Restoration and Design Studio owner Paul Karner’s decades of lamp-wrangling experience have given him the skills to, say, outfit an antique floor lamp with a nine-way switch or convert a candlelit ...

Somehow, everything I fix ends up far uglier than it was when I started. But, I thought, what if I start with ugly? I tested the theory by rewiring an old lamp. I first sought counsel from experts.

For safety, do not use old lamps with frayed fabric cords or old plugs. When the lamp is rewired, keep the original socket cover and the long pull chain. If the socket is too damaged or unsafe, ...