How to Choose the Right Lamp Shades
Getting the right lamp shades and lamps for your room is important because lighting plays such a big role in the look and feel of a room. It affects the whole ambience. The right lamp shade can enhance the whole picture and feeling you are trying to create, whereas one which clashes in any way can quickly ruin your room scheme and undo any of the great design decisions you have made with window treatments, furniture and floor coverings.
No need for bare bulbs
Color
Many people automatically choose white or cream colored lamp shades as they believe that this is a “safe” choice (and sometimes because there is not much else available in their local store). However white and off-white can look a little stark and are only right in an all-pale or minimalist room. Most rooms look best with a little warmth and color in decoration and you need to continue this through to your shades by choosing an equally rich color tone. If you shop online you will find just the right color of lamp shade to suit your room.
Size
The interior design rule of thumb for selecting the size of lamp shades is that the shade should be no larger than a third of the size of the lamp base height and ideally should just cover the lighting elements or hardware of the lamp. You want the bulb to be covered but not the base. The lampshades that most people buy are too large for the base. Don’t buy all your lamp shades the same size thinking that they should match – unless you have matching bases!
When measuring you don’t need to include decorative elements such as tassels – just the solid part of the shade.
For a normal table lamp the diameter of the base of the lampshade should be within two inches of the height of the lamp measured from the bottom of the light bulb fitting to the base.
For safety reasons make sure that the fabric of the lamp shade will clear the bulb with plenty of space – the higher the wattage of the bulb the more clearance is required between the bulb and the shade. If you’re worried about a shade you’ve chosen check that the part of the shade nearest the bulb does not get hot within 5 minutes of switching on the light.
Shape and style
The shape of the shade should be in keeping with the lampbase. A plain simple base lends itself to a simple shape whereas a fancy antique fitting deserves a more elaborate shade and an Asian style lamp goes well with a hexagonal shaped shade.
If your decor has a particular theme such as a particular historical period or designer style then choose lamp shades which suit that. You can get help by looking at pictures of whole room schemes which are in a similar theme including the lighting and lamp shades used. You can find these easily online.
Also consider where you lamp is going to be in relation to its surroundings. Some lamp shades mean that the lamp could not sit close to the wall or surrounding furniture.
What if you can’t find the right shade?
There are thousands of lamp shades to buy online but if all else fails you can buy custom shades made up in the exact size, color, shape, style and fabric you require.
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Solar String Lights
Solar string lights are just what you need to give your garden a decorative touch after dark. Although you might want standard outdoor lighting to fully illuminate your garden at night or provide security, a solar string light will highlight features and landscaping wonderfully well and give your garden a festive atmosphere for celebrations.
These lights consist of a series of LED bulbs often with decorative covers strung together in a row or a net. They are powered by a rechargeable battery or batteries which get there energy from an accompanying solar panel.
The beauty is that these lights cost nothing to run, taking all their energy from the sun during the day and storing it up to give off at night. Most have an automatic sensor to switch the light on after dark and to switch off when it becomes light. The LED bulbs take little energy to run, making them ideal for these lights and they are long-lasting too.
They are also inexpensive to buy relative to the huge impact they can have on a dark and gloomy garden or patio. It is a shame to miss out as they don’t even need much in the way of installation – position the solar panel where it can see the sun and arrange your lights. That’s it! As a result, you can move them whenver you wish too – no need for an electrician.
Most solar garden string lights are similar to a string of Christmas tree lights but you will also find these LED lights with many in wonderful covers such as butterflies, stars or Haloween ghosts, some of which you will see below. The straightforward colored or white solar LED fairy lights are great for draping through trees and bushes, or for decorating handrails, pergolas and other garden features. They also look good strung along a fence in a garland pattern.
Another kind of string light you will come across, are rope lights, where the string in encased in plastic see-through tubing. These are particularly sturdy and you can have fun decorating with them and creating different shapes of light. It has to be said that they are not quite as flexible as normal string lights however.
It would be a pity to miss out on decorating your garden in this way. You will benefit from them not only when you have an outdoor gathering or celebration but also every day of the week when you look out onto your garden lit by beautiful solar string lights.
There is a selection below to whet your appetite but you can also see many more low priced string lights HERE many with great discounts.
