I couldn't stop thinking about the vintage lamps from my stay at the iconic Lafayette Hotel – so I found these equally stylish lookalikes to bring some old school Hollywood style home with me

The Lafayette Hotel in San Diego had been on my radar for a while. I’ve always had a thing for a Chateau Marmont, Hotel Chelsea-type situation – bohemian, storied, a little rough around the edges.

Originally opened in 1946 as 'Imig Manor,' the property hosted its fair share of Hollywood royalty, from Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope to Lana Turner and Harry James – who, as legend has it, became a regular at the hotel bar after his sets. After closing its doors for a stretch, the hotel reopened in July 2023 following a $31 million renovation and a newfound sense of swank. Naturally, I had to see it for myself.

I made the trek up from Los Angeles and was pleasantly surprised to find that the hotel looked exactly like the photos – maximalist style mixed with a strong retro aesthetic. The Art Deco lobby read maximalist with a capital 'M': thick velvet curtain swags, glossy checkerboard floors, and oversized tiger-striped chairs, which dripped in burgundy bullion fringe.

Checking in, I glanced up to see matching fringed flush mounts cascading from the ceiling – a detail that foreshadowed the drama awaiting me upstairs.

The moment I opened the door to my room, I saw it: the lamp. A fringed, Victorian-inspired beauty perched on the bedside table, perfectly suited for the glamorous starlet–princess–rockstar persona I’d slip into for the next three days. It featured a damask-style bird and botanical print in faded pastels – a soft counterpoint to the not-so-subtle bubblegum trim on the bedding.

The fringe wasn’t bullion, but beaded – a jewelry-like take on the recently revived interior design trend that held its own, even beside the room’s more eccentric touches, like the gilded snake-shaped reading lamps slithering up the bedposts.

I needed one for myself. So I did what any design-minded hotel guest does – flopped onto the bed, opened my laptop, and began the hunt. That’s when I found the Modern Love Lamp from Urban Outfitters: same antique silhouette, similar flirty drama, just a little more me. Dare I say, I liked it even better?

While this lamp would, of course, look incredible on a nightstand – paired with black-and-white marble, a vintage glass carafe, and one of those retro-style speakers like they had at the hotel – my lofted bed means I’ll have to get creative.

I’m picturing it now on the bar cart, or maybe next to my desk, lending its moody glow to an otherwise practical corner. And because it only looks antique, it’s – thankfully – also wired for modern life.

Now back in New York, the Modern Love Lamp is sitting in my cart, waiting to be adopted. And in case you’re after even more fringe – or something a little closer to that beaded original – I’ve rounded up a few more worthy companions below.

I love to take inspiration from the hotels, bars, and restaurants I visit. In fact, I think they have become my biggest source for new ideas, and I tend to take an idea home with me from every stay – small, affordable switches I can make in my own space to make it feel more elevated and sophisticated. It seems lighting is the thing at the moment. I also just wrote about my love for the 'orb' light I have been seeing everywhere this summer.