There are two kinds of light that we can enjoy in our homes: natural and artificial. Although the most desirable kind of light is natural light it is constantly varying in intensity and direction as it passes overhead. So we are left with creating enough artificial light to illuminate our home sufficiently at any time of the day or night.

Ever since the electric light bulb has been in existence we have been coming up with new ways to use that light. From it’s functional origins the lamp became a work of art through the art deco and retro eras with the lamp bases becoming more decorative ranging from figurines to animal shapes and on to new age materials.

One of those newer types of material that became popular in the construction of lamps, both bases and shades, was a material known as Lucite. This acrylic resin is a hardened plastic material that could be used to be formed into any shape that the designer wanted. Lucite table lamps were soon churned out in great numbers as the retro designers made use of them.

These days, vintage Lucite table lamps are popular collector items as representative of the typical style features from both the art deco and retro eras. They complement contemporary style décor as well as a retro room. They speak clearly of the optimism that sparked in the post-war period. The space age had dawned and household items made with modern materials were all the rage.

It’s worth tracking down these kinds of lamps for the more modern room if you want to add a piece that will spark some interest to the eye. One thing is for sure, a Lucite table lamp is going to stand out.

One of the materials that came to prominence during the 1950s and onwards in the manufacture of small furniture and accessory items was a material known as Lucite. This is a cross between plastic and glass giving you the clear qualities of both but it is a tougher, more durable type of plastic than something like Perspex.

Lucite was used as a highly mouldable medium that was just as capable to form traditional lamp base shapes as it was for the more innovative progressive styles that were becoming prevalent. Lucite was used as either the lamp shade or the lamp base or as a combination of the two.

As a copy of more traditional glass lamp shades the Lucite lamp shades were more reliable, less prone to cracking and could be made relatively cheaply and in great numbers. But just because these lamps were able to be produced cheaply didn’t meant they looked in any way cheap. In fact the designs that came out of the retro era were produced by some of the foremost architects and designers who threw their creative talent into producing some of the more distinctive space age creations imaginable.

Not only was Lucite suitable to use as the entire lamp but it was also spotted frequently as small adornments that were added to the lamp bases and shades to give them sparkling appeal. In many cases table lamps that were made with Lucite could be realistically classed as strange but cool table lamps.

Lamp shades come in a wide variety of shapes and styles and each one gives the lamp a completely new look. You may want to know what the options are so that you are able to ask for the one you want at the store. A lamp shade should generally be approximately two-thirds the height of the lamp base and about one and a half times the width.

The more familiar designs that most of us have seen includes conical, drum, hexagon and square.

These traditional style lamp shades are designed to diffuse the light through plain or brightly decorated material. The embroidered lamp shade is usually made of cotton fabric and your job is to not only choose the kind that is large enough to suit your room, but also in the color and design that will complement the décor in your room.

Whether you are looking for a lampshade that will help to give you’re a traditional look or to replicate a retro look these kinds of lampshades will help to give the room a definite mood setting. Table lamps work best if they are placed in an appropriate setting. This means choosing one that is large enough to light a good proportion of the room, but not too large that it will dominate a small room.

If you have ever had to work shift work and have come home after a tiring night’s work then you will appreciate the necessity to be able to crawl into bed in a darkened room to get some sleep. Particularly if you are going to be working again the next night. On bright sunny days, normal blinds or curtains may not provide enough strength to effectively darken the room and that’s where blackout curtains come into their own.

The great news is that these curtains don’t have to look heavy and stodgy so you can add them to the room and still have a window treatment that looks stylish and appropriate for the room’s décor. Blackout curtains have a couple of added qualities apart from simply blocking out the light. They also provide thermal insulation which means that they help cool the room when it’s warm outside and keep the room warm on cold days.

They can also help filter out a certain amount of noise from the outside, another big factor if you’re hoping to get some sleep during the day.

These curtains will help to provide an intimate setting in the room so you’re not going to put them up if you want a light and breezy look. But for an effective solution for rooms that are hit hard by the afternoon sun, they will be ideal.