shades that are rectangular, or bell shaped will generally push light down and constrict the light to a focused area.

4) GO BIG or GO HOME. We don't need a lot of accessories. Choose a great sized lamp with a beautiful shade and you don't need any other accessories on the table. Remember 30" or higher is always a good rule of thumb. 

Need to know where to shop? Here are a few of my favorites:

Fire Farm lighting

Lamps plus

Shades of light

Barbara Cosgrove

AB Home

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Nashville Interior design on Barbara Cosgrove lamps

The classics:

(I would say one of their most popular lamps)

(In the line since the beginning)

We here at AB HOME are so pleased with the new direction of the company. We feel grounded, and very assured that the economical debacle is behind us, and we can FINALLY focus on fun, pretty THINGS that make us HAPPY!! Ok so maybe it is a bit fantastical to live in candy land, but 2009 is in our rearview mirror and CANDY is SO much better to focus on. Remember students it has SUGAR in it! The greatest and most significant of the food groups. That could be why we are so bloated...I mean grounded....

Our trip to Market unearthed many new finds, and brought us back to some of our tried and true basics from years past. One of my most favorite discoveries, Barbara Cosgrove Lamps. My first encounter with this beautiful line was 7 years ago when I lived in Las Vegas. Her original catalogs were leather bound with beautiful black ribbon ties. Obviously a true creative, Barbara left no stone unturned. Everything from packaging, presentation all the way down to the actual product was certainly thought out. My first purchase was on looks alone. Yes a vain designer choice, but show me something SHINY, colorful, and FANCY and I turn into a giddy screeching three year old!

I had not forgotten about my beloved lamp line, but merely set it aside in my nest of thoughts. They are rather expensive but very unique. I felt that it just wasn't time to introduce them. So I waited, and waited and you guessed it; I waited. At this past Market I made my way to their showroom and purchased some very cherished and NEEDED candy! Alas, my lamps arrived and we are very excited! Have a looksy, give us your thoughts. We hope you likey.