An Old West enthusiast needs a cowboy-boot lamp.
Newlyweds have a cherished champagne bottle they want wired and topped with an elegant shade.
A third client so loves the lamps she has lived with for 40 years that she requests fresh shades made from fabric that is as close as possible to the original.
People like these keep Linda Grove filling custom lampshade orders placed weeks in advance at Lili Marlene Custom Lampshades. And just when the Denver businesswoman catches up from her holiday rush, the Rock Bottom Brewery or the Brown Palace or the Bellagio in Las Vegas will call on Grove because she is one of the few people around who still makes lampshades by hand, from the patterns to the cutting to the gluing and shaping.
Factory-made lampshades are cheaper and more abundant. But Grove stays busy catering to home and business owners searching for their own unique lighting.
Q: How did you start making custom lampshades?
A: Twenty-five years ago, my husband and son and I were in Europe for six months. My husband was a writer and wanted to (travel) when he was going to write a novel. We lived in England, in Spain and Scotland. … We would just rent a place for six weeks at a time and travel the rest of the time.
When I left I was trying to think of (a business) I could do. I had an inspiration about the lampshades and remembered all the interesting, elaborate shades with beautiful trims that I saw in the restaurants, hotels and antiques stores in Europe.
Q: Did you have to go to Europe to learn your craft?
A: No, but at that time, nobody did it in Denver. Then I heard about a lady that had done it here for years. She was 82 years old. Her name was Emma and she’d had a shop on East Colfax called Artistic Lighting. She was kind of a feisty German lady. I called her but she said, “No, no, no. I don’t want to teach anyone. I’m too old. Go find somebody else.” I searched and searched but no one would teach me. …
So I called Emma back and (asked her) to reconsider. She came over and showed me a few things and then she’d say, “Work on this. I’ll be back next week!” I’d work and work and work and she’d come back and say, “No, not like that. Like this!”
Q: When is a custom lampshade a good way to go?
A: When white or off-white is too boring. It’s like adding jewelry or a finishing touch like a trim to your sofa. It’s also a good way to recycle, because you can recover an old shade instead of throwing it away.
Q: How much does a custom lampshade cost?
A: If it’s a hardback shade, that’s not as much labor as a soft shade, because I hand sew (soft shades). … It is more than a shade off-the-shelf because so many of those are made in China. Besides that, details determine the cost. There are intricate hand-pleated shades, and there are those that are stretched with one single layer of fabric.
Q: How does someone pick the perfect lampshade?
A: There are shades for reading, shades for atmosphere and shades that are just pretty. Look at what else is in the room — the sofa, the drapes, the colors and textures. Is it a Victorian room or a traditional room or a contemporary room? A bell-shaped frame is traditional but a drum shade is more contemporary. I’m also doing a lot of hanging pendants these days to go over dining tables or pool tables.
Elana Ashanti Jefferson: 303-954-1957 or ejefferson@denverpost.com
