Author Archives: Gaston Martine

Smaller rooms of the home need attentive and devoted effort in decoration. The reason is that there is much less freedom to set up decorative elements to shape it to one’s vision. For example, small bathrooms, staircase landings and tiny bedrooms are rooms that need a special touch to look right. People follow a few general strategies, such as placing mirrors around the area to create an illusion of extra space, illuminating with a bright lamp, and adding small, space-saving furniture that makes the room seem larger than it is. Continue reading →

Most, although not all, lamp shades have substantial external and internal surface areas which might be exposed to air and collect dust. The most common materials that make up these products, glass and fabric, often end up charged electrostatically that results in increased attraction of dust particles. It’s as a result essential to clear the shade once in a while. Continue reading →

One way to spruce up one’s home decor is to replace aging lamp shades with glass ones. Unlike the fabric equivalents, glass lamp shades glitter and shine when they transmit the light from the bulb. Such shades were made famous in the early 1900s by Louis Comfort Tiffany. He was an artist and interior decorator genius who combined stained glass techniques with light after the invention of gas shades. Continue reading →

Glass-making is an ancient craft and tradition, the results of which have culminated in glass lamp shades seen in many homes today. The first signs of their popularity emerged during the Industrial Revolution, when utility lighting in homes became wide-spread. One of the main figures of this movement was Louis Comfort Tiffany, who transformed glass lamp shades from an esoteric art form to a kind of high-end house-hold furnishing at the start of the 20th century. Continue reading →

Different styles of glass lamp shades can be seen in homes of decor-conscious residents around the country. Glass shades are famous for their practical use as light in addition to their beauty that is amplified by the central light source. They are important “anchor pieces”, which are elements of decor that carry so much weight that they can be central pieces around which other decorative elements are added. For example, furniture sets or distinctive old antique cabinets can serve as anchor pieces. Continue reading →

Glass lamp shades are often elevated to the status of art even though they are employed as a lighting appliance in the home. This is due to the aesthetic flexibility of glass, giving rise to visually-pleasing elements such as stained glass, wrought iron shapes, and interesting lamp profiles. The sentimental value of the shades is correspondingly higher than that of other household items, and many homeowners are loathe to part with a broken shade preferring instead to fix or restore it. Continue reading →

Glass lamp shades are a great addition to the decor of a home. To keep your lamp shade looking new, you will have to take preventative steps as well as restorative steps over the life-time of the shade. For example, glass lamp shades get dusty or dirty with oil from finger prints. When mishandled, small chips or flakes can come off the glass, some of which is repairable by an expert restorer or even by the owner him or herself. Finally, serious trauma to the shade can cause it to shatter completely. The remedy for this in some cases is to repair the shade, and in other cases a new one must be cast. Continue reading →

It is not unusual to find glass light shade with high value of craftsmanship or antique heritage. Even a functional one such as a bankers lamp shade can have ornamental value. Such shades, when they become old, should be restored or repaired rather than thrown away. The owner should refrain from trying to fix it him or herself, as amateur attempts to piece together the parts results in abrasion of the cracks, or application of glue results in extra work for the restorer. Not all glass lamp shades need to be restored: some can be replaced completely if a glassmaker is willing to undertake the task. Continue reading →

You could be in the business of fixing up a home and getting ready to sell, or you could be just trying to make it look nice by renovating the interior. When people are engaged in such decor activities, they usually focus on the physical objects. However, one important point that is often lost is that good lighting is essential to making sure all of your hard work in interior design is made visible for everyone to see. An attractive light source, furthermore, also can be a design element itself. Continue reading →