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Show ridy,'8eem1tr 26, WW Hi E?b3HLlfeilk), Chest has wood Plug is finally pulled on the saga of dad's lamp By GARY KflfNO Orange County Register For the past three years and several hundred miles, I have been trying to get Mom to buy The Floor Lamp. The Floor Lamp has taken on legendary proportions in our family. It has become bigger than Millard Fillmore's birthday, more significant than the 50th anniversary of Frederick's of Hollywood, more important than "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" lunch boxes. In our family, that makes it pretty, pretty stupendous stuff. The Floor Lamp is for Mom and Dad's cottage in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It's not one of those Newport, R.I., cottages. You know, the ones with ballthe rooms? This is more shall we 10,000-square-fo- ot diminutive. Quaint. say Cute. Tiny. And in dire need of a new floor lamp in the living room. It all began three years ago when I made my annua! pil- grimage "up north" (that's Michigan lingo for anything north of Detroit, which is pretty much the entire state) to visit Mom and Dad. Dad had gotten some money for Father's Day. "He needs a new floor lamp next to his recliner," Mom said. "You're supposed to know all about this kind of thing. Help me pick it out." Had I known then what was to happen. I would have said, "Gee. Mom. I think the old one is really fine." But I didn't. I said. "OK. I know this great shop 'down below (that's Michigan lingo for anything south of the Straits of Mackinac Bridge, which is pretty much the entire state). Let's go there." Sixty miles later, we arrived at the store. Wonderful woodsy whatnots. "Let's get Something in birch bark," I suggested. "It'll give the cottage some character." Mom's idea of character is love her to death "The Nanny." And birch bark is for trees. We drove the 60 miles back up north in complete by special order. Suggested retail: $6,200. For more information, call (800) The Riding Boot Chest, from 410-918- 6. The Tulip Tree Collection, is, an silence. On my next visit a year later, there still was no floor lamp. Dad's Father's Day money had hand-mad- e n exact replica of a chest of drawers dating from the 8th century and is made entirely by hand, as was the original. What gives it a special kick are the wood riding-bopedestals at the base of its legs. The boots were the footwear of choice in early Canada. The Tulip Tree Collection n specializes in All reproduction furnishings. French-Canadia- We're not above borrowing 1 interest. begun to draw "Listen," Mom said. "There's a new (discount store) in Sault Ste. Marie. Let's try there." We did, and we didn't buy The Floor Lamp. I tried to explain to Mom that the discount-store lamps didn't have now, how to put this a look that indicated a long, quality life. We drove the 40 miles back to the cottage in complete from other people. In the October issue of Country Sampler's Decorating Ideas magazine, editor Ann Wilson tells us that some highly colorful things are popping up on the country decorating scene. "Over the past six months," she says, "we've noted the increase ot French-Canadia- Page 19 pedestals riding-hoo- f items are By GARY KRINO Orange County Register Home Magazine, (in country design) of vibrant color in homes, and decorating products, fabric, wallpaper, and paint manufacturers are taking the gray and brown tones out for cleaner, more intense color. "We're seeing more of the whimsical and fanciful and far less interiors. of traditional-styl- e Instead of staid, decor, more people are opting for personalized spaces, 'happy-huebackdrops for their often eclectic collections. Most often they do it with color." d' silence. Just a few weeks ago, I was back up north. Yup. No floor lamp. Dad's Father's Day money was starting to act like a 401 k. "Maybe we should try in Petosky." I said. "It's only 75 miles down below, and it's got some classy shops." We stopped at one of the classy shops, but Mom wasn't buying. "Too modern," she explained. "I want something that looks old (like the rest of the things in the cottage)." We found a furniture store on the main street, and in the window was a snappy little brass number with a swing-ou- t arm and a neutral shade. "Timeless." I told Mom. "Grab it." "I dunno," she waffled. Smoke started seeping from my ears. Our clerk, in a nice but firm way, told me to go count the waves on the nearby bay while she talked to Mom. .When I returned 15 minutes later. Mom had bought the lamp. "What did you say to her?" I asked the clerk, stunned. She smiled. She laughed. "We talked." she said. Mom loves the lamp. So does Dad. Now she's thinking about getting a new stove. Instead of going to Michigan next summer, I think I'll invite them to California. Gary Krino covers design for the Orange County Register. 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