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Lia Fagan’s timing could not have been better. The proprietor of Mod Pieces wrote to me a few weeks ago promoting her business restyling vintage lamps and constructing custom lampshades. Well, it just so happens that Lia is based in Burlington, Ontario, around the corner from my latest decorating client in Oakville for whom I had sourced some amazing vintage lamps that required shades.

Lia will happily source shades and fabrics for you and/or reconstruct shades that you provide. For the vintage floor lamp below, I found the original shade, left, at Toronto’s Upside Dive but the groovy plaid bouclé was not the look I was after. Lia used the frame and new fabric I provided to construct a shade that better suits the room in which it now resides. She charged $75 for the reconstruction, an extremely reasonable rate, as anyone who has bought shades recently will know.

She also created shades for a couple of large, vintage ceramic pieces I found for my client’s master bedroom, below. When the linen I provided read too blue, Lia sourced an alternative fabric and re-made the shades (which she provided) for $150 for the pair. Again, a very good price for custom work.

With my go-to shade shop, Aristocrat, now out of business, Homesense is my bargain fallback and while their selection isn’t bad, their sizes are very standard. Vintage shades can be a reasonable option but always smell the shade before you buy to make sure it’s not musty or smoky.

Lia turned my custom shades around in a weekend, which is remarkably good service. The lamps she offers on Mod Pieces run the price gamut from $100 – $300 each, up to $500 for a really good pair. And while that may seem a little steep to some people, Lia’s US clients think she’s giving them away. The vintage-looking lamps below are actually new, available at Toronto’s Peaks & Rafters for $770 (left) and $300 (right) each, which makes Lia’s prices look pretty fantastic by comparison.

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