Today is Earth Day, a day of awareness for creating a eco-friendly, healthier environment for future generations.

My Dad's Danish Modern Tulip Tension Pole Lamp

Recycling pre-owned lighting keeps it out of the land fills. It also enhances the beauty of your home. It instills a sense of value to the history of past generations, their interior design and decorating. It’s a great method for teaching your family to appreciate Antiques or Family Heirlooms, various Art Work, and Trade Skills.

With just a bit of searching in local area shops, or on the internet for “Antique Lamp Shade”, “Vintage Lamp Shade” or “Collectible lamp shade”, you can discover great shapes, styles, materials, and colors. Earth colors are very popular right now, greening your home in shades of ivory, tan, browns, golds, greens, blues will enhance your decor.

A search for a specific Style, such as Danish Modern, Mid Century Modern, Victorian, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s etc will show you an endless array of terrific used, stylish lighting for all types of decor.

Even using a new lamp with a old shade, or vice versa will benefit Mother Earth, and keep nice old pieces out of the trash and add some stylish history to your life.

Here’s a few ideas:

If you are into Danish Modern like I am, you probably like Floor or Tension Pole Lamps, or Hanging Swag Lamps, and you will want to hunt for Threaded shades to screw into those light fixtures. My Dad’s gorgeous Danish Modern tension pole lamp with Tulip Blossom Shades and Teak Wood leaves graces our bedroom. The green shade is cracked, so if something should happen to it, I could quickly change the entire look with white or orange shades. Threaded shades were made in a number of shapes and colors and with some searching, they can be found.

I also love these Art Deco Style Shades made of Clear Glass, partially painted white, with their geometric designs. They are great for vintage bathrooms, hallways, and kitchens.

Or maybe you love the old Colonial Kerosene Oil Style Student Desk or Table Lamps. My Mother broke the shade on hers several years back, and quite by accident we found another just like it, probably made during the 1970s. There are so many of these lovely lamps that have been knocked over and had their shades broken. The lamps are still beautiful and in working order, but no longer have a shade. You can find lots lamps without shades and plenty of both new replacements and old original shades.

Spend Earth Day and Every Day watching for interesting, useful and eye pleasing items of all types that you can recycle. Help keep usable things out of the landfills and turn them into treasures.

You may find the following Lighting Replacement HOW TO Articles helpful:

• How to Choose the Correct Kerosene or Oil Lamp Chimney
• How to Measure for a Electric Lamp Chimney
• How to Measure Student, Gone with the Wind, Hurricane, Fixture, Ball, and Globe Shades.