Some materials are synonymous with luxury — marble, lacquer, mohair. Then there’s burl wood, the most characterful of them all, despite its rather unfortunate backstory. Technically a tree’s tumor, it ...

There are tons of ways to upgrade a plain-Jane lamp — or a secondhand lamp that could use a little TLC. Replace the globes, zhuzh up the base, or decoupage the shade with napkins, for example.