I found a pair of lamps at my local Value Village Thrift Store.
This particular Value Village has not shown me any love in months. I didn’t even want to go in but my husband was looking for T-shirts so, I figured it couldn’t hurt. And then the angels were singing and there was a bright light shining down. Not really. Contrary to cartoons, that rarely happens.
Here’s what I actually saw in the store. Only they were separated by about 12 feet with a bunch of other stuff packed in between. And remember the first rule of thrifting: everything looks worse in the store. I had to look past these mildewed, rotted lampshades {anyone have a hazmat suit I can borrow to remove these?} and try to ignore the weirdness that is packed within. But, feast your eyes on a shapely pair of demijohn style glass bottles. Truly a treasure hidden in plain site. Whenever you find one lamp in a thrift store, always scour the store to see if there is another one, it’s even worth asking an employee just in case because a pair of lamps is thrice the find of a single lamp. I’ve always wanted to use the word thrice.
I find it hard to believe that anyone would ever pay $279 for one of these bottles. These lamps were a whopping $8.18 each.
They each have a hole large enough to stick my fist through. I guess that’s so people can stuff it full of junk. I like them empty and you can’t even tell there’s a hole when you turn them around. The wire is completely broken on one of the lamps so I’m going to attempt to replace it. I’ll be sure to document that when I get to it.
Here are the lamps I had before. I really like those lamps and I wasn’t looking to replace them. Although, ever since we got that Ikea shelf they felt less substantial than when I had them on the big dresser. As you can see I’m trying to compensate for their scale by adding tchotchkes~a sure sign that something is amiss.
When I bought these lamps it was so they could sit on my $18 yard sale dresser flanking the $20 sunburst mirror I made. I loved these lamps on the dresser but we had to use it for our tv a few months back and then I got that Ikea shelf and it never felt quite right over there. The shelf is a few inches shorter and I’ve considered adding casters to make it higher.
When I first saw the glass bottle lamp I knew it would be perfect for a spot in our breakfast area. But, once I noticed there were two of them, I HAD to buy both. And there wasn’t room for two lamps in the breakfast area so I popped off the shades from the lamps you see up there {including the harp that squeezes into the part the holds the light bulb and popped them onto the new lamp bases.
I’m going to have to change what’s on the wall though because all I see when I look at this is a cyclops with a moustache and embarrassing small antlers flanked by a pair of pears. And that will be another post.
PS, does anyone else think that the word moustache/mustache is the funniest word in existence?
I hope you continue to follow my sister and the other compassion bloggers this week. And if you haven’t experienced a good round of the chills lately, read this post.
You are so funny, but those lamps, found in the Goodwill???? Wow, I love them!!! On a side note, I do love your sister’s blog too!!! Such inspiration, seriously!!!!
“all I see when I look at this is an eye-clops with a moustache and embarrassing small antlers flanked by a pair of pears”
and this is why I read you even though I could care LESS about decorating!!! :) Love you nester!!!
why thank you very much my dear. is everyone now picturing a real deer? am I the only one with this problem?
you are spitmycoffeealloverthescreen funny!
That has to be about one of the best Before and Afters e-ver. I don’t think I’ve seen many things more hideous than those old lampshades. Except for maybe what was inside the lamps. Two thumbs up for you for seeing the potential! :)
I LOVE them! Great find!! I’m also in love with the wood carving hanging above them. Where is that from?
yard sale! I have a white moustache just like it that I got from tj maxx years ago, and when I saw the brown moustache I knew I wanted it~even splurged and spent $8 at a yard sale for it-which is like a million dollars in yard sale money. They are made by Three Hands Corp.
I could not help, but laugh when I saw the photo at the bottom. Then I looked at the photo and above and started noticing it too!
Great looking lamps though! They can go with just about anything. Wish I could find stuff like that around here.
#1. Lucky girl! Look at those lamps. I always like my lamps with a curvy bottom ;)
#2. I literally giggled for minutes at your mustache/google eyed picture.
Thanks for the chuckle!
Have a blessed day,
Jenn
I LOVE your pear/moustache montage!!! Laughing in my cube. :)
{Giggle. giggle} Yes…but my favorite Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, sports one of perfection.
But I do think that your wall moustache and forehead furrows need to go {big grin}!!!
Amazing find. period.
score!!!!! what a great find. and I totally didnt see the face until you pointed it now- now I see Mike Wazowsk (from Monsters, Inc)i with a mustache! LOL
Great lamps! But, where did you find your blue lamps that you had up there before the glass ones? I am looking for something for our bedroom and those would be perfect. I had tried some glass ones but they just got lost in the room, but that pop of blue would be great.
I love the lamps. Such versatility!
Your lamps are lovely! I probably would’ve been grossed out and walked right by them… I suck at thriftying because I’m easily grossed out by mildew-ee/dirty stuff… great find!
I thought I was the only strange person that thinks mustache is a hysterical word… I have my 2 year old say it all the time just because it’s so stinkin’ funny in his little voice. Now I know I’m not the only weirdo who laughs at the word mustache. ;)
WOW!!! Amazing the before and after!!!! I have laundry, grocery store, and now all I want to do is go to a thrift storeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Thanks for the inspiration!
me too!
You funny girl!
I love your sense of humor.
I didn’t see the cyclops with the moose-tash, until you pointed it out!
(And even then, I still didn’t see it).
I LOVE Good Will/ yard sale/flea market lamps and chandys! In fact, I don’t think I have bought a lamp retail for years.
The pear you found is fabulous!
Thank you for helping us to see past the debris and dirt to the divine!
HUGS and blessings to you as you make your home!
