The Lamplighter

I took in a lamp to have it converted to allow me to put a new spider-​type lampshade on it. They did it while I waited for $ 8.10. Service was really friendly.

Full disclosure, they didn’t repair anything. I do my own lamp conversions, and had a tricky problem for which I needed a few supplies. The local hardware store didn’t have the parts, and were unsure how to answer my one question, so they steered me here. After navigating past the somewhat unhelpful desk clerk (who was literally deaf and couldn’t hear me), the repair expert came out from the back of the store, and gave me about hundred dollars worth of advice, and sold me about a $ 1.50 worth of parts. I can’t speak to their repairs, but the service was top-​notch.

Store was supposed to call me back to see if they could fix my lamps and tell me what the price would be. Never received a phone call, two weeks later went to the store to find they were sitting there, on the floor, in plain sight, being overlooked this whole time. Employee in the store was rude when I was obviously unhappy. «Well, we’ve got ONE person in the back fixing lamps.» Sorry; not my problem if you can’t hack it. I walked out without having anything done, and feel like they wasted my time. This store looks just like its website — dated, dingy, past its prime (if it ever had one) and full of ugly lamps. Not sure how it stays in business.

Walking through Old Town Alexandria is supposed to make you feel like you’ve taken a time machine back to the days of George Washington. Likewise, visiting the Lamplighter will bring you back to the days when businesses cared about you walking home with a product you love, not an empty wallet. The sales associate had no problem as I browsed every lamp and finial in the store, looking for the one that matched my décor just right. When I found the right one, she gave me a brand new shade because I wanted one as modern as possible. Cost of the new shade? $ 0. At no time was the saleswoman pushy — she even encouraged me to go for a walk to re-​fill the parking meter and contemplate if I did indeed want to buy a new lamp.
That being said, this store isn’t cheap. However, you will definitely have a lamp that you can pass on to your grand-​kids/​nephews/​adopted baby from Vietnam/​whatever. Don’t be scared by the «Grandma» lamp shades as you walk in – there are plenty of modern gems along the walls.

I dropped off a chandelier for rewiring as well as a pair of antique lamps in the middle of November. We were told it would take a couple of weeks to get the lamps rewired, and we’d receive the chandelier back in about six weeks, right after Christmas. None of what was discussed what was delivered.
I called at the beginning of January to see how things were going. I was told the chandelier had been rewired but they needed an A-​frame to put it back together. Nothing had happened with the lamps. Were were told they would call when the lamps were done and then again when the chandeliers were complete.
A month later, after still not receiving a call, my husband went in on Feb 5 to check on the status. The lamps were done despite the fact we were never called. We picked them up. They seem to have been well done, so there isn’t any complaint about the work. However… he checked on the chandelier, and it hadn’t been touched. We were given false information. It was never rewired. It was still in the box we brought it in. We lost another month of time, and when talking to the technician, he has no idea when they can work on it because another chandelier is on their only A-​frame. Not only do they not know when they can work on it, I was all but told I was wasting his time by voicing my concerns.
Now, three months later, we’re picking up a chandelier that has never been touched. The communication has been horrible, and we won’t be coming back.

Cute store that also does repairs! Love that it’s family-​owned.

In looking for a lampshade, this was the best store I found with regards to selection and staff expertise. …When I say staff I mean the owner, who pretty much requires that you bring your lamp to try on the shade before you buy the shade. This makes a lot of sense, it’s like buying jeans online without having having tried them on: you just don’t know if it will fit.

I needed a new lampshade and found this store in Old Town to have a very good selection. Family run — it’s been there for ages and Ms. Lillian said she’s been helping customers choose lampshades for 65 years, so she knows something about it! Lamp repairs, shade repairs, bulbs, finials, you name it.