Sue Johnson

My wife and I have been purchasing lamps from Sue Johnson for the past 25 years. We love the style of her lamps, her creativity, and how much she stands behind what she makes. Recently we purchased a new lamp, and had an old shade repaired. The experience was really great.

I called to find a part for a large chandelier I purchased on my Next Door site (as it turned out, totally different from the aesthetic vibe in the store, but that did not matter a lick), and I my two through directly on the phone. She helped me with my terminology to describe what I actually, which was super helpful. Then she put me on to him who was able to determine exactly what I needed. I came down to the store, really in the office, I was able to show picture of the chandelier

I have a history w/​this store that goes back to when Tam made a driftwood lamp in the sixth grade. I bought a small, elegant paper shade for it and it lived in our living room for years. Recently I saw an article in Sunset online about making kitchen light fixtures from colanders.
Our kitchen light fixtures are lovely enclosed white glass globes about the size of a basketball. They are both attractive and functional in the light they shed, but as we age we are no longer as ladder-​worthy as we were when we installed these fixture. The 200 watt incandescent bulbs in them burn out often enough that we’ve had to ask Tam or Kevin to replace them for us every couple of years.
Last week I went to Sue Johnson and spent some time talking w/​her about what I wanted to have done and getting an estimate for the work. I even had a couple of gorgeous, sculptural Ikea colanders in mind:
. Sue suggested I check out Batteries+Bulbs in El Cerrito for the LED bulbs I wanted. I had all the components together in my mind, and then I started having doubts. What if the lamps didn’t cast a bright enough light. I’m not a lighting designer and have switched out these fixtures once before and been unhappy enough w/​the results that we had my brother, who was visiting, switch them back. It occurred to me that we could just replace the incandescent bulbs w/​LEDS, which are rated to last about 25,000 hours. That’s long enough they’ll probably outlast us, at least in this house. I stopped by today to thank Sue for her time and to let her know our decision. The store is crowded w/​beautifully created lamps which make me wish I didn’t have all the lamps I need.

So I picked up a nice and sturdy (that’s what they used to call my grandmother when she was young) floor lamp on craigslist. But it wasn’t working so I took it here, and they fixed it all up on the spot. I just sat and yucked it up while the wizards in the back got down to work.
I already had a lampshade to go with the lamp, so that saved me a bundle (I have to say, though, that the entire repair was under $ 70, which seemed very reasonable to me, knowing that my local electrician makes over $ 100/​hour). But even though they couldn’t sell me a shade, the staff there made sure that my shade sat right and looked well on the lamp.
I’ll be back.

Excellent shop for quality lighting and lamp shades. Sue also provides custom work and offers great customer service. The best lampshades I’ve seen here in the Bay Area.

Two weeks ago, I had a lamp repaired that had been left in disrepair by a previous attempt to repair it. From the moment that I came into the store with my lamp and met Carmen to the moment that I picked it up after receiving a call from Hank, the staff and service were exceptional. In addition, the lamp was repaired beautifully before the date that it was promised! As a result, I called the store to inquire about clips to stabilize a drum-​type shade. I reached Sue and she could not have been more helpful to me. She told me exactly where in the store the clips could be found in the event that I visited the store when she was not present. On Thursday of this week, I visited the store to purchase the clips and I met Sue. She patiently explained how to attach the clips and how to adjust them so that the shade was stable. She was professional, helpful and very patient with me, since I know less-​than-​nothing about lamps or their accessories! I send a BIG thank you to Sue and her and her wonderful staff. I will be back! Absolutely!!!

Wow — I’ve been wanting a lamp from here for the longest time. Absolutely beautiful. I’ve read some of the other reviews — guess I lucked out — immediate service, very friendly and helpful staff willing to help customize the lamp (make it taller), ready next day, and simply stunning. But do not go in here on a budget. For some silly reason I didn’t see the base and shade were sold separately so needless to say I was a bit shocked, but it’s gorgeous and that’s why we Americans have credit. Definitely go in and look around, maybe pick up a nightlight. ;)

This is a long overdue review for the best customer service we have ever had. We bought a beautiful vintage lamp base last year as a Christmas gift for dear friends. We found it online, and due to heavy blizzards at its location of origin, it was late getting to us – a-​week-​before-​Christmas late. All the custom lamp shops we called in the city said they needed several weeks if not longer to make a shade. Desperate, we found Sue Johnson’s shop on Unilocal and took the base over to her shop in Berkeley in hopes of getting a custom shade made before Christmas. The ladies there could not have been nicer. They looked at it, determined exactly the kind of shade it needed to match the period, and said no promises because they were really busy, but they would try to make it in time for Christmas. We knew we were asking for a Christmas miracle, so we did not really expect it to be done and were in the process of looking for online photos we could print out to show our friends their Christmas present. Three days later, there was a call from the shop saying we could come pick up our lamp and new shade! They did a first-​rate job, and the shade paired perfectly with the lamp. Thanks to Sue’s fabulous staff, we were able to place it under our friends’ tree on Christmas morning. They were thrilled, and so were we. Sue’s team took customer service to a whole new level, and I have recommended them to other people. A thousand belated thank-​yous to the staff at Sue Johnson Lamps!