~me
Moustachio is how I always say it in my head…
Congratulations on your amazing find. I called my mom the other day asking if the huge starburst clock that was in my grandmother’s beauty salon was still there. We sold the house and the salon a few years ago. Many treasures were lost in the move. I think the clock was one of them. We do still have the antique cash register, but it’s not very practical for my living room.
I added coasters to my Ikea shelving unit. Like it much better now that is taller!! Those few inches really make a difference! :)
Wow! I’m impressed that you found those at Goodwill! They are amazing! :) As for the cyclops face, that totally made my day! I was literally laughing hysterically because things like that happen in my house all the time! It’s amazing how many faces can start to form from my decorative pieces. I have to be very careful on my placement! It’s almost like I purposely TRY to make faces out of objects! Haha!
Your post just cracked me up! Thanks for the cheer this morning, and congrats on the incredible find! Enjoy your week.
Love them! I found one similiar at an estate sale with a huge lampshade and dried flowers. I ended up taking it apart and just displaying the bottle. It is almost too big to make into a lamp anyway.
I love lamps! I love great finds like that :)
I always think this….I must ash you a question.
Dee
I love the new lamps. What a pretty shape! However I liked the teal/blue ones there better. I enjoy the pop of color there and thought the scale was fine. I’m new to your blog and am enjoying reading back posts. I really like that you don’t add tons of “stuff” everywhere. So many blogs pack knick-knacks all over the place. I say the more minimal the better!
You are crackin’ me up this morning!! LOL.
Cyclops … fyi, just in case you want to use it again because I know it must come up often in the world of interior design.
The lamps look terrific, clean and classy. Congrats on a great score!
oh my gosh, I totally typed cyclops and then spell check changed it to eye-clops–the hook to your TV game my boys have~HOW does it know eye-clops more than cyclops?
Score! Great job!
I think additional height on the Ikea shelf would be great–help it to feel a little airy-er (airier? airyer?). I could also see it with some rockin’ wood feet, like your thrift-store dresser. Kinda like these: http://www.osbornewood.com/Square-Feet.cfm
Or, for more fun, you could do one of these: http://www.osbornewood.com/queen-anne-legs.cfm
(I know, they’re uber-expensive . . . but maybe you could score a thrift find that has awesome claw feet, but the rest isn’t worth anything? It’s worth a shot. ;o)
Have fun!
I think the mustachioed cyclops adds whimsy ;) Love the new lamps, but I’ll have to admit, I would have been hard-pressed to find the beauty in them at the thrift store in their original condition. Good on ya.
That mustache picture makes me laugh so much! ;)
When I found a similar glas lamp in a thriftstore it didn’t come in a pair… but filled with some green apples I love the lamp: http://www.margitta.no/2011/02/lamp-re-vamp.html
Thank you for making me laugh just now. The end of your post was delightful! :)
Your knack for thrifting inspires me. I drove by one shop today and longed to go in. But I have quite a bit of clean-up and clearing out to do before I can change my current decor.
Thanks for the inspiration and great ideas!
LOL!!!! For the record, I didn’t see that vision until you pointed it out. Hilarious.
Donna
Glory…my emotions get a workout here! First I am smiling over your found treasure; then I am laughing out loud over the hilarity of your words, and finally I am lump-in-the-throat-tears-in-the-eyes from Shaun’s post your sent your readers over to. Amazing how everything works in life….
kelly
Just thinkin you could mount your tv on the wall so you can free up your $18 dresser to use with the turquoise lamps, that is such a beautiful look. Love the new clear lamps, I have lamp envy, lol.
Haha! I love what you see, because I totally saw the mustache to!
love the lamps – also love those shades!
I am enjoying the Compassion updates. I first heard of this program through Kelly Stamps (kellyskornerblog.com) who went on one of their trips. Wonderful organization!!
tina
Yup, the tiny picture I saw through networkedblogs on facebook made me think “Why the heck is there a giant moustache on the wall!?” Luckily the close up clarified. But I can totally see where you’re coming from on that one :)
your new online nest looks lovely Nester! So happy for you!
Good lesson in thrifting! Those looked nasty in the store, but boy do they look gorgeous now!!!
You are SO dern funny. I LOVE the lamps. And yes, moustache is a cuhrazy word.
Those lamps are awesome! I would have been all over that! You have to come over to see my recent thrift store finds!
The lamps are absolutely gorgeous. What a great find. You have a good eye!
Thanks for inspiring me!
Oh my WORD you crack me UP! My husband and I are on duelling laptops tonight. I’m sure he thinks I’m nuts, laughing so hysterically at my screen. I think he’s afraid to ask what’s so funny. Little does he know I’m just laughing at your moustached dude. (Ahhhh… Thanks for that.)
You’ve got a great eye! I would have probably walked right past these lamps in the store. That stuff inside looks gross! They look great all cleaned up and in your house though! NICE!
oh my gracious…i seriously thought i was the only person in the world who “sees” faces (not in the creepy way!) in arrangments of things–i have seriously rearranged the way pillows are on the bed because they look like eyes and a nose…!!! is there anything better than just having someone else say “me, too!” to shared thought, experience, etc..?!!! thanks for making me feel like i’m not alone in my silliness!
Now you’re going to give your antlers an inferiority complex! Great find with the lamps. I do love those blue ones too though.
Hee hee hee. #ThatIsAll
They are gorgeous! Thank goodness you saw past all the nasty and gave them a proper home. Blogging is really fun when you get to use words like thrice, too.
I’d like to stay and chat, but I really mustache.
*giggle*
I love those lamps. Wow, what a find! You did good! :)
Once it is seen, it cannot be unseen!
And I actually like your arrangement until you described your “vision” of it, too, haha! Fabulous find!