Three consistently desirable accessories for many owners of mid century homes are pole lamps … room dividers … and display shelves. Well, clever reader Carin recently spotted — and nabbed — this interesting thingamabob that combines all three. It’s a room divider that installs like an adjustable, floor-to-ceiling pole lamp … It features working lights in one of the poles …. And has shelves to display tall vases, too. What a great piece. Carin writes:
We found this AMAZING room tension divider hidden in the corner of a crowded store.
The lighting globes are pristine and they work! Have not seen another one like it…a $45 STEAL.
I agree — a steal, Carin. There is nothing like scavenging the far, dusty reaches of thrift shops, vintage stores, estate sales and salvage places. Take your wet naps, a flashlight and lots of patience with you, people, and the Retro Decorating Gods will restore you in due course.
Thank you for sharing, Carin. I was particularly interested in seeing the complete unit — including how the pole installed at the ceiling, so I really appreciate your working with me to get these photos. With so many folks working very hard to conserve their money these days, I was thinking this design would be pretty straightforward to recreate, if you are handy. Once things settle down around my house, I might give this a try myself. This unit is particularly versatile because of its size, the integrated lighting and even those shelves.
Hey, I’d suggest something sticky, though — Poster Putty? — on the bottom of the vases. One tipsy bump and bye bye, Blenko! Also, be sure to have a professional check the wiring on anything vintage.
Retro Rando pole lamp for your basement or living room – today’s ebay pick 
Before & after of Lynne’s room divider in her 1959 Florida home 
Vintage Stiffel pole lamp, fab Goldworm maxi dress & more MIB madness 
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Great look and love the pots. There is a product called ‘Quakehold’, which is a museum putty made to secure objects. It is removable, reusable, and doesn’t harm furniture.
I love seeing things that I’ve never seen before. This is really cool! We use Quakehold museum wax around here too. Though not for earthquakes…for cats. : )
Vintage cuteness, for sure an exciting find!
That is so nifty!!!
I am thinking of building my own room divider in the bathroom between the toilet and the sink — has anybody ever had any experience BUILDING these things? Do they still make patterned plastic sheets of any kind?
If you have a Home Depot or Lowe’s near you, give them a visit. You should be able to find the plastic you’re looking for (in different colors and patterns) over in the department where they sell the supplies for suspended ceilings/lights.
Thanks for the Quakehold idea. I have cats, too.
I ALMOST bought one just like that at an auction I was at a couple weeks ago but they were doing simultaneous bidding in 2 diff places so I was on the other side of the building. Super cool piece in the top picture!
Cool! The rest of Carin’s room looks good too.
Whenever I see pole lamps, I think to my days as a kid in the early 60s. We had cousins — three boys — who treated their living room as a big gym, and the pole lamp was a major part of their gymnastics routine. It got destroyed, of course. Those boys sure would have had fun with this room divider.
That “thingamabob” is AWESOME! Have never seen anything like that. Congrats on your unique find!
Very cool piece. Makes me think it’s time I built a room divider.
Looks great! I love pole lamps…at one point my family had three identical ones. My mom had ordered one from a catalog. They sent another. She called to return it, and they sent a third! She figured she’d better stop before it got out of hand!
These were the general issue black cones with the “brass” turny knob on the ends.
How fun would it be to have them all today?
We have one magnificent specimen that wont’ fit 8 ft ceilings-minimum 10 ft. Odd, I think for MCM houses. Also a model on a base that is great next to a bed for reading.
LOove this divider idea. Sweet. And a big vote from CA for Quake hold. Good stuff.
Super cool! Great find!
I can’t imagine how excited you must have been to find this at such a great price. Of course now I gotta have one, too!
There is a great product available at sign shops called corrugated plastic. It’s made just like cardboard cartons, but is plastic and is available in all sorts of colors. My favorite is the white, which is actually more clear, but translucent. I think it would be great for a room divider, but I used it with an easily constructed 1×2″ poplar frame to make shoji screen sliding closet doors. Gives a very nice oriental/mid mod feel and looks as good as doors costing, literally, thousands. It goes for about $40 for a 4×8′ sheet!
Once again, viewing this facebook page/website has made my day! Thanks for being our host!
Love it! An amazing find!
Truly unique and wonderful piece of MCM you found there! I love it! And yes, now I want one too. lol I’ve never seen such a thing.
When I saw the vases on the little shelves I thought, “Oh no, I can’t do that!” (cats) and thought those little perches would be great for THEM to sit on. Then I read further about Quake Hold….never heard of it, but will be looking for it. I have a few pieces I won’t put out in the LR because of the cats. That’s great to know about. Where do you find it? Lowes, Home Depot?
WOW, I’ll pop that one in the memory banks, it’s awesome!!!! …& “Quakehold* *Posterputty* never heard of it but need it badly, where do you purchase it? Sadly one of my ceramic dishes got broken from the kids throwing cushions!
x
Back in the ’60′s my dad made a metal pipe triple bunk bed with a pole lamp wired into the pipes for reading lamps for my sisters and me. I wish I had a picture of it. It was actually pretty cool. The middle bunk stuck out at a perpendicular angle to the top and bottom bunk.
I got the top bunk, and I only fell out a couple of times, hitting my sister Ginny in the middle bunk on the way down to the floor. I usually took my mattress with me, so I didn’t get too badly hurt. Too bad I wasn’t stuck down with museum putty.
Life was always interesting at our house.
holey moley!
I’d write a book, Pam, but my mother has chosen the selective memory option, and swears none of the bad or dangerous stuff never really happened to us and I am making it all up.
I wonder what would happen if I used a pseudonym and called it fiction? I can make it all sound terribly funny. What other kids can you think of from the 60′s who would tell their parents they would rather have new carpeting in the family room than a color TV?
What do the cats do with the ‘Quakehold’?
Love it!!! I’m looking for something of similar design esthetic, but more substantial because I have a collection of v-pottery to display that I wouldn’t want to trust to a tension mount. Searching Eames era room divider shelves and such and seem to be narrowing in somewhat.
Plan also to consider designing my own and having it built because I don’t have the tools, but have a pretty clear image of what I want. Would prefer vintage though.
Your site is very cool!!!
Welcome, Judy. Please be sure to see the followup post, and get thee some QuakeHold — http://retrorenovation.com/2011/08/06/quakehold-museum-putty-gel-and-wax-secure-your-collectibles-on-shelves-and-mantles/
Hi Pam Y’all, Do you know who the manufacturer of your room divider is? I’ve been searching online for weeks for one with that basic style, but which would accomodate my own display needs. That’s how I found your site!
It would be a great cat climber, but that’s one reason I don’t have a cat at the moment.
I grew up in Byram/Greenwitch Ct and saw some amazing homes/decor back in the 60S….
I’ll definitely invest in the QuakeHold, thx.