Looking back on it, I've been captivated by lights since I was a kid. Mum and Dad still have the lamps I made from old totara fence posts as a 12-year-old beside their bed. I'm not sure if it's because they genuinely like them or if they're just doing the polite parent thing, but I reckon they're still pretty choice.
Lights are wonderful objects that can transform a home in a number of ways, from their physical design through to their positioning in a room to create a variety of moods. I'm forever appreciating them. In fact, I have an entire Pinterest board devoted to the topic and I could've filled my soon-to-be-published book Built For Caffeine completely with lamps, shades and bulbs. But that would have been a tad monotonous, I suspect. Instead, to release just a smidgen of my pent-up-lighting-excitement, here are five shade ideas that caught my eye while out on my travels.
![Metal shade hanging over the communal table at Customs Brew Bar in Wellington. Photo / Ben Crawford](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/OP7R7XUX3COBJKDY6AUW5PU64U.jpg?auth=139c7b6ca473142054ef2659cce1e2d899a7ed3a180cdaa40740a92a49920eb0&width=16&height=24&quality=70&smart=true)
For many, design reached a peak during the 1950s and the owners of Customs Brew Bar in Wellington agree, creating a mid-century sanctuary to enjoy their fine coffee from. The metal shade hanging over the communal table is befitting of the era and an entirely different look to the more common industrial fittings seen in cafes throughout the country. Source your own from Mr Bigglesworthy.