The lamp and lighting book: Designs, elements, materials, shades for standing lamps, ceiling and wall fixtures

THE LAMP AND LIGHTING BOOK "Why make lamps? When you think about it, you can't afford not to." So say Thelma Jay, and Lee Newman, the authors of this exciting new book on every aspect of creating elegant lamps to grace every room in your home. Beginning with a basic chapter on light and design, in which such factors as appearance, maintenance, economy, and mood-creating aspects are discussed, the Newmans go on to explain how to construct and wire the basic lamp. They offer complete information on parts, safety techniques, preparing the wire for connection, making various connections, and wiring the parts. Once you've mastered the lampmaking techniques, the next step is the lampshade. Here are step-by-step instructions, superbly illustrated, for choosing materials, making patterns, preparing the frame, and applying coverings, linings, and trimmings. Some of the variations the authors introduce are overlays, decoupage, the pierced and cut look, pleated and fluted shades, and slipcover and wrapped shades. If your home requires table and floor lamps, here are tips on working with wood and plastic to achieve beautiful effects: gluing wood, veneering, texturing, sanding, staining, and finishing; marking and sawing acrylic, drilling and tapping, finishing an acrylic edge, cementing, heating, and forming acrylic. For those fascinated by the possibility of working from found objects, there are marvelous ideas for using glass, china, woven reeds and other fibers, gourds, tin cans, fiberboard containers, wire sieves, hanging plant containers, scrap wood, toys, teakettles, even a stack of old books to achieve fantastic results. And for a truly artistic approach, there are unique chapters on stained-glass-type lamps and the lamp as sculpture.