I needed to find an affordable look-a-like for this vintage lamp
The Lafayette Hotel in San Diego had been on my radar for a while. I’ve always had a thing for a Chateau Marmont, Hotel Chelsea-type situation – bohemian, storied, a little rough around the edges.
Originally opened in 1946 as ‘Imig Manor,’ the property hosted its fair share of Hollywood royalty, from Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope to Lana Turner and Harry James – who, as legend has it, became a regular at the hotel bar after his sets. After closing its doors for a stretch, the hotel reopened in July 2023 following a $31 million renovation and a newfound sense of swank. Naturally, I had to see it for myself.
I made the trek up from Los Angeles and was pleasantly surprised to find that the hotel looked exactly like the photos – maximalist style mixed with a strong retro aesthetic. The Art Deco lobby read maximalist with a capital ‘M’: thick velvet curtain swags, glossy checkerboard floors, and oversized tiger-striped chairs, which dripped in burgundy bullion fringe.
Checking in, I glanced up to see matching fringed flush mounts cascading from the ceiling – a detail that foreshadowed the drama awaiting me upstairs.
(Image credit: Julia Demer)
The moment I opened the door to my room, I saw it: the lamp. A fringed, Victorian-inspired beauty perched on the bedside table, perfectly suited for the glamorous starlet–princess–rockstar persona I’d slip into for the next three days. It featured a damask-style bird and botanical print in faded pastels – a soft counterpoint to the not-so-subtle bubblegum trim on the bedding.
The fringe wasn’t bullion, but beaded – a jewelry-like take on the recently revived interior design trend that held its own, even beside the room’s more eccentric touches, like the gilded snake-shaped reading lamps slithering up the bedposts.
(Image credit: Julia Demer)
I needed one for myself. So I did what any design-minded hotel guest does – flopped onto the bed, opened my laptop, and began the hunt. That’s when I found the Modern Love Lamp from Urban Outfitters: same antique silhouette, similar flirty drama, just a little more me. Dare I say, I liked it even better?
Urban Outfitters
Modern Love Table Lamp
More tassels, more fringe, and far easier to style in my (comparatively less maximalist) space – this dome-shaded lamp is everything I wanted, and then some.
Urban Outfitters
Modern Love Table Lamp
The gold table lamp is classic Old Hollywood – timeless and glam. Though it also comes in a very on-trend leopard if you want to make more of a statement.
While this lamp would, of course, look incredible on a nightstand – paired with black-and-white marble, a vintage glass carafe, and one of those retro-style speakers like they had at the hotel – my lofted bed means I’ll have to get creative.
I’m picturing it now on the bar cart, or maybe next to my desk, lending its moody glow to an otherwise practical corner. And because it only looks antique, it’s – thankfully – also wired for modern life.
Now back in New York, the Modern Love Lamp is sitting in my cart, waiting to be adopted. And in case you’re after even more fringe – or something a little closer to that beaded original – I’ve rounded up a few more worthy companions below.
RynlightArt
Zuikaku Table Lamp
The Lafayette lamp and this Etsy find could easily be cousins. Beaded strands replace fringe, and elegant cranes stretch their wings across the shade – a nod to luck and longevity, per the product page. Offset the antique vibes of this trim interior trend with something slick and modern, like a chrome catchall.
TOV Furniture
Fringe Table Lamp
There’s no hiding this maximalist fever dream disguised as a light fixture. It’s essentially one giant tassel – sleek, swishy, and kind of brilliant. Ideal for clean-lined spaces that crave some movement.
Anthropologie
The Icon Table Lamp
This leopard-based number serves feline drama with a side of vintage glam. The gold finish, curved silhouette, and deep green velvet shade make it more objet, less novelty. An icon, alright.
I love to take inspiration from the hotels, bars, and restaurants I visit. In fact, I think they have become my biggest source for new ideas, and I tend to take an idea home with me from every stay – small, affordable switches I can make in my own space to make it feel more elevated and sophisticated. It seems lighting is the thing at the moment. I also just wrote about my love for the ‘orb’ light I have been seeing everywhere this summer.
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