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Collections: Are You a Lamp Tramp?


During our recent House Tour: Alex's Granny Chic, Alex confessed that he's a lamp tramp. He has a hard time passing up lamps and is always looking for new styles. The term was new to us and it stuck (not surprisingly). Do you consider yourself a lamp tramp? Take our survey and see more closeups of Alex's fabulous lamps.

 
 

Do you consider your lamps a collection? All photos here are of Alex's apartment. See more of Alex's home in House Tour: Alex's Granny Chic.

(Images: Rachael Grad)

Tags

Closeup, lighting, collection, table lamp

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Comments (20)

I'm more of a chandelier chick. And does anybody know where I can learn how to turn a small scrounged chandelier into a plug-in light?

posted by kuypersmom on September 18th 2009 at 12:38pm
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oMG, yes, esp table lamps! There are so many styles and looks that I like and they are so pretty! My mom was like, you have to stop buying lamps, you have nowhere to put them! I've had to sell a couple.

posted by HeyNowTex on September 18th 2009 at 1:01pm
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I must admit, YES!

There I said it and I feel better.

I've gotten to the point where I rotate them in and out of storage seasonally.

posted by stt64 on September 18th 2009 at 1:07pm
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yes- i even have a lmap closet and I rotate the collection. it's a mess.

posted by kristian on September 18th 2009 at 1:28pm
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I've had to sell a few. Once you know what a huge difference good lighting makes, it's hard to walk away from great lamps and overhead fixtures. Maybe I'll rotate them seasonally as stt64 does.

posted by palindrome on September 18th 2009 at 1:34pm
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And then you have to become a lamp SHADE tramp, as well. Speaking from experience, of course.

posted by Lesley on September 18th 2009 at 1:39pm
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I do love the lamps but I am much more of a pillow whore...I can stop myself when it comes to pillows...running out of places to put them!

posted by littlebrownbird on September 18th 2009 at 1:42pm
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I want to be a lamp tramp but don't know where to get good shades! Please help?

posted by Jenny in DC on September 18th 2009 at 3:01pm
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and how!

posted by mariah on September 18th 2009 at 3:17pm
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YES. its an expensive habit. i recommend the book "1000 lights" for anyone looking to indulge.

posted by hla21 on September 18th 2009 at 3:35pm
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Lamps are very tempting! In thrift stores I have to tell myself not to linger in the lamp section. I was lucky to get one of the nicest lamps I've ever seen for free. It came with the 1950s motel my aunt bought. That doesn't stop me from drooling over other people's lamps.

posted by aj on September 18th 2009 at 4:19pm
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I Voted Yes just because my husband has been making fun of all the lamps in our home.... explain to me how 18 lamps in 3 rooms makes a Tramp? I have room for at least 3 more...

posted by tex.a.lex on September 18th 2009 at 4:33pm
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I am obsessed with lamps. I buy vintage and make them out of found objects too. I am also a little nutty about the safety of the old ones. I have had more rewired than I can count.

posted by sally305 on September 18th 2009 at 4:35pm
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Oh my god. I am such a lamp ho! I am completely obsessed with them and have Way Way too many. More than I can ever use.

posted by dwightrabbit on September 18th 2009 at 6:57pm
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I hadn't realised it but I counted my living room lamps and- including an Eiffel Tower lamp and a bunch of plastic tulip lamps -I have 10.

posted by hrhprincessfiona on September 19th 2009 at 3:32am
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Oh, yes, I'm a sucker for a pretty shade and a beautiful base.
(Like Sally305, I also freak about the safety of the older lamps)

posted by puddle on September 19th 2009 at 6:59pm
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Sally305 Yes! My best finds have been from thrift shops in the Texas Hill Country before MCM became hot. None more than $3.00

Favorite made was a Patron Tequila bottle with a sassy little natural wicker shade. So far it's been kitchen accent, bar (of course) and entry table. A one of a kind night light.

posted by hippyvieja on September 19th 2009 at 10:31pm
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I want a black lampshade!

http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com

posted by k51279 on September 20th 2009 at 12:14pm
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Okay, I know this means that I am the oldest, most uptight person on the entire Internet but it disturbs me that we are having a public discourse about lamp enthusiasm in terms of 'tramps', 'hos' and the like. Really? In a world rife with misogyny, do we have to have a conversation whose humor is somehow predicated on using denigrating terms for women? I don't get it.

posted by 1GH on September 20th 2009 at 1:27pm
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Dear god, NO. I've found that I really hate lamps - in fact, make that most lighting fixtures. There are so few that I actually like, I'm not sure what to light my home with.

posted by ladymatsuya on September 21st 2009 at 1:17pm
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