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By: Richard Cazzo
Website: http://www.lamps-n-lighting.com
Stained glass lamps such as Tiffany lamps and
Mission style lamps have long been popular with
American consumers who like their brightly colored
glass and ornate design. A close cousin to Tiffany,
the Mission -- or "Arts and Crafts"
style -- lamp, is also gaining converts to its
simpler lines and warmer hues.
"Last year was our biggest one fox stained
glass lamps, Tiffany and Mission-style lamps,
and we expect it to grow even more [in 2000],"
said Patrick Young, the lighting and electrical
buyer for HomeBase. The 88-store chain based in
Irvine, Calif., carries several styles under its
private Galleria label and recently featured two
of them as "Base Buys."
The March circulars for Home Depot on the West
Coast devoted half a page to stained glass lamps,
Tiffany and Mission lamps.
Manufacturers that specialize in stained glass
lamps, Tiffany and Mission lamps attribute the
product's popularity to a surging consumer fondness
for antiques. "It's the whole retro thing.
What's old is new again," explained Marc
Casler, vp-sales for Tensor, a Boston-based vendor
that sells to HomeBase, Montgomery Ward and Bed
Bath & Beyond.
All of Tensor's stained glass lamps, Tiffany
and Mission lamps and lighting fixtures are made
in China, and most of its customers directly import
the products in container quantities, according
to Casler. Consequently, home centers and mass
merchandisers can sell table and desk models in
the $40 to $80 price range. Torchieres, in both
Mission and Tiffany styles, are available for
as little as $99. Even a retailer like the Melville,
N.Y.-based Pergament Home Centers, which is in
the process of remerchandising all of its stores
to appeal to value-conscious customers, is stocking
a fairly robust assortment of Mission-style lamps.
Maher Shaheen, manager at Lamps Plus in Beaverton,
Ore., groups his stained glass lamps, Mission
and Tiffany lamps together on the floor because
both have shades made from leaded stained glass.
"The way the glass is cut determines the
style," said Shaheen, who manages a 12,000-square-foot
lighting showroom. "Put some amber square
cuts [of glass] on a Tiffany and you have a Mission,"
he explained. Lamps Plus, which has 28 stores
in the western United States, has been broadening
its Mission selection "because people are
asking for it," Shaheen said.
The most distinguishing features of Mission-style
stained glass lamps are their geometric patterns
and their gold or orange colored glass. Another
commonly used material in Mission lampshades is
mica, an opaque amber mineral usually combined
with shellac. Traditional Tiffany stained glass
lamp shades, on the other hand, tend towards the
flowery, Victorian look in a rainbow of colors.
The bases of Mission lamps are often made of
cast iron or molten zinc. Higher-end models can
feature a bronze patina or weathered copper, and
those reminiscent of the early 20th century's
arts and crafts period might feature a wooden
base.
Consider shopping online for stained glass lamps,
Tiffany and Mission lamps, it will save you money
. Purchasing stained glass lamps, Tiffany and
Mission lamps to enhancer any area in your home.
There are so many styles of lighting too choose
from such as xenon, fluorescent, halogen fixtures,
crystal, wrought iron, ceramic, brass, victorian,
rustic, glass, country, classic, kids style and
many more. Lighting companes such as LampsPLus,
Lighting Universe, Bellacor to name a few. If
you would like more detailed information and reviews
visit our buyers guide for links to trusted online
lighting merchants offering Mission Tiffany-Style
Table Lamps, Tiffany Collection Table Lamp with
Hand-Cut Glass, Tiffany Collection Pendant Chandeliers,
Tiffany Art Glass Floor Lamps and much more.
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