Table Lamps

Table lamps are often one of the last things you'll add to a room. Occasionally fine furniture sets are sold with matching lamps, but typically you're on your own to find your lighting fixtures. If you haven't budgeted them into your decorating costs, you may end up going to a home depot store to pick up something merely serviceable. A simple $20 lamp can take care of your immediate need for light while you look around for the perfect lamp to complement your chosen furniture.

That being said, you should not underestimate the power of table lamps to bring a room to life. You may think that a lamp which doesn't overtly clash is good enough--but once you see a perfect lamp in your space, you'll wonder how you ever settled. A lamp can create romance, comfort, intrigue, warmth--and of course, beauty.

Coordinating Table Lamps

Some people will buy a base and a shade for their table lamps separately. This can lead to great frustration, however. If you've ever bought a pair of shoes that didn't match an outfit you currently own, you'll know what it's like to try to find a base for a shade or a shade for a base if a lamp is truly a work of art. While it's possible to find one, the chances are not good that you'll do so on the timetable that you would like.

So take your time to find a lamp that you really like just the way it is. Maybe you'll choose a crackled eggshell finish with brass accents and a piped fabric shade. Maybe something sophisticated in cut crystal with a frosted glass shade will be perfect in your bedroom. Whatever era or style of design you like best--from traditional Asian with hand-painted flowers and gold leaf on porcelain to contemporary American made with Lucite and colored plastics, you can find a lamp to transform or complete your room perfectly.