Style Illuminated

The unique culture and civilization of Morocco has always held a fascination for decorators and fashionistas.

Moroccan decor style is rich with wonderfully vibrant colors, patterns and textures; it's a natural for the home! 

Let's begin our style tour with the Rubina Area Rug (above). It has a beautiful red and gold pattern that evokes classic rugs from the area.

This square ottoman has a more modern look, but the vibrant colors and pattern will work in any Moroccan decor room. Orange Square Pouffe Ottoman.

These accent pillows have a beautiful repeating pattern, an element often seen in Moroccan design. Surya Gold and Green Accent Pillows.

A classic Moroccan blue is seen on this ceramic lantern design. Pocono Candle Lantern.

This set of woven baskets offers a rich wood accent for the vivid Moroccan colors. Capri Brown Baskets. 

These decorative finials come in wonderful colors and have an eye-catching form that evokes Moroccan architecture. Misa Decorative Finals. 

For lighting, this table lamp has a hammered metal base reminiscent of traditional Moroccan crafts. Hammered Metal Pot Table Lamp.

And to place the lamp on, how about this leather end table with nail head trim? Leather Wrapped Round End Table.

Finally, to take your outdoor spaces to exotic Morocco, try this beautiful Moroccan Garden Fountain...

...and the Cambria Outdoor Hanging Lantern with seedy glass and a decorative grill pattern.

Our new friend Lynda got our attention recently by posting pictures on our Facebook page. Lynda owns Focal Point, a growing interior design firm in Florida.

The pictures are from a recent project where Lynda completely refurbished the common areas of a small townhouse. As you can see above, our Moonlight wall mirror takes center stage in the living room. Thanks for uploading the pics, Lynda!

Read more about this project including lots of before and after pictures at Lynda's blog: Focal Point: Client Project.

We love seeing our products "in the wild." Upload your pictures to Facebook.com/LampsPlus or email them to community@lampsplus.com and we'll do our best to feature them!

Here's another look at our Moonlight mirror:

Spotted in The Seattle Times, designer Candice Olson used black as a decor theme in this classic kitchen remodel.

Says Candice, "Many people don't think of black when renovating a kitchen. Used properly, however, it can provide a great anchor in a large room and bring a sense of sophistication and style to any space."

I think it's a refreshing look after seeing years of stainless steel. I also like how she integrated a pendant chandelier and recessed lighting into the space. Read more.

Photo thanks to The Seattle Times. 

We loved our Cylinder Glass Table Lamp so much that we made a square block version of it!

Like the cylinder lamp, this version can be filled with whatever you like - shells, stones, colored knicknaks, you name it.

Bored with the look? Swap it out for something else or leave it "au naturel".

Here it is with some pretty glass fish for a coastal decor look.

Or give it a Thanksgiving, holiday theme with seasonal items.

It's fun to try different looks by combining different items!

Get all the details here: Fillable Glass Block Table Lamp, or view more glass table lamps.

Post Update 1-30-12 - As Joe noticed below, this item has sold out and is no longer in stock. We still have the taller cylinder version available, however. Click the link at the top of the post to view.

LAMPS PLUS Facebook reader Wanda recently asked us the following: "Please give me some advice about hanging wall sconces above an electrical outlet. Do I have to knock a hole in the wall to attach electricity between the sconce and the outlet?"

The short answer is, "yes". If you have a wall sconce that requires hardwire installation, and there's not junction box around, you are going to have to have an electrician install a box and wire it for you. If you are an advanced DIY type, you could do this yourself.

However, if the spot you want to install the sconce is directly above an existing electrical outlet, then I'd suggest using a plug-in wall sconce. These are super easy to install; if you can hang a picture you can install a plug-in sconce!

All you do is attach them to the wall, much as you would hang a photo or art piece, and plug them in. That's it! You can dress the hanging cord up with a cord cover for a fancier look, but there's no electrical work needed.

The hardwired sconces offer a more finished look, but for seating areas or around a bed, the plug-in wall sconces look great and offer an easy style fix.

They come in a wide range of looks. The Jonathan Adler Havana Sconce (above) and the Wakefield Daisies Plug-In Sconce (at the top of the post) are among my current favorites. 

Hope this info helps! 

The hot home decor look for the coming season? It's all about numbers and letters! Decor items with typographic lettering and number elements, to be exact. 

You'll find them on decorative accents, dishware and furnishings. The types of typographic decor spans a range of styles, from vintage letterpress and old correspondence imagery, to clean-lined modern graphics with bold text and symbols.

Used as pure design, the words and letters take on a beautifully decorative quality.

Here are some examples to help you write a new chapter in your home decorating.

