Lighten up

One of the easiest ways to refresh your rooms is to upgrade a table lamp here and there. Adding a new one to brighten up a forgotten corner, an existing one moved to a new spot can raise a smile as you pass by, or simply adding a new lampshade to give the lamp new life. We love unusual bases and handcrafted shades, often using much-loved fabrics and silk sari cloth. It’s a great way to use more expensive fabrics in a room even when the budget is tight. Correctly positioned, with scale and proportions taken into account, not to mention colour, texture and contrast, a room can be revitalised with a very few small changes to the lamps and lampshades.

Hand made gathered silk shade by Nushka Home on a charming vintage lampbase which complements the wallpaper.

German mid-century pottery lamp

Vintage oak table lamp gets an upgrade with a hand painted pleated card shade made by Rosie Gore.