Everything you find at Sue Johnson Lamps is a hand-​made work of art whose special ingredient is love. We purchased our 1920 bungalow in 1999 and the first thing we did was to buy a Sue Johnson Mica ceiling fixture for our dining room. It was transformative and completely changed the character of the room.
I think these lamps and shades would look terrific in any style of home, but they are especially well suited to older homes (Craftsman, Tudor, Colonial Revival) such as you find in San Francisco and the East Bay. They bring a warmth and graciousness that is timeless. They can even make a San Francisco steel and glass condo feel like a place you’d actually want to spend time in.
Walk into Sue Johnson’s lamp shop and be charmed. Don’t expect to walk out empty handed…

The shades here are really fabulous and the fact that you can take a shade home to try it out before buying it is great! The staff are also very helpful and knowledgeable, but the friendliness and quickness of service can be hit or miss.
1. There tends to only be 2 employees in the shop at any given time. This means that sometimes you have to wait to get help, even if you’ve found what you want and just want to pay for it. This is not your average take-​it-​off-​the-​shelf-​and-​just-​buy-​it place. Customers with questions tend to have a lot of questions.
2. The staff seem very keen to help. Sue, the owner, seems very keen to get back to her art. Sue can be aloof and even dismissive of her customers, particularly those who don’t have an eye for artwork. If you need her to make you a custom shade, by all means talk to her. If you want a second opinion of which already-​made shade goes with your lamp, one of Sue’s employees will probably give you a warmer welcome.

On a recent trip to Morocco, we ordered a rather expensive custom made hanging metal lamp for our entry hall. Although the shop owner in Fez assured us that the lamp would be fully ready for use, with US electrlcal fixtures and a parchment lining, it arrived as a shell — no wiring and no parchment lining– and was completely useless to us. Help! Good thing I knew about Sue Johnson’s shop. We made a beeline there and the helpful staff knew exactly what to do. A short few weeks later, we have our gorgeous lamp, perfectly and expertly finished, just in time for Christmas. The store is a treasure and you can’t beat the professionalism of the staff there. We have several other lamps from Sue’s shop and each one is a work of art.

Drove from Union City to have an old floor lamp rewired. The sales staff was courteous and informative. The lamp was repaired and the charge was exactly as estimated. The store offered to manufacture a custom lampshade to complement our lamp.
The display showroom is awash in beautiful lamp shades and lighting fixtures. Store prices seemed what to be expected for the area, and their lamps would add to the décor of any home. We’d be happy to shop at Sue Johnson’s again.
BTW, they reminded me of the need for a parking slip to be placed in my car to make sure I didn’t get a ticket. Just a nice added touch.

It’s no overstatement to say that Sue Johnson’s custom lamp shop is a cultural treasure. Just browsing there is an aesthetic delight – but imagine the joys of importing some of this one-​of-​a-​kind beauty and wit into your own home. You’ll be ably and patiently assisted every step of the way by enthusiastic staff, each one of them willing to spend as much time as you need to produce the optimal combination of base and shade. And given the quality of materials and workmanship, the prices here are actually quite reasonable. Sue Johnson’s lamps are works of art, and they absolutely make a room.
My last project there posed a series of technical challenges. I had obtained a postmodern brushed chrome stand topped with an ugly Ikea-​ish shade. The idea was to cast off the offending part and recast the lamp with a more mid-​century look. The new shade had to be constructed over an improvised frame, a difficult task because, among other things, the socket is strictly Euro and rarely seen in the U.S. Johnson and staff pondered the problem awhile and then aced it, but when I got it home I was clueless as to how the shade attached. I brought it back, certain that the shop had gotten it wrong. They hadn’t. I received a delightfully calm and non-​patronizing lesson in lamp parts from Sue Johnson herself, who was graciousness incarnate about my faux emergency. She’s an artist AND a lady.