 Smart Solar 3730WR30 Solar Star Light String, 30 White LEDs with Star Covers |
This beautiful solar string lighting has 30 glowing stars to decorate your garden. Tasteful LED bulbs will decorate any area of your garden. Click here for discount, free shipping and more details on these solar star string lights. |
 Wild Grass Solar Garden String Lights |
A string of three wild grass solar garden lights to give a unique touch to your garden or patio. Each grass section is over foot tall and will light automatically after dark once charged up during the day. Click here for more details.
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These solar powered string lights are truly beautiful. They are hand crafted and will provide an elegant and delightful accent wherever you hang them in your garden. The string consists of a solar panel and six LED lights with hand blown glass globes which can be hung from the included copper hooks. Click here for more information.
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 Aurora Glow String Lights |
 BLUE Solar Rope 50 LED String Garden Light Inside/Outside (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
This solar rope light with 50 LED lights will add a beautiful blue accent to your garden wherever you place it and will switch on automatically via the inbuilt light sensor after dark. For more information click here.
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These solar led string lights are great for the holidays to give festive cheer to your garden. Create your own outdoor Christmas tree or just use the light to create a fairy tale effect or decoartive touch anywhere in your garden or on your patio. For more details about these solar Christmas string lights click here.
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 GudCraft Solar Powered 100LED Holiday String Lights, White |
 Butterfly Solar String Lights |
Outdoor solar string lights to enhance any part of your garden you care to decorate. From the image (click to view a larger version) you can see how beautiful these lights would look in a tree or bush. Long wire between the solar panel and light strand allows you to position the solar where it will get the most light and gives you more flexibility. Click here for more details.
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Filed Under Outdoor Lights, Solar Lights | Leave a Comment
Tripod Floor Lamp
A tripod floor lamp is a great addition to your home. Any floor lamp is great for adding light across a broad area of the room and happily, it is a soft ambient light rather than the kind of stark glare you get from an overhead pendant lamp.
Tripod floor lamps have other special advantages too however. Whichever style you choose, they are particularly practical. That’s because they are very stable with their three legs compared to floor lamps, which generally only have one leg and a base and a tendency to be top-heavy and unstable. Tripod lamps are not easy to knock over and yet they still do not take up a lot of floor space. They also have a streamlined look, and so tend not to add a cluttered look to your room. Because they are so stable it makes them a particularly good choice if you have pets or small children, who tend to race around not looking where they are going.
As well as providing great lighting for general activities in the room, these lamps are also beautiful and are more stylish than many other floor lamps in the same price range.
From the selection below, you will see that tripod floor lamps generally fall into one of two styles. They either have three legs as their base and use traditional lamp shades or they are in the style of lighting at a movie or photographers studio, having a main stem and three shorter legs for stability. While the first type, provided they are made of classic materials (see the wooden tripod floor lamp for an example) can fit easily into a traditional environment, the “lights, camera, action” tripod floor lights suit a more contemporary environment and particularly a monochrome color scheme or a room with a lot of metallic furniture. Each type of lamp can look beautiful and stylish in the right setting.
If you are looking to buy a tripod floor lamp take a look at the selection below. If there is nothing there to suit your home the you may find what you are looking for HERE
 Adesso Toulouse Tripod Floor Lamp (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
This chrome tripod lamp with white crushed velvet shade would suit any contemporary interior. Foot step switch. Click here for further details, discount and free shipping. |
 Dimond Lighting Floor Lamps D1735 Ethan Adjustable Tripod Floor Lamp In Restoration Black (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
This black tripod floor lamp will give your house or apartment movie style glamor. You could make a feature of your lighting by placing a few lamps like these around a large room, you might just as easily tuck one on a small corner of a tiny apartment. Click here for more information about this floor light.
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This wood tripod floor lamp is made with a walnut finish and brass fittings and with it’s versatile good looks it would be at home in either a contemporary or traditional room setting. You can find out more about this lamp here.
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 Walnut Tripod Floor Lamp (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
 Adesso Spotlight Floor Lamp, Steel (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
This contemporary tripod floor lamp has the look of professional set lighting. It’s light weight means that it is easily portable, yet it is still durable and stable. Made of steel and you can adjust the height as well as the direction of the light. For more information, click here.
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Simple yet unusual tripod floor lamp with an opaque glass lamp shade and chrome legs, with all the focus on the glowing bulbs. This floor lamp has a dimmer switch so that you can set the mood from bright to relaxing. Click here for more details.
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 Lumisource - KL-TRIPOD-FLR: Tripod Floor Lamp (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
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