…because I have been LUSTING – and I do mean, daydreaming and straight-up lus-ting for these lamps from 1st Dibs. Every day for the last, OH – I dunno – 6 months:
And then I looked at the price tag (a cool $6,900 – just a down payment on a car, no biggie), shrugged my shoulders in defeat, and wiped away a single tear. And started singing this song:
Fine, I get it. They were made in the 1950’s by a fancy & famous designer named Gerald Thurston, and they’re extremely rare. And for a second, I pulled my usual: “…but wait… maybe I can MMMMMAKE them (!)” Uh, yeah, no. Not this time sister.
Fast forward to today, when I was minding my own business and perusing a little gem-of-an-antique-market scouting could-be changing tables (dressers) for Vani’s Nursery, and I turned a corner and… (GASP!) – HOLD the phone, THERE were my lamps, IN white. AKA the color I buy everything in. Holy pajamas.
The brassy hardware in between the lotuses was a brighter brass (à la SUPER-90’s yuck) than the 1st Dibs version, and the shades were the shape of Marge Simpson’s ‘do, but that’s nothing I can’t fix. But – the price tag – even at 1/10th of the 1st Dibs verison – was still tough to swallow for a wee commoner. Check it:
So after I finished peeing down my leg in that vendor’s vignette, I began carefully inspecting them. SURELY they were replicas, I thought, but each and every curve was the same (minus the finials). I even picked up the phone and called the dealer of the 1st Dibs BALLER version, and after a colorful convo with him, we figured out that not ONLY were these authentic Gerald Thurston for Lightolier ca. 1950’s lamps, but the dealer said he’d never seen another pair. EVER. (Other than the pair they have for sale for almost $7 G’s). Nor were any replicas ever made to his knowledge. Meaning these things were the real deal. So, you can betcher freakin fanny pack I bartered my face off, pushed my boobs together (which ps, doesn’t work when the men running the store don’t care about boobs, but I gave it a college try anyway), whittled the price down, and then sweet-talked it down s’more… then walked out, then deliberated… then skidaddled back in there and ended up paying the price of a Trina Turk sundress. Slash, the price of a Robert Abbey lamp. For a pair that I love and will have forever. I feel like I could see them sitting on top of an entry table in a celebrity’s coolio, laid-back California pad. Against a wall that’s some fun and crazy color, like this:
BANG. Plus, I figure they’re a lovely gift to myself, AND a total investment… right? So after I take out my pliers, gingerly take that thing apart, turn brassy-mc-nasty into some gorgeous antiqued brass, and slap some new shades on those things, they are going to be dreamy. Snapshots to follow. Also coming this week & next: A Pretty-in-Pink closet, Southern-Mountain-Lady (Nanny) wisdom, and – yo. Whatever else fans up our skirts.
xoxo,
photo credits: (1) 1st Dibs lamps via Pinterest (2) Personal photo (3) Benjamin Moore Paint #2003-40
