Birch Lamps Look Like Tree Trunks
Thursday, August 31st, 2006
Do you like a touch of nature in your furnishings? Fancy the idea of bringing the trees indoors? Well, these table lamps from Lekker are designed to look like cross-sections of birch trees. Don’t worry… they still light up. In addition to looking cool, these lamps are eco-friendly: no trees were harmed in the making. Imported from Amsterdam, the shades are made from silk that is imprinted with a birch wood pattern. The set of three lamps rise to different heights to offer the staggered feel of a “birch forest.” The price? $425. Hey, you didn’t expect cheap when your furnishings are imported from Amsterdam, did you?
If you’ve got a young one who’s scared of the dark (or maybe you get a little creeped out by what’s under the bed too), this turtle night lite could be a nice way to keep the boogie men away. Not only does it offer a warm glow, it creates a planetarium effect on the ceiling, so your children can look at the stars as they go to sleep. Apparently the constellations are actually accurate, too, so you can show your kids how to identify real ones in the night sky. The price for the turtle lamp is $33.95 from the Baby Bungalow.
Sometimes you want an Ikea lamp… sometimes you want something a little more interesting. I love the personality this hand-blown glass lamp portrays. It really looks like an original piece of artwork. And that’s exactly what it is. The work of Dan Bergsma, the lamp is one of several hand-blown glass pieces available from the Lakewood Art Gallery in Tacoma, WA. Mr. Bergsma has been working with glass for more than 20 years, and his work ranges from “richly colored natural flowing designs and classic shaped vessels with dichroic inclusions to sculptural pieces on which he has used sandcarving and electroforming techniques.” Sounds good to me. 
Have you got a fantasy lover on your Christmas list? Or maybe you’re one yourself. Quick check of your room to find out: Lord of the Rings DVDs? Check. Candles shaped like wizards? Check. Oddly sided Dungeons and Dragons gaming dice? Check check. Whether it’s you or someone else, this dragon lamp would be a cool gift. Made of hand-painted cold cast resin, it stands 14 inches high and weighs 13 pounds. The lamp is $134.95 from the Online Discount Mart. Go on… get yourself a dragon for the bedroom. 
I’m not sure anybody but a dentist could truly appreciate this lamp, but hey if you’re just an average Joe (or Jane) with a tooth fetish, maybe it’s for you. This jumbo tooth lamp looks like it’s designed for floor use, but I suppose you could put it on a sizable table, too, if you wanted to make a statement (though I’m not sure what that statement might be… I brushed today? My dentist loves me?). It’s available from World Wide Fred in the Propaganda section (I think that’s the name of the company that makes the lamp, not any indicator of incendiary political activities).
I’ve always liked fire. Maybe that’s not something I should admit to, but it’s true anyway. In the world of lighting, that means I’m drawn to oil lamps. This “tabletop fireplace” is something new and kind of cool. The contemporary look of the stainless steel “logs” makes it a little more interesting than your standard oil-filled prism with a wick. I’d love to have one of these lamps for a table or a shelf in my living area. Alas, at $340, it’s a little more than I can dig out of the couch cushions right now (I need to start having more affluent people over to leak change into the creases of my furniture.)
So, you found a few extra grand in the couch cushions, and now you’re looking to buy some lighting. Well, here you go: Ingo Maurer’s Birds, Birds, Birds chandelier has 24 unique, low-voltage bulbs adorned with goose feather wings, so it looks like a flock of birds in mid-flight below your ceiling. Everything is held together with tin-plated metal parts and colored wires. It’s not a small chandelier (hey, if you’re dropping $5,000 on a light, you don’t want something people are going to miss), and it measures 74.8″ high and 47.3″ in diameter. For your money, you receive a full set of bulbs plus six spares, so you don’t have wonder what you’re going to do when the funky-shaped bulbs burn out, at least for a while.
If you’re decorating a beach cottage or just like the sight of seashells, this wall sconce could be fun. The “Ariel” candle holder is backed with a frame of shells that draw the eye. The sconce measures 11″ wide and 14″ high. At $194, it is a little more money than you might have wanted to spend decorating the beach home, but I’ve certainly seen more expensive lighting. It’s available at Kirkland, WA based Liberty 123. 
Here’s a funky chandelier made from wood strips for those who like something a little unique as far as ceiling lamps go. “The stamped wooden strips design in the air a shape charged with sensuality, as well as adding an overall lightness to the piece and creating interesting plays of light and shadow. The strips give the shade a volumetric richness that change according to the viewing angle.” A sensual lamp, all right. It’ll only cost you $990.
I think this floating solar crocodile light falls into the “just when you thought you’d seen everything…” category. I’m not sure where the solar cells are on that scaly head, but somehow it sucks in the sun’s energy throughout the day, and then at night, the eyes light up. Now, I doubt this would provide enough light to entertain by, or even to keep from stubbing your toe walking down a garden path after dark, but it sure could scare the heck out of your party goers. Let it float in your pool or pond and just wait to hear the startled screams…