Hunt For: The Perfect Lamp

One of the greatest benefits of living in NYC is knowing that if you look hard enough, you'll find the perfect [whatever it is you're looking for]. This past week, that item was a lamp. More specifically, a light that:

• Could light an entire room - so at least 200 watts of light
  
• Look good doing it (i.e., well-designed, contemporary, modern, clean lines)
• Wouldn't break the bank - less than $1000
  

Where to Look and How Much?
I did a lot of online research. The following sites seem to be the most reputable among the designer lighting companies:

• Y Lighting
• All Modern Lighting

I also looked online at:

• Room & Board
• Crate & Barrel
• Restoration Hardware
  

I went to the following stores, which my research on Apartment Therapy informed me had the best selection:

• Lee's Studio (photo above)-- great selection and helpful staff
  
• Lightforms (in Chelsea)--the guy working there on Saturday was really rude
  

And because I was in the neighborhood, I also stopped at:

• Home Depot--no fancy designer lamps here
  
• West Elm--knock offs of designer lamps, but nothing I'd want in my home
  

I called these other reputable NYC lighting stores:

• Lighting by Gregory
• The Lighting Center
• MSK Illumination

I meant to go to the following but didn't make it:

• Artemide
• Gracious Home
• Standard Lighting

The lamps I liked were quite expensive - around $600 and up for one 100-watt floor lamp, and I would need two to provide 200 watts - that puts me at $1200! Halogens top out at 250-300 watts and are pretty ugly, but there was one I liked--an Estiluz 300-watt halogen--only problem - it's $800!

At first, I looked only at floor lamps, but I started thinking of getting a table lamp instead b/c they're cheaper. I had my eye on one that looked good online -- the George Kovacs Mercury Table Lamp (Ball) and called around town to see if I could see it in person. But no one in NYC had this particular lamp on display. The nice guy at The Lighting Center actually told me to try Home Depot b/c they were one of the largest Kovacs dealers in the city. So I went to Home Depot. Boy am I glad I saw it in person b/c it was much larger and uglier in person.

BTW, prices for the Kovacs lamp were as follows:

• YLighting.com - $149.90
• Bellacor.com - $132.44 (but I hear they have bad customer service)
• All Modern Lighting - $138.60
• Lee's Studio - $149.90
• Home Depot - $168.00
• Lighting Center - $154.00

So Lee's Studio had the best prices in town, but it pays to call around, as different companies have different negotiated discounts with different manufacturers. Can you believe the price Home Depot was charging?! If the lamp were good-looking in person, I would have ordered from Lee's for the peace of mind even though online vendors Bellacor and All Modern Lighting quoted cheaper prices.

So Did I find it?
Anyhow, I haven't found the perfect lamp yet. So far, the lamps I like are more than I want to spend and have less wattage than I'd prefer, and with the economy being what it is, I'm beginning to question the wisdom of spending a thousand dollars on lighting. I do have my eye on a few lamps at Gracious Home, so there's still hope. If that doesn't work out, I might have to break down and buy one of those $20 Staples torchieres. Don't worry - we're not sitting in the dark, though it's dimmer here at night than it used to be.