Lamp Shades | How to Choose the Right Lamp Shades

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

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.

Filed Under Interior Design | 14 Comments

Tagged With , , , ,

Comments

14 Responses to “How to Choose the Right Lamp Shades”

  1. Bob on February 8th, 2010 3:11 pm

    Do all the lamp shades in a room have to have the same color (black in my case)

  2. Jan on February 8th, 2010 4:54 pm

    Hi Bob

    not necessarily. It depends on the rest of the room and how the lamps are arranged. Not everything has to be matching unless you are talking about a pair of matching lamp bases and then you would want matching lamp shades.

    Jan

  3. C Miller on December 28th, 2010 10:40 pm

    I am looking for a replacement lamp shade for a Crate and Barrel Axel floor lamp that I purchased in 2003. C&B does not carry that lamp any longer nor do they carry the particular type of shade required for the lamp. Any ideas as to where I can get a replacement shade?

  4. Jan on December 31st, 2010 2:31 am

    Your best bet for a replacement lamp shade is a local lighting store who may have or be able to source a supplier of a similar shade. Take a picture of your floor lamp (assuming that it is too big to take with you) so that you can show it to the store assistant to demonstrate what you are looking for. Hope that helps.

    Jan

  5. linda guerrieri on January 18th, 2011 1:03 pm

    what color shade would you put in a living room that will give a warm glow to the room. the walls are cream color and the sofa is a couple of shades darker

  6. Jan on January 18th, 2011 1:14 pm

    Hi Linda

    you can liven things up a little with a rich burgundy red lamp shade, create a warm glow with a gold colored shade or if you want to stay natural and keep the shade in the background stick with cream or your sofa color, even mushroom or rust. A lot depends on the other items in the room. It can work well to choose a plain lamp shade which picks out one of the colors from your curtains or cushions, for example.

    Let me know if you’re still stuck

    Jan

  7. J Madison on February 24th, 2011 1:37 am

    When it says the size of the lamp shade should be no larger than a third of the height of the base, what dimension it that referring to….height of the shade? What about a lamp with a wide base….should the diameter measurement or shade height take that into consideration?

  8. Jan on February 24th, 2011 5:30 am

    Hi, yes, as a general rule the height of the lamp shade should be no larger than a third of the total height but it does depend on the proportions of the lamp base and the shape of the shade so there are exceptions. If you have a very wide lamp base it might be that the shade can be a bit larger in proportion. In that case you just have to trust your eye if you have an unusual base or shade. Does it look top heavy on not? In these cases I would want to see the base with the shade and not buy my lamp shades online but in a store where I can see the base and shade together. Of course, if you are buying a whole lamp with shade included the designer will have out together a size and shape of base and shade which go well together and you can usually trust this so you could buy table lamps online without a problem.

    Jan

  9. Ruth on April 1st, 2011 12:20 am

    Hi Jan,
    My husband & I are renting at present & we need lampshades for d hall, bedroom & spare room. But can’t decide on choice of colour. The walls are white, we can’t paint them. The bedroom has wooden furniture medium in colour & the blinds are made of white wood. My bed linen is various in colour & I would like to get bedside lamps too. The hall is narrow & long with two lights, however one of them is in d way of a door leading to d washer-dryer. In the spare room The furniture is dark wood & an office cream blind with a PC work station. Please help!

  10. Jan on April 1st, 2011 4:59 am

    Hi Ruth.

    if you have quite a small place then it is good to harmonize colors with lamp shades and other accessories and bring everything together but it would be odd to pick just one color and use it throughout. I would advise using one color family though – so favoring either warm shades of peach, orange, rust, beige etc and using those colors in accessories and lampshades or choosing a whole set in cool colors such as turquoise, various blues, teal and so on. If you already have cushions, curtains and bedding, try and choose a color already present in these for other items in the room to create a color scheme in each room that hangs together well.

    Hope that helps

    Jan

  11. Lynn on April 17th, 2012 6:39 pm

    I want to redocorate and I am thinking about buying Tiffney style floor lamps.
    What is the difference between the lamp shades that point up than the lamp shades that point down?

  12. Jan on April 17th, 2012 6:46 pm

    The torchiere style uplighters produce a soft wash of light above the area they are situated – across a wall if they are close to a wall. They add general light to a room. The other types of lights point downwards and are better for illuminating a particular area around a table or chair for example, and would make it easier to read although in general because of the deeply colored glass in shades Tiffany lamps are more decorative than particularly functional in terms of adding a lot of light for close work.

    Jan

  13. Ros on May 3rd, 2012 1:54 pm

    I have a Stiffel lamp that has not shade, it’s about 30 inches tall with a 6inch harp. I’m having a hard time finding a shade to fit, any suggestions on the style, size and color? The room is painted a light sage green with wood floors, expresso colored leather couch in room.

  14. Jan on May 3rd, 2012 6:01 pm

    Hi Ros

    I can’t really picture your room and lamp from your description so although a natural colored shade would probably be best, I can’t really give you great advice on that. It’s probably best to take your lamp base to a specialist lighting shop and get them to find a shade to fit it for you. Take pictures of your room with you, so that you have the colors and style of the room to show them and hopefully they will be able to solve your decorating problem on the spot.

    Jan

Leave a Reply