We were recommended by a lamp store on 4^th St. in Berkeley to come to Sue for a lamp shade. Sue was busy with a customer, but someone else helped us locate the perfect shade! When Sue was done, she came out and greeted us and talked to us for a while. She’s very passionate about what she does! Her work is amazing! When our daughter is older, we will get her a lamp from Sue.
We went in again a couple months later to get a shade repaired that we got from my husbands mom. The estimated it would be $ 25 (It was actually around $ 20!). They did a great job, the shade was torn on an edge and it’s hardly noticeable now.
A third time that we came in, I had a Tiffany style lamp that needed a new cord and a socket. They estimated only $ 45 (it was $ 49, but that included tax, so it was right on). They fixed it the same day and it works great now!
They are a fantastic place to go to get a lamp or get a lamp repaired. I don’t know the going rate for lamp repairs, but the prices seem pretty decent to me and they are fast and call you when it’s ready!

We have just bought two clip-​on paper lamp shades that are beautiful for two light fixtures that we wanted to improve. We didn’t want to spend a fortune on these and they are working out just fine! We will, however, design two more lampshades for our main hallway and our bedroom. Sue Johnson’s shop is amazing. Her lamps are like works of art and she really does believe in what she does. It is true that she can be a little persnickety, but that’s because she’s an artist. You know how artists are… But, if you LOVE the beautiful glow of amber in your house (think Chez Panisse and Bay Wolf – I think these restaurants actually have her lamps), then you really need to go to Sue Johnson. I can’t wait to adorn my 1930s hallways with her lampshades!

Update 11−3−09: Sue’s annual sale will be held November 6 – 15. Great chance to pick up some deals!
Sue’s shop is a wonderland full of unique objects that have been turned into beautiful, functional, one of a kind lamps and lighting fixtures. The workroom in the back of the shop is fascinating and the artisans who work there are free with their advice — and opinions.
Over the past few years we’ve purchased some pieces from her shop, and just love them.
Picture a hand made mica shade with ginkgo leaves embedded within, sitting on a ribbed brass stand, topping a hunk of gleaming black walnut. A wall fixture in our hallway features a lampshade is hand made out of paper and ribbon. Not your everyday shade, that’s for sure.
They do lots of custom work — bring in your object d’art and they’ll turn it into a wonderful lamp for you, complete with a fabulous shade.
Pricey? Indeed, but worth it for a one of a kind object that’ll be the star wherever you place it in your home.

Sue’s shop was recommended to me by an interior designer who is actually friends with Sue.
The designer and I went to the store and were helped by a very rude sales associate. When we were documenting what we needed to have done to the lamp, the designer commented to me that the sales lady was a real bitch. I readily agreed.
Two days later, I got a call from the shop telling me that they would not wire my lamp, that it was too heavy. The components were a small lamp body and a medium sized pot.
When I called the shop, a sales representative cut me off when I stated that my lamp components were far lighter than the lamps in her store! She just cut me off and kept saying, «It’s Sue’s shop, she made the decision.»
That’s fine, but there was really no logic to support their decision and the message was delivered like a sledge hammer. It is her shop and she can refuse business, but the reason given was complete bunk.
They missed out on wiring my lamp, and my buying a $ 400 lamp for my livingroom.
I will NEVER, NEVER go into this shop again, save actually picking up my lamp pieces.

This is an eclectic store with interesting/​pretty lamp shades that will burn a whole in your pocket. This stuff is not cheap, but it is quality. On the other hand though…
Sue Johnson is a MEAN OLD WITCH.
When we tried to return a lampshade, she gazed at us with furious eyes, arms akimbo and splattered out a whole spiel that, «We are a small business and we do not offer returns. Store credit is the best that we can do. If you told us in advance that you might return this, then we would had put a hold on your credit card and not had charged you. But you didn’t! This is not how we do things! We have already authorized the purchase! Yatta yatta yatta.»
After a good amount of talking and reasoning with her that we bought it as a gift for someone and did not know she’d hate it, she said with a flustered-​rolly-​eyed-​look, «Well, you tell me what you want me to do?!» and handed us a check in the refund amount.
Omg, what an ordeal! Geez, that was painful! I would never ever come back to this store again!

A lamp store? Why would Elle want to review a lamp store? She’s SUCH an ARTsnob!!!
Oh. but my children, this is NOT a lamp store one finds in strip malls and such.
Ms Sue Johnson IS an artist, an artisan, a business woman.
The minute you walk into the shop, lit by the lovely lamps, you are away
from the land of Ikea, BBand B, Arts and Crafts Kitsch.
Each lamp is different, why you can bring in an objet d’art and tell Sue and her charming helpful assistants will transform it into a useful item,
which will light up your room, and satisfy your desire to be what you have always aspired to be, — –
A person of TASTE.
P. S. TASTE costs a bit more

Funny little shop that sells the best hand made lamps in the world! I own 6 Sue Johnson table lamps. Not cheap, but good works of art do not come cheap. Small table lamp with a custom made shade will run from $ 125 to $ 400. Quirky, nostalgic, eccentric lamps that never cross over to being creepy! If you appreciate the unusual and have eclectic tastes, come here to purchase your next lamp.