I am sitting at my desk in front of a large Victorian sash window watching large snowflakes falling outside. It is warm and cozy inside with my Labrador snuggled up at my feet. I am struck by the way that the dull light from outside still refracts and sparkles off the many glass and crystal lamps that are on the table beside me. It is a very pretty sight.
Glass is such an integral part our lives. Tactile and functional we use it every day for drinking, putting flowers into or serving salads in. Often it is cut and covered in designs but most often it is plain or moulded into good shapes that serve a certain purpose. I think that our intimacy and emotional connections with the glass of our parents and our grandparents means that we treasure the special pieces of glass. So when they fall out of fashion or no longer suit our modern lifestyles we pack these pieces up safely and store them away. These treasures languish in their hiding places and can be moved from house to house or even country to country always wrapped up safely in their boxes and never seeing the light of day.
With my love of glass, especially the sculptural vases made in the 1950’s by the Scandinavian and English designers, I became aware of the family pieces that I have myself of cut crystal glasses and decanters and how they have traveled with me all over the world never leaving their safe boxes. What a waste of good quality glass made with beautiful designs and shapes! So, I decided to rescue them and have come up with a way to turn the decanters into lamps. Lamps for next to the bed or next to the sofa as well as lamps for the sideboard and bookshelves. The more I investigated all these unwanted decanters the more that I became aware that they came in all shapes and sizes and would suit all interior settings. Some of the decanters are very old and have wonderful sculptural forms and some are not so old but have beautiful hand cut designs. The crystal ones sparkle in the light whereas the moulded ribbed ones reflect the light and create wonderful shadows.
These decanter lamps can be romantic, pretty, glamorous, stylish, antique or retro looking but what they are most of all is unique and are one-offs unless they are a pair. I think that it is much better to rescue these beautiful objects and let them live again to sparkle in the light than leave them packed away in the dark.