Decorative Colored Glass Mosaic Tile Table Lamp #2

Sold at a neighborhood art show. Dimensions: Height 17 inches; Width 8.5 inches; Weight 7 pounds; Each colored glass panel is about 10 x 3 inches; the light cord is about 8 feet long, and a spinning toggle switch is on the cord, right near the base, so it’s easy to turn on and off. This one-of-a-kind accent lighting piece is not officially stained glass, but the small tiles with air bubbles showing certainly evoke the look of really old stained glass. It will add a beautiful, colorful, happy, warm glow to whatever room you put it in. As a feature piece, it will attract a lot of positive attention. I wish I had room for it in my own house, but I don’t, so I’m looking for someone else to give it a good home. How about you? $175. Click here to purchase.

The Story

I found this fairly beat-up looking metal lantern with a few other free items set out in front of a house in my Glover Park neighborhood of D.C. I could tell the rust colored paint hid some actual rust and it was clear this candle holder had been kept outside for many years. But I knew immediately I could make it into an indoor table lamp, like another one I had recently completed. I began the transformation by removing the glass panels (and cleaning them up) and using a chemical stripper to remove most of the paint. Then I used stiff handheld wire brush and a spinning wire brush attached to my electric drill to remove the remaining paint, smooth down the minor rust spots, and clean up and polish the steel on the exterior. This process revealed a nice patina that I decided to retain, rather than cover with fresh paint. I chose 12 colors of glass tile from my current collection (cobalt blue, copper gold, lilac, lagoon, merlot gold, pink, honey gold, hunter green, marine blue, dark amber, amethyst and prickly pear; thanks, Maryland Mosaics!) and glued them to the glass with two colors per panel, for lots of variation. Charcoal-colored, non-sanded grout takes the place of lead in a real stained-glass window. I got the electrical parts I needed from The Lamplighter in Alexandria, Virginia, and installed them pretty quickly, after adding a hexagonal piece of MDF under the base for more stability. The socket can accommodate up to a 100-Watt bulb, but the “after” pictures are taken with only a standard 60-Watt bulb installed, and I think that produces a good level of brightness. The piece has lots of vents at the top, but to avoid heat buildup, you may want to use an LED or compact fluorescent bulb. The glass panels are held in place with the lantern’s original metal tabs inside the frame.

Related Items: Decorative Colored Glass Mosaic Tile Table Lamp, Lawnmower Blade Table Lamp.