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February 2024 by Ali Kather
This lamp store is a treasure trove of light! Their selection is exquisite, and the staff is warm and friendly. We had a sentimental lamp repaired here for my son who is thrilled with the results. They upgraded the lamp making the Spider-Man pull switch more durable to prevent a repeat breakage. Coming back soon to discover something new.
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September 2023 by Patricia Tate-Camacho
To prepare for cataract surgery, I ordered two bowls of minestrone soup and Veranda salad. Excellent customer service! When I picked up my order, I was told “hot food in this bag and cold food here in this bag.” That was over the top customer service. I can’t wait to take family and friends to sit down and to enjoy the delicious foods and wait service inside the restored restaurant. So happy that you are back! Soup, salad and bread were delicious. The bread!!!!!!!!!
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May 2023 by Omar Sultan
Sue Johnson Custom Lamps & Shades is an absolute gem for anyone seeking extraordinary, handcrafted lamps and lamp shades that are truly one of a kind. From the moment I stepped into their showroom, I knew I had discovered a haven for exceptional craftsmanship and artistic brilliance.The staff at Sue Johnson Custom Lamps & Shades exemplify passion and dedication in their work. Their commitment to customer satisfaction is unparalleled as they go above and beyond to ensure that every visitor feels taken care of. Their expertise and knowledge in the art of lamp making are evident in the quality and attention to detail that is present in each creation.But it is Sue Johnson herself who brings this establishment to life. Engaging in conversation with her was an absolute pleasure, as her genuine care for her customers and her craft shines through. Sue's love for her artistic lamps is infectious and her enthusiasm is contagious. It is evident that she pours her heart and soul into every lamp she creates, making each piece a true work of art.When I first laid eyes on one of Sue Johnson's lamps, I was immediately captivated. However, I couldn't find the perfect shade to accompany it. This is where the magic of Sue Johnson Custom Lamps & Shades truly comes to light. With their exceptional customization services, they created a lamp shade that perfectly matched my preferences. The attention to detail and the level of customization they provided exceeded my expectations, and the final product left me utterly delighted.Not only does Sue Johnson Custom Lamps & Shades offer exceptional craftsmanship, but they also provide an unrivaled level of customer service. They take the time to understand your needs and preferences, ensuring that every aspect of your experience is tailored to your satisfaction. This level of personalized attention is a rarity in today's world and sets them apart as a true beacon of excellence.If you're searching for a place where creativity, craftsmanship, and customer care intertwine seamlessly, Sue Johnson Custom Lamps & Shades is the destination for you. With their unique and awe-inspiring creations, passion-driven staff, and Sue Johnson's artistic brilliance, this establishment has carved a niche for itself in the world of handcrafted lamps and shades.I wholeheartedly recommend Sue Johnson Custom Lamps & Shades to anyone seeking a one-of-a-kind piece of art that will illuminate their living space and spark conversations. Prepare to be enthralled by the beauty and artistry that Sue Johnson and her team bring to life, and let them create an extraordinary masterpiece just for you.
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May 2023 by Claire R.
Beautiful lamps; HUGE HASSLE Tldr; If you have endless time and/or money, this is the store for you. This store has a lack of care for customer's experience, time, and money. That isn't ok at this price point, or any. I bought a small vintage lamp. After spending hundreds of dollars (a huge splurge!) they didn't even give me a light bulb. I wasn't thrilled, but let it slide. When I left the store, I was looking forward to rating it 5 stars due to the nice selection and the time the staff person spent helping me choose. However, when I got home the saga began. I got home and was excited to try the lamp. I tried to put in a lightbulb, and it didn't fit! The harp (the part that attaches the lampshade to the lamp) was too small to fit a bulb. I didn't even have a usable lamp, after spending all that money. I then had to spend hours online researching bulbs to figure out that I needed an A15 (refrigerator) bulb. I don't want to know about bulb sizes! I ordered a bulb, and when it finally arrived a few days later, I turned the lamp on. It didn't work. I turned the switch again, and then it worked. I realized they had wired the lamp as a 3-way switch. There was no sign on the lamp to indicate that when I bought it. I don't want a lamp that I have to turn 3 times just to use! I called them and drove back to the store to drop it off for them change it to a regular 1-way switch. Another 45 mins each way. 90 mins of my life wasted. I had to drive back a week later to pick it up. Another 90 mins of my life wasted. While I was there, I figured I would invest in the matching lamp so I could have a pair. I asked for a shade that matched the one I had bought from them for the first lamp. They didn't have one. They said they sold it a few months ago. (And hadn't made another one in case someone wanted a pair.) I asked what should I do. They told me I could custom order a shade from them, which would take 2 to 3 months. They thought nothing that I would have to wait all that time to use the expensive lamp I had just purchased. I asked what to do in the meantime, and they said I could buy a shade from another store, and then throw it away when my custom one was ready. (Another $50, more of my time to buy the temporary one, and another 90 mins of my life wasted to drive back to pick up the custom one). They acted as though I had endless time and money. I then went up the street to Ensler lighting, that sells shades. He said the two stores send customers "back and forth, all the time". This indicates I'm certainly not the first person to run into a huge time-suck and hassle. He explained that the refrigerator-size bulbs don't even come in a 3-way version. So, there was no way to ever buy a bulb that worked with the way they had wired the lamp! He didn't have a lampshade in stock that fit my lamp. As a result, I had to spend hours and hours online reading about lampshade heights, widths, lengths, etc. and how to pick one to fit a lamp. I ended up having to custom order two online. I now know so much about lamps, bulbs, and shades that I could practically open my own lighting store at this point. Sue Johnson: when you are wiring a small lamp, that takes a small shade, that needs a small harp, that won't fit a regular bulb, that will never fit a 3-way bulb: 1. don't wire it as a 3-way lamp. 2. Give your customers a speciality size bulb when they leave your store. Otherwise, you are selling your customers a lamp that won't work properly. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO BE TELLING YOU THIS? IT'S YOUR JOB TO BE THE LIGHTING EXPERT, NOT ME. I am discouraged from ever buying a vintage or unique lamp again. Sad to say, online shopping only for me from now on. I WILL NEVER STEP FOOT IN THIS STORE AGAIN. I encourage you not to either.
