07 Jun How to Style an Antique Desk with “Lampshade Lady” Saving the Day!

 

To wrap up all Before/After photos of my BOLD BLUE & WHITE BEDROOM for the 6-week Spring 2019 One Room Challenge, there’s one last problem area I’d like to share with you. (If you missed the BIG REVEAL, please see all 6 blog posts HERE). You’ll also meet Judy, the “Lampshade Lady”, learn 6 Pillow Goddess Tips to style an antique desk, AND have the opportunity on Instagram to WIN A FREE BOOK, a copy of Lampshade Lady’s Guide to Lighting Up Your Life.  

But first – One More Design Dilemma.

Where to put my mother’s vintage Limoges lamps and Great Aunt’s silver dressing table set.

Remember how I identified six problem areas in the bedroom and addressed them one by one throughout the 6-week One Room Challenge? Well, as a result of getting rid of my mother’s non-functioning bureau, the antique French Limoges lamps were displaced.

I treasure these lamps and have strong memories of always seeing them on my mother’s bureau. I thought, maybe I should use them on the new chest of drawer nightstands we painted blue? But they did not provide adequate reading light, so I decided to try them on my mother’s antique desk.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

Thankfully they both fit and I was thrilled to find a permanent home for them!! They would provide just enough light to add ambiance to the room and write a letter in the evening.

But sadly they were broken (one lady lost an arm!), wobbly, and had torn shades.

What’s a woman to do, right?!? I know, first world problems.

LAMPSHADE LADY SAVES THE DAY!

I was looking for fabric lampshades online and fell in love with the ones handcrafted by Judy Lake, the Lampshade Lady, in Vermont. Oh, how she makes gorgeous lampshades!!!  I love them all so much, I just might go out and buy some antique lamps so I can have more fabric shades….lol.

Please meet my favorite Lampshade Lady, artisan Judy Lake, whom I discovered on Etsy. 

 

I reached out to Judy to see if she could make lampshades for my lamps, and would there be enough time? And before I knew it, this amazingly talented woman was sponsoring a pair of custom shades!!!  I just couldn’t believe it – that a small Etsy shop owner and artisan like myself would sponsor my lampshades for the One Room Challenge. I was incredibly humbled and honored!

FAST FORWARD

In order for her to turn it around before she went out of town in 4 days, the fabric had to be cotton.  Can you believe with all the textiles I’ve collected for 15 years, I didn’t have ONE single piece of blue and white floral cotton?!? Thankfully Judy had tons on hand! She messaged me several beautiful selections below, but a blue and white pattern didn’t feel right for these special lamps, since the colors of the lamps were an antique white, green, peach, and burgundy.

 

I was incredibly nervous about selecting this fabric because it was the first textile for the room, even before I had seen the bedding or selected fabrics for the chair and pillows!!!  And I had no idea if bringing this color into my blue and white bedroom would even work. Would it be too pink, too orange?? Yikes!!

GO AHEAD, TAKE BOLD RISKS

In the end, I took a flying leap and fell in love with this gorgeous floral fabric below.  Yes, it was a risk, but it had some blue in it and all the colors of the lamp. Most of all, it gave me permission and inspiration to introduce other colors into my blue and white-themed bedroom. But to be totally honest, I still wasn’t sure if I did the right thing.

I DO know that while designing the blue and white room I WAS craving color besides blue and white so that was a good indication that I’d made the right decision.

Gorgeous coral peach tropical pattern fabric from Lampshade Lady.

BOY, DID IT TURN OUT TO BE A WINNER! SEE FOR YOURSELF.

That fabric drove the decision to include terra cotta in the room and pillows. (And another partial sponsor, local Brady’s lamp company repaired the lamps beautifully at a slight discount.)

Lastly, I had no idea where I would place my cherished Great Aunt’s sterling silver dressing table set. At first I thought I’d use them on my new nightstand/dresser, but that wasn’t going to work with the new crystal lamps.

