What a difference one red stripe makes! It is amazing how much impact one little change can have.
I had been looking for a new lamp for the night table. The old one was a bit too dark, too small, and didn't quite fit with the style. I wanted something not too big, modern, with a socket for E14 or E27 so that I could use a brighter bulb. I looked specifically for a modern lamp because this place is getting a bit stuffed with vintage pieces. No luck. So I looked at the auction houses too.
I had a style in mind that had a spheric base, not too tall, preferably white metal so it won't clash with all the chrome. Well, the lamp I ended up buying matches none of these requirements, and yet, it is perfect for the space. It is solid wood (and I mean solid, it's so heavy), early 20th century, rectangular base, and taller than I expected.
It has all the original wiring, a pull cord for the switch and an original ceramic plug. And most importantly, it works. Fortunately the pull cord is at the back, so Sona is not tempted to chew or play with it.
It came without a shade. I looked for a new one in a couple of places and found this one. It fits perfectly, is the correct size, white, and yet, not quite right. It's not covering the socket at the bottom, but I can't shorten the wires that hold the frame, and it's bland next to that carved base.
Enter simple red stripe in the guise of red fringe. Suddenly it's perfect size, style, and looks spectacular. The white shade now looks a little modern, but not clashing with the lamp. The fringe is red because I'd planned to cover this shade with a piece of red silk, but now I think that it would be too much red. That stripe alone is perfect.
During the night it gives enough light to read in bed with its 40W equivalent of a LED bulb. Switching it on before going to bed is a little awkward because you need to reach around to the back, but it works perfectly from the bed. It'll make my winter mornings so much more cheerful than the previous lamp could.
It's modern and not modern at the same time, it looks spiffy during the day, and works like I wanted during the night. It looks nothing like what I was looking for, but it's exactly what I needed. Previously the bedroom corner didn't have anything wood, and I thought that it was lacking warmth. If I'd bought another metal lamp, it wouldn't have been right. And bringing a little red from the hall colour scheme into the bedroom corner ties it together nicely. I am so very pleased with my new lamp with its little red stripe.