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I consider myself a pretty strong-willed person, but I’ll admit that I have one particular weakness. Put a face on anything—anything—and I will be instantly charmed into buying it. That’s why, when I discovered H.T. Huang and Old Timer Ferrari’s vintage mod toucan lamps, I absolutely lost it. In my eyes, it was the novelty bird that would transform my room into, well, paradise.
My proclivity for objects of this very nature—really, anything that someone of more discerning taste might describe as camp or kitsch or even tacky—is not something I indulge in often. I’ve embraced my maximalist style after accepting that toned-down, minimalist interiors are beautiful but not quite right for my home. I’ve amassed plenty of statement pieces (in my small Brooklyn apartment, I currently have an orange sofa, a pink armchair, and yellow dining chairs) that some might consider too much. But there’s still a part of me that sometimes, admittedly, hesitates to buy a product that’s just a bit more out there.
When you keep a close eye on trends—as I do for work and pleasure—you can’t help but factor them into every single purchase you make. If a trend appeals to you, it’s hard not to want to buy into it right at the very moment in which it’s thriving.
On the flip side, there’s also the appeal of timelessness. The thought that the table or bookshelf or even the decorative vase you buy might last you for years and years, without ever falling out of your personal taste, is a tempting one.
All of these things run through my mind as I consider, once more, the toucan. Originally designed as children’s lamps in the 1960s through the ’80s, these lamps are not a trend, and they can hardly be considered something classic. In fact, they’re something totally different.
The toucan lamp appeals to me purely because it’s delightful; to put it into Marie Kondo–approved terminology: It sparks joy. And after all, your home should be a place where you feel happy.
See more things that spark joy: Friendly Suggestion From London: We Need More Colorful Public Benches The Case for Painting Your Door Frame…Yes, Just Your Door Frame Matisse Would Be Thrilled That Abstract Shapes Are (Still) Trending