Kirsten Dirksen: Vehicles as Housing: 27-Square-Foot Mobile…
9 Easy Ways To Use Dark Paint In Your Home
Sometimes I look at a product and think, "My gosh, how did they ever come up with that?" Other times, I'll yawn and think to myself that it's really high time for some fresh ideas in the home goods market. And then there are other occasions when I know exactly how a product designer dreamed something up -- they "borrowed" the idea. Case in point: This adorable lamp from Anthropologie.
Under normal circumstances, I might not have recalled why the lamp looks so familiar. However, early last year I was working on a bunch of tea cup crafts. At the time I was devastated to discover that stylist Paul Lowe had come up with the cleverest tea cup project I'd ever seen: A lamp made out of old teapots and cups. (The project originally ran in Country Living magazine.)
Paul's lamp looks awfully familiar doesn't it? If you're inspired by Paul's handiwork, you could go to Anthropologie to pick up the One-Lump-Or-Two Lamp or you could make yourself your own version following the step-by-step instructions on Country Living's website. At $198 for the Anthro version, I think I'd try my hand at the D.I.Y. first.
Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
The lamps are sooooooooo tacky!
ReplyPaul may have done this in Country Living Magazine but my husband and I made a lamp very similar to this one twenty years ago. Using silver plate teapots and sugar bowls works too. Just remember "imitation is the highest form of flattery".....but as Billy Baldwin (I think) said....just improve it.
ReplyMy Mom made these years ago, along with several other items. So, Paul might be resurrecting the idea, but certainly wasn't the one to initiate it.
ReplyThey are ugly no matter where the idea came from.
ReplyCute as the lamps are, they are not a new idea..
ReplyI made bird feeders exactly like this 5 years ago for my "Enchanted Garden" series. They were called "Mad Hatter Tea Party" feeders. I still have a few sitting throughout my rose garden.
My feeders were inspired by the tea party from Alice in Wonderland...... inspiration comes in many forms.... :)
It's very nice that the person who wrote this article called stealing anothers idea as borrowed. This man should have said that he got the idea from looking in magizines from years way back. Instead he chose to cheat his idea into are homes and TV programs. Guess he had something going on like a writer does called "writers block" instead he had NO NEW IDEAS of his own so he "BORROWED" from another. Shame on this man. What did he really think ole timers like me hasn't seen this Tea Cup Lamp??? Got news for him, it was first listed and shown in Woman's Day Magizine, 30-35 years ago.....Fresh ideas my butt!!!!!!
ReplyHow do these writers get their gigs? Seriously. Aside from the fact that both lamps are hideous eyesores (but, admittedly, that's a matter of personal taste), if you were writing a piece for publication, wouldn't a little bell go off in your head indicating "Hmmm, if Anthropologie ripped this off, maybe the other guy did, too." Ever hear of fact-checking??
ReplyIn addition, there is a difference between an ARTIST and a CRAFTER. The headline/prompt on AOL led me to believe that a work of art had been stolen and illegally reproduced. What a joke..
gayest lamps i ever saw
Replyunless someone has a patent on a particular item then u cant really say it is stolen. Craft ideas go in cycles, like many other things, like clothing styles. This is just a "revival" of an old idea.
ReplyHonestly, who cares where the idea came from? They're both hideous. And unless the original "artist" patented his design, there's no issue. Anyone willing to spend even $5 on one of these, in my opinion, has lousy taste anyway.
ReplyIt is not exactly the same so it is not a "copy".
ReplyThis is hardly a NEW IDEA!
ReplyPeople have been doing this very same thing for many, many years!Each one will be different because the likelihood of folks having the very same dishes is remote.
I am not really fond of this idea...but it is a rather clever way to use " old stuff" that is around the house.
No one "stole the idea".
Nancy
If you're going to snark this hard, get your facts straight. This is not a new idea.
Reply