Welcome to Lamps 101! In this section, we will talk to you about a wide vareity
of topics, ranging from different styles of table lamps and to the basics of track
lighting. We are constantly adding new contents to this section, so please come
and visit us often!
You can also find more
articles, tutorials, and information on lighting fixtures and lamps here
and participate in lighting related discussions.
Table
lamps can be used for general, task and accent lighting, and are portable
to meet your changing needs. They come in all sorts of styles and sizes. Some examples
of popular styles are Tiffany style lamps, mica lamps, wood lamps, and wrought iron
lamps.
Tiffany Lamps
Focus of the Tiffany style lamps is in the shade that it employs. Made of hand-rolled
stained glass, a tiffany shade will exhibit elegant colors when the lamp is lit.
Some lines, seeds or bubbles may be visible in the glass. They are not defects but
simply the nature and beauty of real stained glass. Because all hand rolled art
glass has infinite subtle shadings, no two Tiffany lamps are identical and each
one is truly unique. The cost of Tiffany lamps may vary significantly depending
on the type of glass used and the level of detail a Tiffany shade has. Generally,
the more panels and colors a Tiffany lamp has, the more costly it would be.
Tiffany lamps today come in mostly two styles: Victorian & Mission. Mission
style, also known as "Frank Lloyd Wright", "Arts & Crafts", or "Craftsman",
is characterized by straight lines forming squares and rectangles. Mission style
Tiffany lamps come with straight-edged stained-glass shades and bases. Mission style
bases are usually in oak or metal castings. It is one of the most popular styles
today.
Victorianna is usually perceived as a style with an abundence of curves, laces and
embellishments. First popularized in the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth
century, Victorian style lamps and lighting fixtures remain popular today, even
in modern homes.
Browse our unique Tiffany
Lamps section to see what we have to offer.
Mica Lamps
First produced in the early twentieth century, around the same period as Tiffany
lamps, mica lamps have regained its popularity around the turn of the century and
have become one of the best selling lamp styles. Mica, a group of minerals easily
separates into very thin leaves, varies in color from pale brown to yellow, green,
or black; its transparent forms are used in mostly lamps and lanterns. When light
shines through mica, it creates a mystic look that you just can't take your eyes
off. Made from mineral mica flakes, each of our mica shades from our mica lamps
collection is unique with its variation of mineral deposit patterns and color tones.
Here are our most popular
mica table lamps and
mica floor lamps. Enjoy the magic of mica!
Wood Lamps
Wood lamps are very well liked by our customers, not only because of the lamps'
natural look, but they really enlighten the surrounding and sooth the minds of the
observers. Combining different types of shades and lamp bodies, it can yield distinctive
looks that will sit well with antique or modern settings. Look at our
Wood Lamps section and you'll see!
Wrought Iron Lamps
As the name suggests, the bodies of the lamps in this style are made of wrought
iron bars and parts. Wrought irons can really come in infinite designs; they can
be formed, bent, and wielded together to give the lamps distinct looks. Different
types of finishes can also be applied to the wrought iron lamps. They are a great
fit to a setting with light natural color background (tan, pearl white, cream, ...
and so forth). Browse our
Wrought Iron Lamps section to see their variety.
About Lamp Shades
Lamp shades today are not just a part of a lamp any more. Over the years, lamp shade
designs have become more and more sophisticated and decorative. Today, there are
literally tens of thousands of lamp shade designs out there. Shade material can
range from paper, fabric, silk, glass, metal, so even beads! Other than all the
different colors lamp shades may employ, some shades are decorated using paint,
while others use different types of embellishments such as trims, beads, feathers,
and patterned fabrics.
Some lamps go better with simple shades, others require exquisite shades to provide
the right finish look. All lamps at Arcadian Lighting are designed with the "complete
lamp" in mind; that is, the lamp body and the shade.
Please browse the wide variety of
Lamps that we offer and feel free to drop us a line if you have any
questions.
When choosing a table lamp, think about the light output in terms of lamp size,
bulb usage and shade type, and choose the table lamp that matches your decor. Lamps
that can use 150W 3-way bulbs will provide more light and make a large decorative
statement in a room. Lamps that use lower wattage bulbs like 60W or below will produce
a lovely accent light elsewhere. Table lamps should be combined with other types
of general light in a large room to create a balanced effect.
Lamp Safety Recommendation
For safety reasons, we highly recommend using strictly 3-way bulbs for lamps with
3-way switchs. Contrary to what most people may think, there is no established safety
standard that are enforced by any organization for light bulbs. That is, if company
A decides to make light bulbs today, they can just make them and sell to anyone
who would buy their bulbs, without having to submit their bulbs to an organization
like Underwriter's Laboratory for testing and approval; there is no enforced standard
on the dimension of the screw base of a bulb. Because of such, there is a higher
potential of fire hazard when using a regular on/off light bulb with a 3-way switch,
since the dimension of a light bulb screw base is unregulated. An on/off light bulb
has a greater chance of its screw base improperly contacting the intermediate contact
of a 3-way switch.
We hope this section would be beneficial to you. Comments? Please email us at http://service.arcadianlighting.com.
