Circle Lamps with Multi-color Stained Glass

This pair of lamps emerged from our combined enthusiasm for the 'Deconstructed Walnut Lamp' and the 'Green Paulownia Carved Circles Box'. We wanted to make a stylistically different 'deconstructed' lamp (one in which the four sides are only 'connected' to one another via a common base) after recently completing a wild one done in walnut. We elected to lift the motif of overlapping and concentric circles from the green paulownia box and reproduce it to the extent possible using stained glass in a pair of deconstructed lamps. We chose African Sapele for the wood because we wanted an overall glossy look and this wood has a natural sheen that is magnified in this instance by the semi-gloss oil and urethane finish we applied. We also chose it for its beautiful golden brown tones and grains, which marry beautifully with the blues, grays and whites of the stained glass circles, all of which is enhanced by the classic glow of the Edison style bulbs.

We cut the four sides into stylized shapes that suggest the arcs of circles and then created original circle designs in each panel via a series of hole saws. We then rabbeted the back sides of the circles to create ledges upon which each circle of glass would rest. Once the woodwork portion of the project was complete, we went to work with the glass, cutting and grinding to size 34 circles. We chose to create the bases from tulip poplar because we wanted they eye to focus on the grains of the Sapele sides and the streaks of color in the glass and we didn't want to make an overly busy 'picture' by having yet another wood grain in the base competing for visual attention. The base was crafted into a disappearing 'V' shape to give the lamps a bit of an illusion of floating. This look was further enhanced by the addition of two hidden legs on the underside that give even more lift and create a channel for the cord so that the lamps may be turned for viewing from different angles. 

We love the look of this pair of lamps. They have clean lines yet are somehow exotic. The wood grain and the glass look wildly different lit versus unlit and in the changing ambient light conditions. They are lovely on pairs of end tables or night stands, or on opposite ends of a large console table.