Vintage Hula Girl Lamp

Vanessa Weber Interior Design Expert

Vanessa is a New York-based designer specializing in architectural lighting. Whether you are planning an event, want to illuminate your backyard retreat or simply need advice on what lamp to purchase for your bedroom, Vanessa will be more than happy to share her knowledge and expertise.

Updated 16/04/2021

We imagine you can't swing a coconut brassiere without hitting someone who has seen, or has always wanted, one of these fun and classic vintage hula girl lamps. A touch of the Hawaiian islands, these attractive hula girls hold up your lamp with style and elegance. Take a look at the many hula girl possibilities in this extensive collection of vintage hula girl lamps.

Buying Guide

A vintage hula girl lamp is a charming piece of decor for any room. The hula girl indeed invokes the laid-back feel and vibe of the Pacific islands. Of course, it's still a lamp thus serving a purpose of providing you an excellent amount of lighting.

The vintage hula girl lamp is a specialized form of lamp. Hence, you need to carefully consider a couple of factors before making a final decision. Otherwise, you could end up with a lamp that is not suitable for your unique situation.

How to determine the right height for a vintage hula girl lamp?

A good rule of thumb to follow when finding the right height is following the "eye-level rule." If it's too high, it would be uncomfortable to use. If it's too low, it will look really awkward.

It's likely that you'll be placing the vintage hula girl lamp on a table next to a chair. To employ the eye-level rule, start by sitting down on the chair. Next, you'd want to measure the distance between your eye level and the top of the table.

The bottom part of the lampshade must be lower than your eye level. The reason why you want to do this is to make sure that your eyes won't be in a direct line-of-sight with the lamp's bulb.

What does vintage really mean?

These days, the term vintage is not specific enough. Hence, it's best that you know the different terms so you'll have an easier time finding what you want.

The first thing to decide is if you want something vintage or vintage-looking. Vintage-looking is a new lamp but made to appear as if it's old. Generally, a vintage-looking lamp is cheaper than a vintage. Also, your troubles when it comes to quality are minimized as it's a new item. On the downside, vintage-looking isn't "authentic."

If you want something that is aged and rich history, then vintage is what you are looking for. The advantage of a true vintage is it comes with a higher degree of desirability. It will likely come with a good story behind the item, which makes for an excellent conversation starter. On the downside, you can expect a vintage to be more expensive.

What are vintage hula girl lamp shades made of?

Typically, your choices fall between a fabric and paper type.

Fabric lampshades have the advantage of being more durable compared to paper types. They also come in different forms from cotton to silk. The downside with fabric is it's costlier and requires a bit more of maintenance.
Paper lampshade is the cheaper option. It also comes in varying form of thickness from the thin ones to the width of cardboard. Paper is also better does a better job of blocking or directing light. On the downside, the paper is not as durable compared to fabric.

The key to finding the right vintage hula girl lamp that works well with your situation is knowing how to filter your options effectively. With the key points mentioned above, you should be able to narrow down your choices to a manageable list.