Schoolhouse Electric – Making it Lovely

Walter von Nessen (and Inspired) Mushroom Lamps

I used a pair of mushroom lamps recently in our guest room. I like the 60s/70s style they bring to the space, taking it a little more mod than the rest of the house.

They were inspired by the Walter von Nessen NT1037 mushroom table lamp, which featured solid brass construction and a choice of finishes (brass, chrome, nickel, enamel paint, and a plastic dome). Besides the obvious differences in finishes and silhouette, the Nessen lamps were also a larger in scale at 27″ tall and 16″ in diameter. You can still find vintage originals via 1st Dibs or Chairish.

There are several lamps drawing inspiration from those original mushroom lamps on the market right now though, in addition to the pair I picked up. Here’s how they compare.

Threshold Metal Table Lamp, Target — $42.99
The base column is much thicker than the others, and it’s made of a base metal with a brassy gold finish on the outside. 20″ tall, 13.5″ in diameter. Also available with a light bulb for a few dollars more.
Tiered Shade Table Lamp, West Elm — $149
The tiers pull inspiration from Art Deco fixtures and the column is very slender. Also made of a base metal with a faux antique brass finish. 20″ tall, 17″ in diameter.
Sidnie Lamp, Schoolhouse Electric — $449
Made of natural brass with a painted steel base, and designed with thoughtful details like a cloth-covered cord and more finished interior with rotary switch. 19.5″ tall, 12″ in diameter. Also available in white or royal blue for $299.

Real talk, the Target lamps are fine, but the thicker base and connection between the base and shade are not my favorite. They’re also lightweight and easily tipped over, but the price was right and they were for a guest room that mostly hosts the kids’ occasional sleepovers. If I were buying them for a different spot where we’d see and use them all the time, I would have invested in the far lovelier version from Schoolhouse Electric. I even prefer their styling over the Nessen originals.

Which is your favorite? And if the answer is different (as it was in my case), which would you buy?

May 22, 2017

Pink, Brass, Marble, Repeat

It’s nice when all of my favorite colors and finishes are trending because they’re easy to find, but it’s also all too tempting. I don’t need three new side tables! Oh, but I do want each of them.

All of this is new in stores. All of it is lovely! All of it is pink, brass, marble, repeat.

October 23, 2015

New Lights, and New Favorites

There are three existing lights in the hallway: the one that you can see below, hanging down (which is cute and has a round glass shade), and two others that don’t match. Now that the hall construction is complete and the walls have been painted, I want all three lights to be identical for continuity. I was looking for flush mount fixtures in brass to match the metal finishes throughout the Victorian, in a small scale, and in a classic style. I wanted something that looked good, but nothing that was too much of an in-your-face statement piece (hallways are utilitarian spaces — they don’t exactly need chandeliers!). I’ve been a fan of Schoolhouse Electric’s fixtures for ages, so when they offered to provide lighting, I chose three Newberry 4″ pendant fixtures in brass and these white glass shades. They arrived a couple of days ago, and they’re going to look fantastic.

(Oof, that belly. Almost done!)

We’re rewiring the house soon and getting rid of the old BX, along with any hidden knob and tube that’s still active (oh, the joys of old houses!), so we’ll have new fixtures installed then. We’re also having all of the switches on the first and second floors changed out for new push-button switches at the same time. There are a few original ones left in the house, and I love them! I’m so excited that all of the switches are going to match.

OK, and I have to share the new collection that Schoolhouse Electric just released this week. We’d been emailing back and forth about the lights, and they gave me a sneak peek at everything… and whoa. Way more exciting than finishing up a hallway! First of all, this bedroom is perfection. You know I love a good Jenny Lind bed, and a good floral.

My favorites from the new line are below. I want to put a room together around all of these pieces! Can’t you just see it? So awesome when a collection leaves you feeling inspired.

September 18, 2014

Tag: Schoolhouse Electric

Walter von Nessen (and Inspired) Mushroom Lamps

Pink, Brass, Marble, Repeat

New Lights, and New Favorites