Antique lampshade restoration

I wonder how many people still remember these shades.  They have candle clip fittings and  are even lined!

We have recovered them, in rich red velvet and gold braid - good enough for a palace....

Brand new  -  dont get rid of yours.....

Raffia Lampshades

Our latest batch of raffia - has just arrived....
The aroma of nature
 it's natural,
it's rich
and it's warm

Two different textures are available.

Feathered Shade

Do you like feathers?  It always reminds me of the Golden Era of Victorian Dressed and Hats, laid-back days filled with tea-parties and strolls in the gardens.
One of my clients visited Oudtshoorn and there she bought the most beautfiul white ostrich feathers - as light as a feather.... and as white as only feathers can be...

 We made two lampshades in white and then wrapped the feathers around it.

And this is the completed lampshade:

Colour, colour and more colour

It's a really wet, cold, winter Sunday afternoon and what can be more inspiring and cheerful than searching the net for colourful lampshades, to cheer up the day.  Who said chandeliers shades must be all one colour?  Make a bold statement and add trim too!

This is just what I needed to inspire me for the week ahead:

Designer's Guild in London.

Photos: Designer's Guild = London

Chandeliers

While visiting Willowmore, in the Karoo, over the weekend, we stopped at Sophie's Choice.  My family enjoyed the coffee - and me - all the chandeliers and lampshades in this beautiful restaurant - antique shop.  The owner says she just loves lamps and collect them, maybe we were sisters before? ....

The Doll Shade (2)

For those who remembered about the antique doll shade, we had to restore....

Herewith the restoration, in the client's choice of fabric...

She was thrilled.

It is such a pleasure to do a job and the client is over the moon.....

I then just love my career, more and more

Bulk Orders

Yes, we do bulk orders - for hotels, guest houses, game lodges, interior designers and shops.  Yes, we also sell directly to the public.

Kids Art

Between the job cards, I found this interesting commission that we are doing for a school.  We manufacture the frame, which will hanging against a wall, with a light bulb behind it.  The kids do designs on vinyl, which then gets glued to the frame.  They then hang it in the school passages.  Great idea, don't you think?

Completed Atomic Lampshade

We have completed the Atomic lampshade, which I have blogged about last month, and as many of my clients dont do Facebook, herewith some pictures of how we assembled the shade:

And this is how we did it:  

this was the first stage of some of the frame work

Then we added the different parts:

And this is the final product:

1930's Lampshade

Wow! If this lampshade could talk!  I did some research on this lampshade and it looks as if this was manufactured in the 1930 - 1940's

Every second panel is pleated.

Flowers were hand painted on the top section and covered in voile.

From the inside

Every alternative panel has a hand painted story.  And this is what it looks like:

And this is the actual size of the shade:

As we all know lampshades dont last forever, and this one will be recovered....

Phone Repairer's Shade

My cell phone broke down - as we all know, it happens just before the contract with the Service provider expires.  I am sure the cell phones are made just to last 2 years!

Anyway, I know a very good Cell phone Repairer.  (If you have teenagers at home - you have to).  He was so kind, and when I explained that I cant go without it - he offered to repair it immediately.

While waiting, I wondered around in his shop, - and it will be me who will notice his working lamp - full of cell phone parts!'

I explained to him that I am a lampshade maker and that I am very impressed with his lamp!

He was so impressed with me taking a photo of his lamp, that he offered to teach me how to repair cell phones.......

but I prefer shades.......