 

What helped me make the decision was when the designers at Sparrow Interiors and Gifts (another wonderful sponsor!) suggested this antique Florentine mirror for over my desk. I knew instantly that my desk was the perfect spot for my Great Aunt’s sterling silver dressing table set and that I would be using my desk as a sort of dressing table myself.  The silver with the Limoges lamps worked so well together and I couldn’t be happier.

BOLD BLUE & WHITE BEDROOM, Spring 2019 One Room Challenge. Photography by Gregg Cestaro.

The coral lampshade inspired me to break out my Great Aunt’s terra cotta and blue linen crewel pillow. Photography by Deborah Main.

 

EXPANDING MY VISION

This first scary fabric decision ended up opening up a world of options now for my bedroom. I was no longer restricted to blue and white and could find ways to weave the lampshade colorway throughout the room.

As you can see on the left, we incorporated a terra cotta color potted plant and on the right we hung an antique Chinese embroidery from our living room. Both of these helped me remember my great aunt’s linen pillow (above) plus making the designer blue medallion/terra cotta fabric pillow was absolutely perfect for the blue crewel chair to the right of the desk, as you’ll see in the next image.

 

BOLD BLUE & WHITE BEDROOM, Spring 2019 One Room Challenge. Photography by Gregg Cestaro.

 

DESK ACCESSORIES

Lastly, I was having NO luck on finding pretty floral desk accessories online.  Paper Place stepped right in and sponsored all the desk accessories!  It even inspired me to start writing my thank you notes at this desk again and break out my Great Aunt and Grandmothers green and blue birthday books and my father’s childhood portrait.

 

 

 

Me scrambling to finish styling the desk before the photo shoot!

 

PILLOW GODDESS STYLING TIPS

Before I share with you how you can WIN A FREE COPY of Judy’s book, as promised, here’s

6 PILLOW GODDESS TIPS TO STYLE AN ANTIQUE DESK

1. Invest in fabric shades for one, or a pair, of lamps. Need I say more? You can see the dramatic difference a gorgeous fabric shade can make to antique lamps. You can either order them from the Lampshade Lady, or DIY it and make your own. She has very clear instructions in her wonderful book!
2. Invest in a large, beautiful statement piece mirror. I was blessed that sponsor Sparrow Interiors & Gifts loaned me this amazing faceted Florentine mirror.  As you can see from the images, what an incredible difference it made. And prior to their suggestion, I was just going to put a little gold mirror.
3. If you can’t find the perfect desk accessories, head to a stationery store. Thanks to sponsor Paper Place, Austin’s BEST stationery store for 30+ years, we basically styled an entire desk top from all the beautiful items in their store.  The blotter is wrapping paper.  The journal is hand embroidered.  I love the 3 tray dish that holds gold bow-tie push pins and paperclips.
4. Mix metals, colors and wood in your styling.  I picked up the gold engraved edging on the base of the Limoges lamps by styling with gold scissors.  And because I chose to style with a silver and gold-framed vintage Florentine mirror, it reflected all the colors of the desk accessories and coordinated beautifully with the my Great Aunt’s Sterling silver, crystal dresser set.
5. Mix modern with vintage accessories. The only modern pieces I incorporated was the rectangle white trio dish set for paperclips and pins and the pencil holder. But you might decide to do modern lamps on your antique desk. Anything goes, as long as you tie it into each other via shape, color, pattern. You may not notice it, but I used a tiny, vintage blue floral porcelain vase a dear friend gave me on the oval mirror where my dresser set rests. It was the perfect spot to put a peach/yellow snapdragon flower!
6. Incorporate sentimental and meaningful family heirlooms.  I chose to display the antique painted porcelain portrait of my father and the two small blue and green birthday books; one is my grandmothers and the other my great aunts.

 

 

BRIEF LAMPSHADE LADY INTERVIEW 

Now onto what makes the Lampshade Lady (LL), Judy Lake, tick! But you really must purchase her book to see much more detail to Judy’s passion for lampshades. For me, it was an incredible delight to discover someone so passionate, like myself as a pillow designer, for ONE home decor item. Everywhere Judy goes she’s called the Lampshade Lady. I was called the Pillow Lady for years, that is, until Houston House & Home dubbed me The Pillow Goddess.  So fun to connect, through the One Room Challenge, with a fellow artisan who loves textiles and specializing in one product as much as I do!

