Our family has been in the lamp business for over 35 years. Baker Lamp Shop was opened by my grandfather, Bill Baker, in 1977. I went to work with my grandparents almost every Saturday. My grandfather, a former Colonel in the USAF, made lamps and did all of the rewiring. He always told me that "little girls didn't play with electricity" but that never stopped me from watching him. My challenge arose at age eight when I decided that I could make a lamp. I went to Pap and his response was, “Absolutely not.” I had to do it and I disobeyed orders. While he was not happy with me, he was amazed that I actually made a lamp that worked. That was over 30 years ago. Baker Lamp Shop closed in 1993 but it planted a seed.

My mom, Dianne Baker-Clelland, opened her first store, Baker Design & Lamp Studio, in 1990 on Lorna Road in Hoover. She built her business in Birmingham and opened a second location in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I went off to college and after graduating with a Bachelor of Interior Design from Auburn University, I came home to start my career. Despite where my profession led me, my passion and childhood dream was to open a lamp shop.

 

Mom and I began to toss around ideas. She gave me the option of running the Tuscaloosa store but it wasn't the ideal situation. After lots of thinking, we decided to close the Tuscaloosa store and open a second location in Inverness. We moved the remaining inventory to Birmingham and expanded. The vision for the new store combined both our love of lamps and my love of linens, taking ordinary lamps and shades to the next level. We wanted to create a store to satisfy both the traditional and the non-traditional customer by incorporating old favorites with new ideas. Baker Lamps & Linens, the second location of the Baker Design & Lamp Studio, Inc., opened on November 10, 2000 in Inverness Corners. In November of 2005, we combined the Lorna Road store and Inverness Corners store into one large location in Inverness Highlands, where we are located today.

 

The shop is filled with one of a kind and custom-made lamps, plain and funky lamp shades and an array of fine linens to suit both the reserved customer and one who is daring to follow the newest trend. We also have wonderful candles, home fragrances, accessories and gifts for all.

 

Mom and I make custom lamps out of most anything. Our creative minds, inventive ideas, and willingness to always try something new have led us to the most loyal clients, allowing our dream to continue. Whether it’s building a lamp out of a unique object or designing an entire house, you can be sure that every detail is considered! We pride ourselves in meticulous craftsmanship and out of the box thinking. We also rewire lamps and chandeliers.

 

We carry an extensive inventory of lamp shades. Our shades are excellent quality and come in array of sizes shapes and colors. We also recover, re-line and special order custom shades. If you are in need of a replacement shade, PLEASE BRING YOUR LAMP. “Buying a lamp shade without your lamps is like buying a hat without your head!”