Opposing Aesthetic Upcycle Design

I have made good progress on my trumpet lamp, however I have not chosen a lamp shade which I think will be an important deciding factor in the lamp aesthetic. I plan to see what I can thrift tomorrow and if no appealing lamp shades are found I will find one that hasn’t been previously used. Today I chose a fabric scrap from the Art Parts Creative Reuse Center which is a store with used art supplies near North Boulder. In selecting a fabric scrap I wanted a fabric that was colorful, that didn’t clash with the brass color of the trumpet and that was a sturdy material. There were lots of options in a range of colors, patterns and textures. I almost selected a patterned fabric that complimented the color of the brass well, but the fabric seems to stretch so instead I chose a crisper fabric that was a plain teal. The teal is a complimentary color to the brass trumpet and will be a versatile base for pairing with lamp shades. I am hoping to find a slightly ornamented lamp that is colorful such as the red lamp shade in the image below.

[1]

I do plan to use a lamp shade but a completely different aesthetic would be to have a bare bulb. If I choose to have a bare bulb without a lamp shade that would certainly be more of an industrial and minimalist aesthetic, than a shaded lamp. I would probably want to choose an interesting bulb if that was the case and also a dimmer bulb.

[2]

Many lamp shades are plain white or creme colored and even that I would consider to fit within a minimalist aesthetic. As previously stated I haven’t completely nailed down the aesthetic of my lamp but I am trying to have a lamp that let’s the trumpet be the focus of the design and not the lampshade or base, however I would like the lamp shade to still have some decoration. I am aiming for something with a pattern or interesting shape, while not choosing a lamp shade that is too busy. If I chose a really elaborately decorated lamp, such as the bird themed lamp shade shown below, I could end up with a maximalist styled trumpet lamp. While a maximalist lamp could be interesting I want a lamp that is easy going and complementary in many different styled environments since I haven’t settled into a single living place yet and would like a lamp that can blend into many apartments. I feel that a maximalist aesthetic is a little too busy and I prefer a slightly more muted and plain aesthetic.

[3]

 

One thing I have considered is to select multiple lamp shades for my trumpet lamp so that I could change the aesthetic from time to time!

 

[1] https://www.wayfair.com/Astoria-Grand–7-H-x-9-W-SilkShantung-Bell-Lamp-Shade–Spider–VCOU3176-L180-K~W001284301.html?refid=GX685211382163-W001284301_1647318713&device=c&ptid=352885196343&network=g&targetid=pla-352885196343&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=67666014&fdid=1817&PiID%5B%5D=1647318713&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5rGuBhCnARIsAN11vgSG9W_metFSdiNvGEI5K6P3-7yvYoMnqVA2etUtBa3A28cVRtPbilEaAsKbEALw_wcB

[2] https://www.westelm.com/products/sphere-stem-table-lamp-w3704/?catalogId=71&sku=5417295&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Lighting%20%3E%20Table%20%26%20Desk%20Lamps&cm_ite=5417295_14465514686&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5rGuBhCnARIsAN11vgT7tWqrOOGg9Z0PdXR2W2pv_UhMLMktfNHaInJSi4RleSBs6hHgIhgaAqW8EALw_wcB

[3] https://www.etsy.com/listing/1237180799/glorious-plumes-bird-lampshade-blue