PG: How do you work with interior designers and other clients?

LL: I LOVE working directly with my clients so they get exactly what they want. Some folks can do that and some can’t even begin to do that as you know how tricky it is to pick the perfect fabric. I find many designers are petrified of lampshades. Some often are at the end of a project that is over budget and they sling the easiest thing on the lampshades. You see it over and over again, even the fanciest. But I really enjoy working with my clients. I have many return customers in my studio and Etsy and that is very rewarding. Once they get the “hook” of great lampshades I know they will be back. Which is great!

PG: What do you find rewarding in specializing solely in lampshades?

LL: Sometimes finding the perfect shape and size lampshade is super hard. I remember my early years of folks walking into my shop and I’d panic. But now I’m in the comfort zone usually; there is always the odd ball stumper. The hardest part is older clients that have had a lampshade for years and is a very outdated size, i.e. generally too tall. Change can be hard at first, but generally they are thrilled with the new, fresher look.

 

PG: Can designers, or anyone really, bring in, or ship you fabric to make a custom shade?

LL: I love to have the client supply a vintage fabric or embroidery that has been in the family for a long time or a fabric that works with their room. I was just talking with customers in my shop yesterday about using some quilt squares that one of their Auntie’s had done. How fun and great memories. I feel it’s better to use it than store it in the linen closet forever. I often send fabric photos thru Etsy or email, just like you and I did for your One Room Challenge.

PG: People always ask me “Why Pillows?”  So, I’m asking you, “Why Lampshades?”

LL: I do lampshades because of the fabrics!! 100%. I used to be a weaver and fiber artist. I love beautiful fabrics and vintage textiles. My favorite is my vintage crewel and embroidery lampshades. It is fun to search it out and fun to use textiles. The only problem is I’ve gotten so fussy that it’s hard to find enough vintage textiles. Thank goodness for Etsy and Ebay!!!

 

ONE LAST IMPORTANT TIP

I think Judy and I can both agree on this one, so take our word.  Do NOT save your lampshades, or decorative pillows, for the last home decor pieces you style into your room.  As you saw through my story, thanks to the Lampshade Lady, the fabric lampshades were the very FIRST home decor selection I made before I even began styling my Bold Blue and White Bedroom.

 

WHERE TO ORDER LAMPSHADES AND BOOK 

Please be sure to check out ALL the beautiful lamp shades Judy has at her physical shop in Pawlet, Vermont or her @lampshadelady Etsy Shop. If you don’t find what you need, Judy can custom make it for you, or you can try it yourself with her wonderful DIY guide book. http://lakeslampshades.com/

 

 

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Above are two pages from Judy’s wonderful book that I highly recommend.

The guide is very thorough and includes:

• an in-depth introduction to the language of lampshade making
• a glossary of terms
• 50 how-to lampshades with very clear instructions and a bonus tip for each
• basic, intermediate and advanced lampshade making instructions
• fantastic photography clearly showing each step
• suggestions for lamp bases and how to assemble your own antique glass lamp
• Lastly, 50 plus resources for supplies, fabrics, and lamps

 

Now that you know how to style an antique desk, or at least have some ideas for your own desk, please hop on over to Instagram for a chance to WIN A FREE BOOK, Judy Lake’s Lampshade Lady’s Guide to Lighting Up Your Life.  

Till next time, please subscribe to my blog for more exciting Book Reviews, Pillow Goddess Picks, more styling tips, and travel all summer long. XO PG

NOTE: All AFTER photography is by sponsor Gregg Cestaro.  Photos of Judy’s book are taken by myself or from Judy’s website. Opinions my own. Thank you to sponsors Lampshade Lady, Paper Place and Sparrow Interiors & Gifts for helping make my desk turn out so beautifully for the One Room Challenge.