I Love Lamp.

Yes, I just wanted a reason to quote Anchorman. Also, I really do love vintage lamps. I've had some inquiries about a few of my pieces lately so I thought I'd take this opportunity to enlighten (ha)! I have three favourites. Two are genuinely vintage and one is a vintage design.

I got the vintage ones around the same time, December of last year (2013). It started by Ashlie posting a pic of this incredible globe lamp from our favourite Brydges Street Merchant Market. I loved it immediately, but with it being so close to christmas I didn't think I could afford it (or if it would even still be there). Clearly we had to investigate. Just as I was giving up hope, we round the last corner of the last room. Lo and behold, there it was in all it's splendour! It was even cooler in person and I just couldn't leave without it. A couple of fiercely fashionable gentlemen even tried to swindle it from my clutches, but I wouldn't budge! They were pretty fabulous and we kinda wanted to be their new best friends, but that lamp was mine. She's a beauty.

Around the same time Ashlie posted that one, I fell in love with another I saw on Kijiji and shared the link within that same post on Facebook. I inquired about it before we went to Brydges, but sadly it was already gone. This also aided in my determination not to pass the first one up!


Then Christmas day rolls around and to my surprise, what does Mr Geoff come out with? THE KIJIJI LAMP! I freaked out! I was SO happy and couldn't figure out why he wasn't excited, then I noticed the lamp was missing the globe shades. He sheepishly tells me that just one of the globes had shattered and that these particular ones were super rare and hard to find. I didn't care, I had THE lamp and that's all that mattered! We'd figure it out, they couldn't be that hard to find right? Wrong.  Not only were they a frosted matte finish, but they were also 'neck-less' and an oddly unique diameter. Triple-rare, ugh!

Whilst we searched, I used one the globes from the other lamp to cover up the sad little naked bulb. Which only created another naked bulb. So finally I just grabbed a cheap plastic globe shade with a neck from Home Depot until we could find a replacement. After months of searching, I finally found one that wasn't ridiculously expensive and was almost exactly right. Of course it wouldn't ship to Canada, clearly. So I have Ashlie order and send to a p.o. box in Port Huron that she just happened to be visiting within the next few weeks. Easy as that, pfew! I now have a beautifully intact tiered vintage globe lamp that I will cherish for eternity (and that Geoff refuses to touch, move or breath on for fear of a repeat tragedy).



Clearly your hoping this ridiculously long-winded story has a side-note, yes? Well you're in luck. About a week or two after I get the precious lamp, doesn't Ashlie just spot an almost identical version in an episode of Mad Men behind Roger's desk! I had missed it the first time around, so clearly I re-watched and paused the scene to take a photo, as you do.
Completely normal behaviour.




Last but never least is my 'vintage inspired' hanging pedant. My super-funky, long-awaited gorgeous Sputnik Chandelier. I searched and searched for an authentic one that I loved, but to no avail. Even when I found something close (new or vintage), the cost to ship it to Canada (if they even could) was ridiculously expensive and totally not worth it.

My realtor Scott is also a big fan of the MCM (Mid-Century Modern) items and had a couple of super cool pendants himself. He pointed me to Quantum on Richmond St and it all fell into place. I'm really glad I visited the website first as most of the items are not 'in-store' and have to be ordered. This way I was able to price out exactly what I wanted and what they had to choose from.

I recently moved and now have an appropriate place to hang a cool pendant. As luck would have it, I was also able to partially-parlay this purchase into a house warming gift (thanks Mom and Aunt Gloria)! I paid half-down and half upon pick up, so it worked out just lovely! I love it so much, it was so worth the wait!

So those are my adventures in lighting thus far. Have you discovered any funky-finds on your treasure hunts? Do tell!

Peaceandlove,Jdub