I used to be seriously afraid of the dark when I was a little girl. I would see monsters in every shadow and picture my dolls coming to life behind my closed closet doors. I have the old Child’s Play movies to thank for that last one. But now, I absolutely love sitting in the dark. Rather than scary, I find it to be relaxing, and sometimes it’s the only way I can get my mind to shut down. My husband and I have been looking for a lamp for our room, since we both love being in the dark and hate using the bright overhead lighting. These Punctured Paper Lampshades by Etsy seller warpeDesign are a dream come true.
The dark shades will keep the room in relative darkness, just the way we like it, with just enough light to allow us to walk around the room without tripping. But I am much, much more impressed by the beautiful, hand-punctured holes that create elaborate designs on the shades. I can just imagine the textures these shades would create on our walls.
I’m not sure if warpeDesigns uses recycled paper in their creations, but these handmade beauties were too good to pass up. They do make some cards on recycled paper with the same hand-punctured technique, so hopefully, that practice will soon carry over to their lampshades. They recommend use of a bulb no larger than 40 watts (paper is flammable, after all), and I would suggest you take that one step further by using a compact fluorescent or LED light bulb, which burn much cooler than traditional incandescent bulbs and, of course, require much less energy.
If my local Goodwill can deliver a suitable base, I see a beautiful warpeDesign lampshade in my future. They are available in black and white paper, but I’m partial to the black.
Why It’s Green:
- Handmade in the U.S. (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Price: $55-90
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I’m Jennae Petersen, and I’m a lot of things. A mother, a graphic artist, a connosieur of beautiful interiors and a purveyor of all things design. Green Your Decor was borne of frustration in my attempts to find eco-friendly housewares that were also beautiful, and inspiration to do something to reduce my own carbon footprint and help others do the same in a beautiful way.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice find! I also enjoy light through punctured paper.
kits last blog post..Rice paste resist, before and after
love this!
I have been jonzing for a black shade!!! My grandmother’s house is the epitome of high style for me. I’ve copied everything from her choices in artwork & textiles to taking any design discard she passes my way, but it was only the last time I visited that I realized how many black paper shades she employs in her home. They’re not great for reading or playing cards, but for setting a mood – they’re divine!
@deana I never thought I would like a black shade until I saw these. The light play from the holes makes it so dynamic that you can barely tell the shade is made of black paper. And it sounds like I would love your grandmother’s taste as well!