I MADE IT MYSELF
The Age
Saturday February 6, 2010
WHO Tamara Watts, Retro Print Revival WHAT Vintage lampsWHERE Rose Street Artists Market on Saturdays; www.myspace.com/tamara_watts; retroprintrevival@ymail.comHOW MUCH $60-$280HAVING a strong appreciation for the retro era, I wanted to create a product using vintage fabrics, ranging from '60s florals to '70s geometrics and rare, sought-after lamp bases, and sell it as a one-off piece of decor. About four years ago I had a few exhibitions selling retro wall hangings, and I had made one lamp to match with a wall hanging; it all started from there. I source all my fabrics and lamp bases from various places then match the fabric to the base considering the style, colours and design. The lamps are then all certified by an electrician. People like having something that's original. I've started making nursery lamps using cute and colourful vintage fabrics, which have been popular. I studied visual merchandising and worked for an Australian fashion brand for five years as a merchandiser and windows stylist. I love creative projects and am continuously making, painting, drawing or styling my house. It's great knowing that people love what I make and they appreciate the time, effort and creativeness that goes into making them. One of my biggest challenges is letting a lamp go, because I can become quite attached to a particular one that I want to keep for myself. I recently started a limited-edition line of decor: vintage fabric stretched over circular wall hangings in all different sizes and widths. They offer something different from your standard rectangular or square wall hanging.
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