COOL SHADES

It's so hot and humid outside, I was happy to spend most of my day yesterday walking the aisles of Ikea and Target searching for cool things for clients. One client wanted to rip out old, dated wall sconces in a guest bedroom that look like something her grandmother ordered from the Sears catalog in 1971. If you've had an electrician do any work on your house, you know how expensive they can be...save the money and take your family on vacation for the same price! Yet one more thing I love about the Swedes (and Ikea) is the selection of inexpensive, interesting, versatile lamp shades for under $20. I picked up three shades for $5.99/each (you can't tell how simple yet chic these are..once the lamp is turned on a tone on tone print of branches dances on the wall behind) and in a few minutes turned a dated granny pad into a clean, simple guest pad.
WHERE TO FIND SHADE:
While Target and walmart also tend to have a good selection of lampshades, I prefer Ikea because the shades can serve multiple purposes. These shades have adjustable arms, so can create a taller lamp or short, squat look. I like to change things up from time to time by removing tired, old ceiling lights with inverted lamp shades (I'm actually going to return this one and purchase a much larger shade, but you get the idea). Update wall sconces or purchase the hanging light cord at Ikea for $9.99 and attach a cool shade to hang over a sofa, on either side of a bed as interesting reading lights, over a dining room table, etc. We love the multi-tasking Swedes for creating these awesome pieces for a great price!
TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: five minutes
COST: Shades from Ikea: $5.99/each
STRESS LEVEL:updating an old look without spending a lot of cashola: LOW