Start Hacking Now: Lamps – Nesting Place

May 17, 2025 - By 4idiotz

Article Summary

In this article, the author shares her favorite lamp hack, which she learned from Megan D. Miller. The author has used this hack twice and encourages readers to try it out. She emphasizes the importance of lamps in adding style and cozy light to a room. Lamps are part of the homey trinity and are added in step three of the order of decor. The author also provides tips for finding and styling lamps on a budget.

What This Means for You

You can find beautiful lamps at a variety of price points, from high-end shops to thrift stores.
Mix and match different styles and materials of lamps to add interest and personality to your space.
Don’t be afraid to try the lamp hack and transform a vessel and thrifted lamp base into a unique and stylish lamp.
Keep in mind that exposed lamp cords can be quirky and cool, and are often seen in high-end designs.

Original Post

In last week’s email (sign up here to receive future emails) I shared this lamp hack. It’s probably my favorite hack ever and one I originally learned from Megan D. Miller and then promptly copied. Twice. As you can also see above in the links.

For the first half of my homemaking years, I didn’t realize the power of lamps. I thought an overhead light and a random lamp in a room was enough. I didn’t know how a lamp could add both style and a layer of the coziest light ever, creating little pockets or rooms within a room.

Lamps are part of the homey trinity and you add them in step three of the order of decor.

Lamps are wonderfully mysterious because you can find a beautiful lamp at a higher end shop or online for over $1000, and you can also find a beautiful lamp for $2 at a thrift store! What a world!

Almost exactly 50% of the lamps in my house are second hand or DIYs or hacks, then about 25% are Target, Ikea or HomeGoods and then I have a few lamps that were pricey.

Even if you would never pay for an expensive lamp, it’s helpful to browse the styles and materials of higher end lamps so when you see something similar at HomeGoods or second hand, you can feel more confident that you are getting a great price.

Here’s the most recent lamp I hacked. It’s a heavy vase I found at an antique mall for $25, an $8 thrifted lamp base and a square lamp shade I had in my basement.

If you are going to try the lamp hack here are my tips:

Find the vessel first, and look for something with a wide mouth, color isn’t that important, you can always paint it, so look for shape and scale
After you have your base, measure from the bottom of the inside to the top and add a few inches. This is how tall your thrifted lamp base insert should be. Look for a thin lamp base with the “base of the base :)” being a small circumference (it needs to fit in the vessel!).
Shop your house for a shade or take your vessel & lamp base with you and try shades out in the store.
You can just let the cord hang out the top of the vase. How do I know not to be bothered by the cord? Because I’ve noticed high end lamps are sometimes designed exactly like that and, I’ve seen them styled in homes I like and I think the exposed cord is kind of cool and quirky.