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January 2023 by oren L
I bought two “matching” sconces to put on the wall as reading lamps near my bed. These work great as reading lamps and i can add a second bulb for more light!What a wonderful and practical artist Sue is. The lamps are beautiful and i am so appreciative of her practical artistry!! I installed two lamps and installed individual switches and dimmers… perfecto! Huzzah for Sue Johnson!PS… i don’t understand who could give her less than 5 stars
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August 2022 by Connor C.
Helped breathe new life into my mid-century modern art lamp. They offered custom options for all kinds of lamps and also electrical work. Pricing was very reasonable.
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August 2022 by Peter Y.
great store and phenomenal lamps. staff and owner both very friendly. highly recommended for custom lamps.
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May 2022 by JoAnn S.
I was window shopping in Berkeley on a beautiful Spring day when I noticed a shop filled with lamps and shades. Was it an antique store specializing in lamps? I walked inside. Lamps were everywhere. What a feast for my eyes!!! I couldn't help myself from taking pictures with my phone. I loved the creativity I was seeing in this little shop. It was buzzing with a warm glow coming from the handmade shades. When Sue Johnson was a young woman she got a job in Orinda making lamps. She walked away from that job making $2 an hour, with the tools to create her life work. I wonder if she ever guessed that 50 years later she would have a business selling beautiful lamps all over the world? I take my hat off to Sue Johnson for taking her skills and vision and running with it. How many hand made lamps and shades has she help "birth" in the last 50 years? How many people have been gifted with a treasure light from Sue? You can walk into Sue's shop and get a lamp that has already been made. Or you can take a prize from your past, that means a lot to you, and see if Sue and her crew can make it into a one-of-a-kind lamp.
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April 2022 by Toni Wilcox
I cannot begin to tell you how beautiful and suitable my lamp and shade from Sue Johnson are. It took several patient email exchanges, with pics and recommendations, for me to make a choice but I had no idea how much I could love a lamp until now. Packed with care and worth the 8 week(ish) wait.
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April 2022 by Jo Ann Wexler
Unique selection of elegant lamps and shades.
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November 2021 by Rolf Wilkinson
I brought a lamp in with a concept for the shade. They CRUSHED it.
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March 2021 by Carl Yeich
I have rarely found a retail shop to be so rude or incompetent, including Sue Johnson herself. My husband and I commissioned two shades to be made for two lamps we would buy from the shop, and spent hours choosing elements from various shades on their website to put on our shades. Carmen was our contact. She repeatedly didn’t get back to us when promised, and when once she was going to email us within a day with our deposit invoice and a photo of a recommended leaf for our shades, she didn’t get back to us for weeks despite reminders from me. I then emailed Sue, but she also didn’t respond for a number of days. We finally decided we didn’t have the confidence we needed to go forward, and nicely told Sue that. We had put many hours into the project, and they had put in very few. Two months later I emailed Sue to ask if she was still willing to make the shades. After a week she didn’t respond to my email or a call, so I emailed again asking her to please respond. She rudely said that she wouldn’t make any shades for us but would sell a lamp with a pre-made shade. Our purchase would’ve been about $1,500, but clearly she thought nothing of rudely brushing us off just because I had told her, “If something happens that precludes a promised response, which I was told to expect the day Carmen finally returned my call, then a simple email or call that says, ‘X happened and I will get back to you in Y days’ is simple courtesy.” No business should treat a customer like that, and very few have ever acted so badly to us.
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March 2021 by L B.
I have rarely found a retail shop to be so rude or incompetent, including Sue Johnson herself. My husband and I commissioned two shades to be made for two lamps we would buy from the shop, and spent hours choosing elements from various shades on their website to put on our shades. Carmen was our contact. She repeatedly didn't get back to us when promised, and when once she was going to email us within a day with our deposit invoice and a photo of a recommended leaf for our shades, she didn't get back to us for weeks despite reminders from me. I then emailed Sue, but she also didn't respond for a number of days. We finally decided we didn't have the confidence we needed to go forward, and nicely told Sue that. We had put many hours into the project, and they had put in very few. Two months later I emailed Sue to ask if she was still willing to make the shades. After a week she didn't respond to my email or a call, so I emailed again asking her to please respond. She rudely said that she wouldn't make any shades for us but would sell a lamp with a pre-made shade. Our purchase would've been about $1,500, but clearly she thought nothing of rudely brushing us off just because I had told her, "If something happens that precludes a promised response, which I was told to expect the day Carmen finally returned my call, then a simple email or call that says, 'X happened and I will get back to you in Y days' is simple courtesy." No business should treat a customer like that, and very few have ever acted so badly to us.
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January 2021 by Frederick Chavez
If you like Art and excellent service, make this lamp shop your destination for creative inspiration.
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January 2021 by raph ael
Sue is best, she lights up the room! If you need a unique piece this is the right place to go! Ty so much!
