Guys, lamps can get expensive. Like, really expensive. I'm not talking about little tiny lamps that you might set on a desk or on a bathroom counter, I'm talking about good, substantial table lamps that hold their own next to a big couch or bed. Lamps like that can come with pretty high price tags. Take, for example, this beachy-looking caged glass table lamp from Pottery Barn.
Love it! But for $159? Holy schnikeys. At that price, we'd blow our beach house budget after lighting just one room.
I hopped over to Target's website to find something a little more reasonably priced. I found this Resin Bamboo table lamp for $99.99.
At 100 bucks a pop, that's still too rich for my blood. We've got a whole house to fill, remember?
All that's to show that the little sources of light in each room that, if done correctly, add a punch of style can start to add up and, if you're not paying close attention, knock out a big chunk of your budget. That's why when you find yourself walking into an outlet home decor store with a sign that says "All Lamps 60% Off", you grab not one but two buggies. At least that's what my mom and I did.
First up, this twisty, curly branch lamp. The picture makes the lampshade look like it may have a few wrinkly spots, though I don't remember seeing those in person. Even still, replacing a solid white lampshade won't set us back the same way a Pottery Barn (or similar) lamp would.
You know what would be perfect with that twisty branchy lamp? A white floor lamp with a twisty branchy lampshade. Lucky for us, we were able to snatch the only one in the store.
Don't worry, we plan on removing the plastic wrap when the time comes.
We've decided to use small pops of red in our living room as an accent color. When I saw this lamp shade, I had to have it. I know it's a bit on the bold side for some, but I think we'll be able to make it fit right in. It doesn't hurt that it came on a big white lamp. Who knows if that's the lamp it'll actually stay on, but either way, it was a good score.
Speaking of that big white lamp, we found a couple more in the clearance section, I guess because they were shade-less. Up close they have a few scuffs and scratches, but that's nothing a good coat of spray paint can't fix. Won't these look great in a bold color with simple shades on either side of a bed?
Now that I'm thinking about it, I kinda wish we'd scooped up a few more of these. Maybe they'll still have some when we go back.
Once again, I won't go into too much detail about specific costs, but I will say that we were able to bring home all 4 table lamps and the floor lamp for the price of the Pottery Barn lamp above plus ten dollars. Shazam!
And, just for fun, we also bought these two little sailboats. My mom and I have said from the beginning that our beach house will be beachy but without cheesy beachy decor - things like seashell mirrors, star fish knick-knacks, and vases filled with sand. But, we just couldn't resist these. Won't they look great with our twisty branchy lamps?
All these purchases are getting me really excited for the beach. Mom and I are going to have to start pacing ourselves or we'll have this thing fully decorated before we even break ground!