Lamp Arts keeps things lighthearted

Buyers searching for unusual lamps, chandeliers and accessories have been following the movement of Lamp Arts across the city for more than 50 years. The company first opened on Briarcliff Road, but seven years ago, it relocated to Howell Mill Road.

Owners Tina and Bo Thompson, who bought the business five years ago, recently moved to a larger showroom in the same building where there’s more space for their array of illuminating objects. The company does a considerable business with members of the design trade, as well as with shoppers looking to have something custom-made.

The store’s staff of lighting experts can turn just about any object into a lamp. Throughout the showroom are fixtures made from wooden lighthouses, silver vases, teapots, urns and figurines, to name a few.

“It’s like Play-Doh for adults,” Tina Thompson said with a laugh. “We take architectural pieces as well as random stuff and reassemble it or rework it into a lamp. We’ve worked on fire extinguishers, golf clubs and an old pump. Our name, in fact, is a play on the words ‘lamp’ and ‘parts.’ “

What you’ll find

There’s a vast selection of more than 10,000 shades, but if you can’t find one to suit, the staff can also design one to your liking. “Even if someone comes in with an old frame, we can recover it,” Thompson said. Prices range from $15 up to $350 for shades made of leather or silk.

Lamps and chandeliers in stock run the gamut from formal to rustic, with bases of acrylic, wood and iron. About half the selection is vintage, with prices starting at $125. There’s also an array of parts and pieces, including unfinished bases and crystals that customers can mix and match into their own lamps. The store’s staff is also adept at lamp repairs.

Best-sellers

“We’ve been so low-key with our lamps that we’re better known for our shades,” Thompson said. “But people are now realizing that we also have a lot of lamps. We’ve had a lot of success with vintage pieces in particular.”

Trends

Buyers are drawn to the elegant, understated classic pieces that work well with formal or casual colors. The owners have also seen a slant toward larger lamps as the scale of rooms has grown. “If you’ve got a 27-foot peaked ceiling, you need something that can handle that,” Thompson said. “For some buyers, it’s almost become the bigger, the better.”