
When I was swinging through the San Francisco
Anthropologie store recently, I was stopped in my tracks by these metal pendant lamps.
We all know that objects make a bigger impression when they're arranged in multiples (and three is really a magic number when it comes to arranging), but the multiple lamps weren't what wowed me. It's the impressive embroidery on the metal shades!

Target recently sent me the
Thomas O'Brien Small Crackle Glass Lamp ($29.99), which is part of O'Brien's "Vintage Modern" line for Target's 2008 Fall Home Collection. When it comes to luminaries, I don't take things lightly. I have a mild obsession with light fixtures, and I like to have an eclectic mix of lamps, sconces, pendants, chandeliers, and candles in my home.

Bruno Rainaldi must have taken a note from the
Talking Heads' catchphrase "This ain't no disco" when designing the
Orten'zia Large Floor Lamp ($4,628). The luminary certainly has a disco ball aura to it, but its nickel-plated petals give it a unique flair that's light years away from the glowing dance floor of the Saturday Night Fever set. Unfortunately, with that price tag, it's also astronomically distant from my living room.

When my electrician brother-in-law installed a dimmer for me once, I was the happiest girl in the whole wide world. Why are dimmers so radical? Why is chocolate delicious?

I tend to gravitate toward more modern pieces that are a departure from nature and the outdoors; you won't find any taxidermy in my house. So, I wondered if there was a way to balance the two without sacrificing my aesthetic. There is, and
Martha Stewart has found it.

The glamour of an old-timey movie set or photography shoot can now be yours! CB2's
Photography Floor Lamp ($100) has succeeded in making something very industrial blend right into modern decor. Though I hope the light from this lamp isn't as white and bright as what they need for shoots, I think I could see this in my living room.

If you're on the hunt for a classic, arched floor lamp, PBteen has you covered with its
Swoop Lamp ($199, reduced from $269), a sweeping arc, height-adjustable floor lamp that'll bring overhead lighting to any space. This design is clearly inspired by the
Arco Floor Lamp ($2,696), which is part of MoMA's permanent collection, but its linen/cotton shade and simple base makes it appropriate for more traditional homes. CB2 also sells
an Arco-inspired floor lamp, but its glossy shade makes it more suited for a modernist.

For the next installment of
this game, take a look at each of these rectangular floor lamps and see if you can answer my questions about them.

If only it were sensible to swap out lamps like throw pillows, I could rationalize buying myself the
PBteen Petite Lamp Base and Shade ($49). Actually, I'd snatch up all three. I simply adore their bulbous little ceramic bases, and I love the mix of all three together even more.