A fashionable new lampshade breathes new life into an old lamp.  Once upon a time, the choices were very limited to bell shapes in cream or white.  These days you have a rainbow of colors, patterns and shapes at your fingertips…square, oval, drum-shaped; striped, silk or sage-colored.  There is something sure to delight the most particular decorator.

Some will have you believe that choosing the right lamp shade requires calculations achievable only by a NASA engineer, but that’s simply not so.  Here are a few tricks and tips for finding the right topper for your lamp:

Size

• Make sure the bottom edge of the shade will cover the hardware or socket of the lamp. 
• Wider shades will cast more light in the area for reading or other tasks.
• Choose a shade that is approximately 2/3 the height of the lamp base.  For example:  if your lamp base is 21″, then your lamp shade should be about 14″ high.

 Shape

• Drum and bell-shaped style shades are timeless and classic. 
• Unusual shapes such as squares and ovals add a modern look to your design.
• Don’t be afraid to pair a modern shade with a classic base.

Color

• White or cream shades allow the most light to shine through.  If the lamp shade is dark, most of your light will be directed downward.
• Consider whether you want the lamp to stand out as an accent piece or coordinate with other lamps in the room.
• Several lamps in a room with similar lampshades create a more serene feeling.

And don’t forget to check if your lamp has a harp or if the shade screws into the socket.  These require two different types of shades.  Be brave and choose something eye-catching.  You will love the transformation!

LampsPlus is one of our featured vendors and they carry a wide selection of Lighting and Home Decor. You can also shop for Lampshades from a number of other vendors in My Secret Database!

Tags: lighting

This entry was posted on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm and is filed under lighting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.