HURRICANE lamps are a staple of outdoor entertaining, in part because the glass cylinder that surrounds the candle keeps it from burning down too fast, providing hours of flickering light.
A classic piece, it now comes in a range of styles, from the traditional “Little House on the Prairie” version to modernist renditions like the delicate crystal cylinders created by the designer Deborah Ehrlich.
Ms. Ehrlich, whose entire body of work will be on display at a show opening Friday at R/Turpan in East Hampton, N. Y., produces hurricane lamps that tend to be somewhat pricey. (At stores like E. R. Butler & Co. in Manhattan, they start at around $300. )
But that doesn’t reflect her personal taste. “I would put a camping lantern on the same level, design-wise, as the high-end stuff, ” said Ms. Ehrlich, 44, who lives in the Hudson Valley with Christopher Kurtz, her husband, who is an artist and a furniture maker. “It’s honest, it’s authentic and it’s good design. ”
Shopping for hurricane lamps (both high- and low-end) that meet that criteria, she began at bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy, a furnishings store in Rhinebeck, N. Y., which is not far from her home. She quickly selected the “beautifully made” Ship’s Lamp by Erik Magnussen for Stelton. “Erik is a Danish designer who lives in Copenhagen, where I lived for a year, and where you can look at boats and water every day, ” she said. “I have a high affinity for anything that reminds me of boats and water and maritime stuff. ”
Mason jars reworked as hanging lanterns caught her attention at High Falls Mercantile in High Falls, N. Y., reminding her of a wedding she had attended.
“They had 200 of these hanging from trees outside, ” she said. “Because the glass is so thick, it makes the flame and the light move in a beautiful way. It was truly the most magical lighting experience that I have ever seen at a big event. ”
Browsing online, she found the UCO mini candle lantern, which she liked for its “combination of industrial design with an elegant reflector on top, ” as well as the price (about $16).
But a traditional-style camping lantern from Coleman was the winner over all the others.
“I’ve never gone camping in my life, but I have a camping lantern, ” she said. “Because when you have one of these, you realize you don’t have to be in the woods to feel like you’re on an adventure. ”
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