My Favorite Lamp

The month of December was an interesting one, with the biggest snow storm in 40 years hitting the Portland area. That meant an extended school break and more than the usual time spent at home...so what does a mom do? Keep the TV tuned to HGTV while playing endless board games and doing crafts with the kids!

HGTV had many new shows to promote and I was most intrigued with the promo for "Dear Genevieve". Here she is shown walking past a gorgeous sofa, table, lamp and various other beautiful pieces...interestingly ALL from Mitchell Gold. (That made for an easy set design job!) I recognized the pieces instantly as I am a big fan of this companies furniture and accessories...(In addition to the fact the company offers a 30% discount to designers, something to keep in mind when working with a designer. Some designers such as myself work on an hourly fee basis and pass on any discounts to clients. If there is much shopping to be done, this savings can often cover a decent portion of the designer's fees!) Go to www.mgbwhome.com to see all of this companies offerings.

My favorite item Genevieve walks by is the Skler Floor Lamp. This has been my favorite lamp since seeing it in a Mitchell Gold Showroom a couple years ago. I purchased it for one of my first design projects, which is seen on the front page of my website. I selected it because the lamp approaches perfection, with it's turned patina bronze base and fabulously oversized shade. It is classic yet the shade adds a whimsical twist. I used the spice colored shade, but it is also available in ivory, and the company just introduced a new version of the lamp in a "crisp white" finish. The white version would be great in a modern space or an interior looking for some dramatic contrast. Imagine how interesting the white version would look against dark brown or grey walls!

When decorating a space that has high ceilings or one that has large furniture pieces in it (in my case it was a grand piano) consider bringing in floor and table lamps that are larger or have larger shades. Accessorizing with larger pieces in these circumstances will bring balance to a room.

Finally...during the snow storm we enjoyed the rare snow with lots of sledding, making snowmen and enjoying our snow blanketed backyard...below is my favorite photo from our ventures into our rare winter wonderland!