Friday Furnishings: I Love Lamp

Ron Burgundy: Brick, are you just looking at things in the office and saying that you love them?
Brick Tamland: I love lamp.
Ron Burgundy: Do you really love the lamp, or are you just saying it because you saw it?
Brick Tamland: I love lamp. I love lamp.

The DCGF loves lamp, too. I mean, sure, we'd all love to have an Arco floor lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in our homes, right? But for those of us living in small spaces with only 8' ceilings or just a few hundred square feet altogether, that's just not practical. Tragic, right?

Not necessarily. Fortunately, you don't have to be stuck with crappy lighting just because you don't have tons of room to illuminate your living space. And since last week's fabulous push pin lamp still isn't available (sadness), the DCGF has found some great alternatives for those of us living small.

If the idea of a traditional lamp is a little too blasé for you, why not try a jar? A rechargable solar-powered light jar, that is! Sure, it's a rather untraditional way of thinking about lighting, but it's an easy way to add eco-friendly design to just about any decor.

On sale at Chiasso for just $38 (34% off the regular price!), this li'l mason jar can be placed in a window or on a patio during the day and then - voila! - using a combination of a solar cell, battery and LED lights, you'll have a sweet little lamp all night. The jar measures about 4" by 4" by 6.5", so it won't take up much room in a small apartment or breakfast nook. It's also completely portable. I think I need one.

If the jar's a little too tame for you, then you need the Jerry Lamp in vibrant grass green from Design Within Reach. This unique looking lamp, which also comes in white, is also eco-friendly, being composed of recyclable silicone.

The coolest part, though, is that the hook on top can be manipulated to hang off of a bed post, book shelf, or wherever, really. Plus, the silicone only gets warm to the touch - not hot - so you can place the lamp right next to you on the floor or couch. Again, it's totally portable!

Best part? It's marked down from $145 (no way!) to $50 (hmm...maybe). That really is design within reach. Literally.

If you have low ceilings, like I do, but crave some overhead lighting, then the Capsule Light by Jaime Salm and Katherine Wise might be just the thing for you. Available online from MIO, these lights are comprised of felted wool and are 100% compostable. Not that you'd want to throw them on the pile at $75 a pop, mind you!

And don't let this picture fool you: these lights are 12" tall and 8" in diameter. They almost look like something that came straight from nature, don't you think? I think if trees were to have lights in the forest, they'd look like the Capsule Light!

Ooh! I wanted to tell you about another great place to pick up a lamp: the Gaithersburg, MD, Goodwill Store, July 19th, from 10am - 2pm. It's a Grand Re-Opening! That's right, if you're in the DC metro area on Saturday, stop by and enjoy a huge sidewalk sale, food, free popcorn, a moon bounce for the kids, fire trucks, balloons, face painting and live music from the band Eastern Standard Time. Additionally, the first 100 shoppers in the store will receive a FREE $10 Goodwill Retail Store gift certificate!! Good times, dear readers. Maybe I'll see some of you there!



Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on eBay funds Goodwill's mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities.