Let’s talk about finials. In architecture it’s a decorative device, usually carved in stone, to emphasize the gable or corner of a structure. Typically a finial is thought of in relation to curtain rods. That’s obviously not what we’re talking about here. Most lampshades are fastened to the lamp using a finial. Like this:

You’re probably at home thinking these all look the same and I’m yanking your chain. These were from DIFFERENT homes, all with a price tag of over 400k. All in one day. Changes things, right?  Builders throw money at their models, so wouldn’t you think these little details would pack a bigger punch?

These two are better than nothing, but you know what? These two lamps came with the finial all ready to go. In my head, there is some person in a lamp factory somewhere who said Wait!!! You can’t let that lamp go outside looking like that, all naked and shit. Put these on.

And just like that, the sun came out. But two lamps aren’t exactly a trend. So, one more example and then we’re going to get dirty together. The little guy below is someone, somewhere, looking into the vastness of space and just giving up. Just throwing their hands up.

I know you don’t want bland, so let’s look at some possibilities. Below are some fancy finials for you to put on your “must have” list.

Full disclosure, the above are all north of $200, so I’m thinking out of reach for us mortals. If you’re in the 1%, they can be found here.  For the rest of us, How about onyx, jade, or glass?

Things are looking up, right? I have a little weakness for dragonflies, and I found this little gem:

A few random finials for you:

 

I enjoy a well curated collection, the thrill of the hunt and all that.

These are supposed to be for curtains and believe me, we will get to curtains, but I think these would be great on a drab lamp. These too:

Love the sweet little blue bird and the palm trees. I’m also a big a fan of pineapples and fleur de lis. Lots of whimsy, texture, and imagination. There are trillions of examples on the internet. How hard is this, designers??

If you have a short lamp and want to put some fishnets on it, finials are your answer.