Lamp Restoration
Lamp restoration is my specialty. I have been painting new globes for antique lamps for 40 years for antique dealers and individuals.
Many priceless heirlooms sitting in the attic have had new globes re-painted so they can be enjoyed for years to come. Gone with the Wind (GWW) lamps, as they are commonly referred to, can be restored to their former beauty by having a new globe painted to match the antique base. Most of these antique lamps have had the top globes broken over the years.
Click here to view the steps needed to restore a lamp.
All re-paints are done in the traditional way. The paints are hand-mixed with oil. Each lamp typically requires 7-10 paintings and firings. Some take as many as 15 depending on size, detail and color. It is a painstaking process to ensure that someone else's painting be replicated perfectly. Because all items are fired in a kiln, the paint will never come off. Great care is taken to remove all brushstrokes so these will not show when the lamp is lit.
Any lamp base requiring a new globe will need to be sent to Victorian Lamp Restorations so that an exact match can be painted.
New globes in all sizes are available through VLR, including parlor lamp domes. We do not use old shades since they do not hold up in the kiln. We prefer to use our own companies for new globes so we know the quality of the glass. In addition to matching, any new globe can be painted in any pattern requested.For example, we often paint holiday globes for Christmas.
For our nearby customers, lamp bases can always be dropped off and/or picked up in person. We have been doing re-painted lamps for many years and have a great deal of experience in the shipping and packing of these lamps.If there are enough pieces of the original broken globe available that show some of the background and pattern detail, a new globe may be able to be painted from them. Please see our section on shipping for instructions.
We also have many lamp bases to choose from for sale. We would be happy to paint a new top for the base of your choice.These bases will be added to the Web site from time to time. Please email us with any questions you have on bases available on our web site. Remember these bases are antiques. They are not perfect. We will send details of any defects on the bases we sell. We do not electrify, however many of these bases are already electrified. We do suggest that you have an electrician check all wiring. Occasionally we have bases that are not wired and will still burn kerosene. The price listed in the web site includes the base, all glassware, painting of a new globe and shipping.
