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.

Some of the most striking pieces of furniture in a room may well be glass table lamps, such is the diversity of range available in their design and color. The clear glass bases of some of the better crafted retro glass table lamps have a distinctive appeal to them and simply beg you to buy them and take them home.

The shades that are used to complement these pieces will often look just at home in the modern room as they do in the more traditional retro styled room. That is one of the appealing aspects of the retro styles pieces, their adaptability and wide ranging appeal.

Colored glass table lamps are the more often sighted lamps and then there are the cylinder lamps that have an old world appeal all of their own. Choosing only one could well be a hopeless task and if you have to buy more than one, the classy look nowadays is to mix rather than match.

Styles come in and out of fashion with regularity and so, the retro style of the 1950s, 60s and 70s is making a comeback. The imagination and creativity from the 1950s are merged with the daring funk of the 1970s in a way that is being appreciated all over again. A simple accessory piece such as the floor lamp puts the final exclamation point on a retro lounge room or bedroom.

A retro floor lamp like the Danish style retro floor lamps that reflect the diverse fashion styles of the retro era. Lamp stands were made using new materials of the time like melamine and plastics. The lamp shades were decorated with showy trimmings or flashy prints or were made with materials such as fiberglass. The changing fashion trends can be easily traced simply by noting the diverse materials used.

The range of floor lamp styles can be appreciated by sampling the following selection.

The simple cone lamp was found in almost every household in the 1950s and 1960s, however it was often the ceiling to floor pole lamps that spoke of the owners taste. The cone lamp shade complements any retro influenced design style. Often found in groups of three, these little metal marvels came in a variety of colors they were also commonly used as bedroom lamps.

Another popular retro lamp shade that was used either to top a floor lamp or as a ceiling light fixture is the translucent glass light shade. The fishbowl-shaped light shade was often seen in amber and featured either a pumpkin skin-like look or a bubbled surface. This kind of glass lamp shade gives a room true retro authenticity but does so in an understated manner.

These two types of retro lamp shades demonstrate the fact that retro fashion can either be bold and edgy, going out of the way to make or statement, or it can be muted and understated hoping simply to not look out of place.

An important part of imagining a retro room is buying furnishings that follow the retro style. A brave choice in retro floor lamps could make a big difference to the overall appeal.