Space solves: A new use for old lightshades and revamping red lacquer

Renovation works mean we no longer have a use for three Tiffany lightshades. Can I adapt them for lamps or buy bases? The problem is weight. A lighter pendant could be teamed with, say, a "spider" (try lampshades.uk.com ), but Tiffany shades need to be converted properly – an expert such as Christopher Wray can do this, but it'll cost £70-£80 a shade. Or keep them as pendants and hang low over a coffee table or in the corner of a room – a common practice in Scandinavia. How can I restore colour on my red lacquer furniture? We asked several experts, and all had the same advice: don't even begin to try this yourself. Lacquer restoration is complex – see antique restorers Rosaria and Rodrigo Titian's 1996 book, Gilding & Lacquering (£3.95, from Amazon ), or go to titianstudios.co.uk . To find a restorer in your area, try the British Antique Furniture Restorers' Association • Got a question for our crack team of household gurus? Email [email protected]