My first apartment had lots of lighting in the living area, but it was either a lot of light, or none at all. So, with some encouragement from my girlfriend (now wife), Beth, I decided to make a floor lamp. The base of the lamp is an old patio umbrella stand our neighbors threw out one day, and the post is made from the same kind of cardboard mailing tubes as the tubechair. The dimmer, light fixture, and other odds and ends came from Home Depot and Target. In order to attach the tube to the umbrella base, as well as hide the fact that they are two different materials, I covered the tube and base in reinforced, gummed packing tape, in a method similar to papier-mache. The lamp is currently this plain brown color, but I may cover it in a pearlescent white or silver paper someday. I may also change the fabric of the lamp shade.