Wall Lamps Make Light of Home Decor

Who hasn't checked into a hotel recently and made note of the wall lamps over the beds.  I know I have and every time I think of good reasons to use them in my home.  I still do not have them yet, but here are a few reasons I come up with to give them a serious look.
I am not trying to say that the quality of the wall lamps in hotels is the best, so one should not judge the utility of them by the quality you may find in some cheaper hotel chains.

1. They are so functional. Usually there are two on a swivel.  One for each bed, if we get a 2 bed room.  This gives us both a chance to use the light the way we want to.  For me, I like to pull the lamp toward me and I need all the light I can get to read. I can then adjust how close it is and that controls how much light falls on my book.  My wife, on the other hand, is not thrilled by having too much light because she will likely watch some TV.  She may still turn the lamp on for a brief period to get settled. This is what I mean by functional.

2. Wall lamps make maximum use of the space. By being mounted to a wall, the wires are all hidden and it makes a clean appearance.  Many times when you have a floor lamp, a wall lamp would be better.  Floor lamps, while movable, take up lots of floor space and are tough to vacuum around.

3. Lamps mounted on the wall shine light upwards. This is a subtle thing, but really adds to the room appearance. Light shining up the wall and bouncing off the ceiling creates a much softer environment than most other types of light you find in the home.

When looking at getting a wall lamp, you will find many different types.  Some will mount flush to the wall.  Others come with arms that allow you to move the lamp around some.  Still others have swing arms that bend in two areas, giving even more versatility.  At some lighting supply places you will find the wall lamps nested as a subset of wall sconces.  I don't know why that is, because I see them as two very distinct types of lamps.

As far as brands go, there are many brands that are quality made.  One such brand is the Quoizel.  This company just makes quality lamps that look good and last a long time. Known for their Quoizel Chandeliers, the company actually makes many different types of lamps.  You could not go wrong with a wall lamp made by Quoizel.

Wall lamps have many great uses and should be considered if you are renovating a room or just want to change things up a little in your house.  You can experiment with different lamp shades ( or light shades as some people call them) and that will give you even more styles to work with.

June 22, 2010 | admin | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »

It is Easy to Clean a Swag Lamp

Swag lamps are very attractive fixtures to own, alone an effective article of lighting capable of sprucing up just about any environment in which they are set.  Many people may have difficulty cleaning their lamps, usually as a result of their unfamiliarity with the lamp’s material. Fortunately, very little is needed to clean the lamp, and with a few simple items and the dedication to maintain its future cleanliness, cleaning can be an easy and relatively quick thing to do.
To begin, you will need the following.

  • an ordinary duster,
  • a bucket,
  • some water,
  • a vacuum,
  • a cheese cloth,
  • some mild detergent,
  • a rubber band,
  • and some clean cloth to dry the fabric off with.A swag lamp would look good here

Begin by using the duster to gently brush off any visible dust or dirt that may be clumped over the material. For particularly large or thickly accumulated clumps of dirt, it is advised to wrap your cheesecloth over the vacuum’s attachment and secure it with a rubber band, and use that to clean the dirt off of the lamp. After using suction to remove the visible dirt, the stains can be easily removed with a cleaning solution. Fill the bucket with water and add a small amount of detergent, making sure to mix the solution well. Wet your cloth in the solution and rinse it out until it is just slightly damp, and very gently apply the cloth to the stained parts of your lamp.

When you are done with the entire cleaning process, you can either let it dry by air or use a dry cloth to gently pat it down.

It is important to not immerse the fixture itself in the water, as it can damage the fabric used. By following these few simple steps, you can clean your lamp without having to worry about damaging its overall structure.

June 20, 2010 | admin | Tags: , , | No Comments »

Making a String Lampshade – A Fun Way to Decorate

If you have a need for a swag lamp and want to be a little creative, you can easily make a string lampshade swag lamp very easily.

First you need some thick string. Not as thick as yarn, but thicker than kite string. Make sense? Actually any thickness will do, but you will like the outcome better if your string is about in between yarn and kite string. Some people have said that crochet thread is just about right for this.

You also need some fabric stiffener. You can pick this up at a local craft store. Mix up a solution in an old jar or other usable container. This is very important as this is the stuff that keeps your shade together.

Next, blow up a party balloon the size of the lamp you want. This can vary as much as you like. This will determine how big your shade is.
After you have blown up the balloon , tie it off and wrap the thread around the balloon. A trick is to soak the thread in the fabric stiffener first. Just be sure that the entire string is coated as you wrap around the balloon.

Now hang the balloon to dry. It may take overnight to dry good, but make certain it is dry before you pop the balloon. When you are sure, pop the balloon and cut a hole at the top , just big enough to get a light bulb through.
Once you pull the balloon pieces out, you just need a bulb kit from the local hardware store. The electric cord should have a on/off switch built in. Put the bulb end inside your new swag lamp and affix it to the shade with a small wire.

Caution: Depending on the wattage of the bulb this could be a fire hazard, so either use low wattage bulbs or maybe a CFL bulb that does not get hot.

June 6, 2010 | admin | Tags: , , , | No Comments »