Ghost Lamps

Have you heard this term before? Ghost lamps? Well I hadn't, but I had seen the style before.  It's where you strip an old lampshade to it's bones, and either leave it as is or give it a (tedious!) paint job.  After some research it seems they've been coined "Ghost Lamps" - which is kinda cute!  Seems every style gets a title at some point (wait until we talk about ombre... haha). 

My big concern when I saw these lamps was how bright they seem.  Would the bulb blare at you? So I had to try it out.  I had a few lampshades here with some less-than-lovely fabric on them, and they were begging for this project.  I wanted to review this style for myself, and it turns out I really like it! Check them out:

 I did lime green for mine. I bare bones'd 'em, primed and painted.  The wiring is new and was from one of those lamp bottle kits at the hardware store. It had everything I needed. Since the shade is lightweight, the wire is enough support.

 Here is the secret to making this work. Low wattage bulbs.  In this case, I used "Vintage Style" bulbs that are now available at any hardware store. Look at the filament in there! The light is soft, non blaring, and gives a great accent to any room.  Any low wattage bulb will work, but since the bulb itself is a big part of the focal point here, it's fun to get an interesting one.  Tons are available online too.

 When it's off, it adds a bright color accent in this green & cream corner.

 Here's the second ghost shade, and it was one of those scalloped frames before.  This is also a vintage bulb, they come in two shapes so I got one of each.  The filament in this one is more like a spiral.

 There we go! I gotta say, I like them best as a set. And it STILL was not too bright or blarey, despite what my camera is telling you.  It's nothing to go studying under, but it's perfect for an accent. 

So, my review of the ghost lamp idea is complete, and I'm in love. I really like the style, and I'm happy that these vintage bulbs are available and affordable.  I got mine for about $8 each. Since I already have one thousand lights in my home, I will be putting these up for sale in my shop.  I will eventually be doing some for myself though, hehe. What are your thoughts on this upcoming trend? Have a great weekend!

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