Outdoor Electric Candle Lantern Flickers Like the Real Thing
Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006
These outdoor electric candles don’t require lighting, wicks, or any of the usual candle mainstays, but they’re supposed to flicker like the real thing. “Each candle contains one electric flame light bulb that produces three points of randomly shifting light, creating a glow that rolls, flickers, and casts dancing shadows, just like a real candle flame.” You can hang the lanterns from trees, posts, the eaves, or anywhere else you want to light up the backyard. Though they look like they’re made from paper, they’re supposed to be sturdy enough to stand up to some wind and rain. These particular lanterns come in a four-pack and are available from SmartHome for just under $100.
If you love the look of a good old Greek column (who doesn’t?), you can now light your home with it. This wall sconce is supposed to look like a broken pillar, right out of some archaeological dig (or maybe just swiped from the front of the local Greek restaurant). Available from Lighting by Gregory, the Justice Design 4720 Wall Sconce comes in more than a dozen finishes, and you can even choose what kind of bulb you want (incandescent, halogen, or fluorescent). The UL listing says the $125 lamp is suitable for damp locations, so maybe you can use a few of them outdoors, to pimp out that Acropolis-inspired entertaining deck you’ve been meaning to add to the backyard… 
In ye olden days wall brackets for holding candles were commonplace. Today… not so much. It’s just a bit easier to flip on a switch to light up your home. Still, those of us with nostalgic bents enjoy candles, and sometimes it’s nice to place them in out of the way spots on the walls. This wall bracket is made by the Blue Green Trading Company, a place that specializes in wire work furniture. This piece is designed to hold two tall tapers as well as a decorative plant in the middle (they don’t say as much, but I’m guessing it’s a good idea to get a non-flammable plastic plant…). You can buy the wall bracket online for $205.
Ah, just what everybody needs: a frog-shaped lantern for your candles. Well, if you like a bit of amphibian whimsy, this candle holder is designed for outdoor use, so you could perch it on a rock in your garden. At three pounds, it’s not going to be blown over by the wind very easily, and the sturdy rustic iron exterior will protect your candles when they’re lit. The frog has a little hinged access door in the side, so you can slip a votive in there without trouble. When it’s burning, the light escapes through the little whorls on the frog’s back and sides. I imagine it’d be kind of cool at night.
Just in case you don’t have enough dust and dirt hanging around your house and reminding you that you should be cleaning something, now you can get a lamp styled after a broom. Part of the broom lighting set offered at Unica, this model has light bulbs that shine through nickel-finished steel bristles instead of your usual lamp shade. This interesting chandelier comes with a 118.1″ steel cable, so you can hang it from a pretty high ceiling. If overhead lighting isn’t what you’re looking for (but you dig the idea of broom-inspired furnishings), you could also try the floor lamp, wall lamp, or table lamp. Or, hey, why not get them all, and then you can have brooms peering at you from every room of the house? 
Let’s face it: there just aren’t enough lamps out there shaped like rocks. And moon rocks are even scarcer. The design is from the 60s (how not surprising is that?), and each of these modern versions is handcrafted in Ravenna, Italy. The lamps are made from fiberglass, then coated with a layer of natural Italian stones. The company says the moon rocks are appropriate for creating ambient lighting, and you can place them just about anywhere: table top, floor, shelf, etc. The price for these rock-inspired lamps? $139, and you can get grande, media, or piccola sizes.
If you ever look around your house and think, “Gee, I just don’t have enough neon lights,” here’s a lamp for you. I could see it being a particularly fun night light for a kid’s room–a lot better than the mushroom plugged into an outlet that I had anyway. It could also be fun in a rec room, or anywhere you’d like a glowing coyote to add a bit of light-hearted mischief. According to the company, the two-color light is handmade and measures 23″ high and 12″ wide. The purple and blue lamp stands on a ceramic, glossy black base.
Looking for some ceiling lighting ideas? These colorful pendant lamps are a nice touch. Each of the three lights runs on 50 Watt G6.35 Bi-pin halogen base bulbs (thankfully those are included, because I sure wouldn’t know where to look for them). You can hang them up to ten feet, so they’re suitable for vaulted ceilings. Available from the HomeCenter, the three-lamp fixture is priced at $342, which includes shipping: 
If you like to decorate your home with the seasons, this wall sconce could be a nice touch during the fall. Called the “Autumn of My Youth” lamp, it has “maple leaf” red borders and a design in the glass that reminds you of falling leaves. Acording to the company, the lamps are handmade and one-of-a-kind, so each piece is an “original piece of art.” (Yes, I realize I’m using a lot of quotes in today’s entry.) The wall sconce measures 11″ high and 12″ wide. It’s on sale at BedBathStore.com, and the price is $340.