Greet guests with the homespun touch of the Welcome Tabletop Sign (see above).

These decorative book boxes feature vintage style lettering and handwriting. Historic Poster Decorative Boxes.

Antique style handwriting and a postcard theme acts as a charming backdrop on these Bird-Themed Stone Coasters.

This rug is soft under-foot and greets you with the Chinese characters for home, good energy and all-complete. Scripts Black Multi Area Rug.

 Set a rustic tone with these classic vacation lodge signs. Set of 4 Lodge Signs Wall Art.

Or head to the beach with these soft coastal style accents. Beach and Ocean Wall Art.

These hand-painted prints reproduce the 16th century work of Dutch artist Joris Hoefnagel, including some incredible calligraphy work. Tulips Intertwine Hand Painted Wall Art.

The classic Love sculpture inspired this framed wall art design. Each letter appears in a differnt font and size, giving the print a rich, sculptural feel.  Love Wall Art. 

And finally, our exclusive giclee shade pattern with inspirational phrases decorates this accent table lamp. The design has a cool "kiss" base and a drum shade with different fonts and typographic treatments. Click here for a look: Positivity Giclee Kiss Table Lamp.

Reader Suzanne wrote to us with this question: “Hello, I recently stayed at a hotel in Montreal, that had a lighted mirror in the bathroom. Do you have anything like this?”

We do carry a wide range of lighted mirrors for the bath or dressing area. Some are smaller, swing-arm mirrors that are ideal for applying makeup or grooming.

The Chrome Swing Arm Lighted Mirror in the scene above even has a "touch free" feature; just wave your hand across the mirror to turn it on or off!

Other lighted mirrors are rectangular in shape and take the place of the regular mirror over a sink or vanity. The Lite Source Lighted Wall Mirror seen above has a frameless mirror design that uses eight bright halogen bulbs.

There are even lighted mirrors with a little bling, like this traditional mirror with cut glass accents and side sconces. The design above also plugs-in, meaning there's no wiring necessary. La Crysta Collection Plug-In Wall Mirror.

The Philips LED Lumiware Flower Vase is a cool new design that will display your favorite flowers and put on a light show at the same time. It's not really from the future, but it feels like it!  

The vase has clear sides with built-in LEDs in the bottom. The LEDs can be set to one glowing color or can cycle thru a range of colors, from purples and blues to reds and greens. 

There's a recharging dock at the bottom that contains an integrated battery pack. You can run the LEDs with the vase attached to the dock, or un-dock it for remote use.  

It will run 10 to 12 hours on a single dock charge, and it's safe for use outdoors or on porches and patios. Now if only it could materialize the flowers when needed!

The Obama Oval Office got an official makeover recently, including a new rug, new sofas and a pair of Presidential blue table lamps by designer Christopher Spitzmiller. The blue is just about the only color in the otherwise neutral tone room.

I went looking for similar ideas in our table lamp section and came up with a couple of close matches.

The Haeger Potteries Blue Ceramic Table Lamp has the right tone of blue and the same rectangular lamp body shape as the Oval Office lamps, but the shade's not as tapered.

Haeger Potteries has been located on the Fox River, northwest of Chicago, for over 130 years, a fact that Chicagoan Obama might like! This blue ceramic is just another example of their beautiful designs.

For a slimmer look, the Prez could go with this Robert Abbey Blue Glass Table Lamp. It has a more formal look than the Haeger lamp, with an antique brass finish and a stacked pedestal base. 

AP News photo thanks to the Wall Street Journal.

The Fall season is here, with rain (in Los Angeles of all places!) and cooler temperatures. If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace to cozy up to, here are three ways to give it a whole new look for the season. 

Start with the fireplace tool set. These come in a wide range of styles, from ornate to rustic.

Most feature a brush, tongs and ashes scoop. Fancier designs, like the one above, give you storage for logs and kindling.

Next, you'll want to accent the mantel.

If you have just one large painting or photo above the fireplace on a mantel, try adding additional wall decor pieces.

Odd numbers of framed prints or wall decor items always look best, say 3 or 5. Matching prints, like those above, are a great way to add multiple items.

And you don't have to get fancy and hang them; just lean them against the wall for a more casual look that can be easily switched around. 

If you are stuck on using just one painting or wall decor accent above the fireplace, here's another approach to try.

Add decorative objects below the painting on the fireplace mantel to create a sense of depth and dimension.

The objects can be prized collectables from around your home or seasonal accents like pine cones and pumpkins. Candleholders, like the twig and branch-themed design above, are always a classic touch. 

Got an idea of your own? Let us know and we'll blog about it!