Lampshades with Legs

Ta Krai Hom, 2011

Throughout my lampshade-making career, I was sometimes asked how long a lampshade would last. Of course the answer, "It depends" was not always well received. An older quiet couple without pets might deserve one answer; a household which allows the kids to play football in the living room...

But now I have evidence that even in public places, a lampshade may last a long time and still look fine. In 2005, when a small restaurant space on Dwight Way opened up (it once housed A La Carte in the late 1990's), in came a new French bistro known as Olivia.

I remember A La Carte, but I remember Olivia much better because I made most, if not all, of the lampshades, pendants and sconces for the new restaurant.  The shades were constructed using the wonderful papers of Bradbury & Bradbury. It was a sweet project and the chef, Nathan Peterson, was fun to work with.

Later, in 2008, the restaurant changed hands and names - Digs, a California-style bistro. I'm not sure that we ever made it to Digs for dinner, but I believe it stayed around for a number of years. After that, Ta Krai Hom, serving Thai street food, moved in. They kept the old Olivia lighting elements, but painted the walls a very bright green. I mean, v-e-r-y bright. And now Mim, another Thai place with more restrained wall colors, but most of the same lights. Except a few of the shades - the more portable ones - went walking.

Four different restaurants with very different styles - French, California, Thai - over eleven years managed to keep the same lighting and make it look appealing. I'm happy to have helped make it happen, way back when.

Mim, 2016

For an additional image of Olivia's dining space in 2005, click here.

Summer Bounty for the Rest of Us

Since retiring, I have made two lampshades. Or rather, I've re-made two small shades which were old enough to be attending junior high, but I don't think that really counts as working.

Instead, I've been slaving away into the yard. Ahhh, yes, the Zucchini Sex Goddess has been re-deployed. In fact, that ZSG tried to expand her area of expertise and work her charms on a gourd plant - close cousin to the zuke, that blooms even earlier in the morning - but to no purpose. No girl gourds came to the party.



The blossoms on the gourd plant are quite pretty, though - white instead of goldfish-orange. So we all pretended it was just fine to grow a flowering vine. It doesn't really matter that there will not be any gourds this year, right?

But there are beans, beans and more than enough beans to make up for the lack of a few stupid gourds. This season's choice was Fortex pole beans. Great results. And the neighborhood crowd pleaser? Watching the vines grow up the trellis in the front yard (more about trellises another time).

I like my beans mildly flavored (none of that hearty, chewy beany-ness of romanos for me). If you feel that same way, I strongly recommend Fortex. Then you get the entertainment of designing and building a trellis, too.

Goddess of Light, Ret.

I've been talking about it and talking about it and talking about it.  And now I've gone and done it.

Yup, retirement. We'll see how well it sticks.

And just for fun - after all, isn't retirement supposed to be fun? - there will be a gathering at Sue Johnson Lamps on Saturday, June 8th, as part of the Solano Art Walk.

So if you are out and about next Saturday, please stop by:

Saturday, June 8th, 2013
6 - 8 pm
Sue Johnson Custom Lamps & Shades
1745 Solano Avenue,  Berkeley

Noisy Tenants, Nosy Landlady

We have new tenants. They hang out year round in the 'hood, but each spring, when they decide to have another go at child rearing, they take advantage of any local vacancy in the real estate market and move in.

I love it. I try and lure them to my spare unit by making sure that it is all clean and ready. This means fluffing up the dryer lint (don't look at me - they moved it all in there themselves) and evicting the over-wintering wasps. And if the previous tenants left a mess (unhatched eggs, one year), I tidy it all up. Finally, I never require first, last or a deposit.

So just who are these neighbors? Why the oak titmouse, of course, who's call is loud enough to chase away all those who might want to elbow (yup, birds have elbows, too) their way into a great rental space - other titmice, chickadees and wrens.

The box was a lovely gift (lucky me) from Sue Johnson who also made the wood burned image of the chickadee on its side. That was in 2004.

Since then, we have helped "raise" numerous generations of birds. At first, the chickadees had control of the unit. In recent years, the titmice have outmaneuvered the other contenders (they are just a little bit bigger, I think). I keep hoping for a wren to move into the box, but heck, they only moved into this neighborhood a few years ago.

Princess, the other interested, would-be ornithologist on the property, is not so discriminating. As long as there is someone with feathers going in and out of the box, she will perch on the composting bin and purr. Don't know what's going to happen when the babies start to peep...

I Know What I Did This Summer...

You thought I spent my entire time out on the patio, goofin' off with the damn cat. Playing dress-up and chasing after bugs.

But, nooo, I was busy, busy, busy making lampshades to pair up with some beautiful lamps that we have at the shop. 'Cause the lamp shop has now been around for forty (yup, four-zero) years, so in celebration, all this year we have been showcasing some very special pieces. It's been a load of fun, too.

At this point, we're moving on to the annual BIG Fall Lamp Sale.  The sale runs until Sunday, November 11th, so you still have plenty of time to harvest the last of the tomatoes, prick up your ears for the remaining katydids and snag a bargain. Just in time for those dark, wet winter nights.

Only remember to bring your lamp, wear comfortable shoes and be really nice to the staff.


Photos courtesy of Mary Shilman

 

Shameless Plug #2: Sue Johnson Custom Lamps & Shades

Haha, hoho, once again, it's the annual Spring Sale time at Sue Johnson Lamps & Shades on Solano in Berkeley.  Starts Friday, May 11th and keeps on going through Sunday, May 20th. Be really nice to the helpers there, 'cause we get a little wonky by the end.  

Happy Mother's Day!

Yup, I made the shade for the lamp to the left. And that most gorgeous ceiling piece shown below was made by Mary Shilman. She also took the photos.