Slip lamps let your light shine with customized design elements

If you've ever gone looking for lighting, you know it's not an easy task. I have found that lamps often range from boring to horrific. The base is right, the shade is hideous. It's the perfect shape, but the wrong color. Then I discovered Slip lamps at Clover House in South Lake Union.

Think of it as building your own lamp. You choose the base from among 60 ceramic and ceramic/wood styles, in 37 colors. Then choose the shade from among eight styles and 90 fabrics. "That's over a million combinations," calculates Clover House owner Tonia Feinstein.

The bases are sleek and modern and the colors are fresh and contemporary. Fabrics include crisp stripes, oversized polka dots, florals and geometric patterns. Customize your lamp to fit your decor. For a sedate look, choose a simple wood base with an off-white onion-skin shade. Or pick a lamp that packs a punch, like a bright yellow base with a multi-stripe shade in red, green and yellow.

Feinstein says that it may take a little time to choose, but you end up with a look that suits your room and your personality. "People get excited about mixing and matching," she says, and suggests that you bring paint chips or fabric swatches and allow for plenty of time to sift through the colors and fabrics.

Lamps range from $150 to $300, and take about six weeks to arrive.

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