LOVE THY LAMP: Jazz up a light for a special occasion, breathe new life into old photos, or transform a crayon masterpiece. Whatever the personal touch, Giclée Art Shades create quick and memorable keepsakes. New at Lamps Plus stores nationwide, this service allows customers to transfer digital photos, drawings or documents to a sturdy canvas shade fitted for either a table or floor lamp. Each personalized Art Shade takes two weeks or less for delivery. $100 to $130, lampsplus.com/ArtShade.
CHEAP AND SWEET: “Wall Candy” are graphic art images made from your own digital pictures or bright, free images available from Hallmark Magazine. For $44, including shipping, you get a printed, cotton 26-by-26-inch canvas that needs to be affixed to a stretcher when it arrives. Makers suggest hanging one vibrant or special print alone for a grand statement, or grouping like images together for dramatic effect. Click on home/crafts at Hallmarkmagazine.com.
FUTURISTIC HOME SECURITY: The folks in the wireless home technology business report three-quarters of Americans would like to monitor their homes while they’re away. If that research stands up, iControl Networks should be well-positioned to service the market. The company installs wireless Web-connected cameras and sensors around a property, all of which can be accessed from computers, cellphones or PDAs. Possible applications include receiving an e-mail message when a child gets home from school, or a text message when there’s unusual motion in any monitored room. Read more at iControl.com.
TP HIDEAWAY: The people at Metro Products surely looked at their own domestic affairs before hatching this bathroom décor idea. The Hidden Toilet Paper Holder is a flip-door plastic box that recesses into the bathroom wall. The product is geared toward homes where kids and pets shred toilet paper for fun, or where the loo is just too pretty for TP clutter. The box provides access to the roll when nature calls, then shuts it up safely during bathroom off-hours. $19.99 at amazon.com.
