Thrift Store Score

My new old lamp.

I was wandering through a thrift store (or second-hand store, as my friend, Jan calls them) on Lincoln Avenue last week when I found this lamp, sans shade or finial. I was surprised when they quoted the price. "$20," he said. "Oh wait, it's half off day, $10." Sold.


This is just one wall of shades, but the place is full of them.

I took the lamp to Chicago gem, A Lamp & Fixture Shoppe on North Elston. They have more lampshades in one place than I've seen anywhere else in Chicago. They also have talented employees who have an instinct about which shade will work best with a particular lamp. If you are looking for the perfect shade, they strongly recommend bringing the lamp in. If they don't have it, they can customize one for you.

They worked with me to pick the perfect harp size, lamp shade and finial. This is the result, a lamp for well under $100. My question is, is it obvious? Was I design blind when I made this purchase? Or, did I score?


A selection of finials, available at A Lamp & Fixture Shoppe




Harps available at A Lamp & Fixture Shoppe