Lamp Shades

Where to Buy Lamp Shades

You can purchase a selection of lamp shades in local stores but buying lamp shades online is a great idea for many reasons.

1. You Get a Fantastic Selection of Lamp Shades to Choose From

You are unlikely to find exactly the right lampshades in your local store which is only able to carry a limited selection of colors, styles and sizes. Online you can find any amount of table, floor, ceiling and wall lamps and suitable shades of every style and design imaginable at the click of a button.

2. Great Convenience

You can browse many online stores and find exactly the lamp shade you are looking for in a few minutes without the inconvenience (and expense) of getting to a store miles from your home. No waiting and no lines! Secure Ordering and hassle-free returns make the whole process of buying lighting online quick and easy. And the online stores never close – you can shop whenever you feel like it!

3. Lower Prices

Online stores are able to offer lamp shades at lower prices because the do not have the high expenses and overheads associated with running a store. Also you can easily compare prices on similar lamp shades from the comfort of your own home and get the benefits of shopping around without the hassle. Bookmark any lampshade you like the look of as you browse and then go back and make your selection quickly and easily.

4. Plenty of Advice

Instead of getting a bored shop assistant you get sites (like this one :) ) which offer sound advice on how to choose the best lamp shades to suit your decor, your furniture and your lamps.

5. No Pressure

You can make up your mind without some sales person on commission breathing down your neck. Think about your purchase as long as you like and return to look at the items you choose as much as you want without having to make a hasty decision (or having to make yet another trip to the store). You can even order a catalog from some online stores so that you can browse at your leisure.

6. Free Shipping

Many stores offer free shipping if your order is a reasonable size. Get your lamp shades delivered to your door entirely free of charge!

Designer Lamp Shade

Designer Lamp Shade

7. Unique Designs

You’ll find designer lamp shades online which you would never find in a million years in your local area. These unique items will lift your whole decor to a new level. Choose something a little different and be the envy of your friends!

8. Quickly Find What You are Looking For

Most sites have great search facilities so you can quickly locate the type of lamp shades you are interested in and focus in on the ones which meet your requirements.

9. Money Back Guarantees

Online stores offer these to take the risk out of your purchase (and sometimes because it is a legal requirement). Local stores may offer a credit voucher if they will take back the merchandise at all.

10. Extra Services

Some online stores will create custom lamp shades for you which exactly match your requirements. This is a great service when you can’t find exactly the lamp shades you are looking for.

Cheap Lamp Shades

If you see cheap lamp shades for sale, chances are that those lamp shades are perfectly practical but not very pretty. The most beautiful beaded lamp shades and those made from wonderful fabrics such as silk and pure linen are generally not the lowest price lampshades you can find. The cheap shades are probably in quite plain colors and shapes but in many ways that doesn’t matter if that is what your lamp base needs. If you have a very beautiful table lamp sometimes the best way to set that off is with a very simple square or drum lamp shade in cream or white. That way the base gets all the attention it deserves.

Very simple plain lamp shades are most in keeping with contemporary interiors however. In a traditional environment, it is better if your lamp shade has a touch of elegance and, in that case, fabrics and decoration matter.

If you need a fancier lamp shade but you have a limited budget then you have a few options.

Discount Lamp Shades

One way is to look for discount lamp shades which were quite expensive at full price but which have been reduced. You will find these in designer outlet centers and in the lighting department of department stores at sale times as well as in exclusive specialized lighting stores.

Self Adhesive Lampshade (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)

Self Adhesive Lampshade
(CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)

Decorate a Plain Lamp Shade

Another way is to buy a cheap lamp shade in a plain color and fabric and give it the designer touch by decorating it. You probably can’t imagine how many trimmings there are which would work to give your lampshade a unique design, but there are endless variations. You can get some great ideas by looking in the haberdashery department of a big store where they sell trimmings by the meter or yard. You will find all kinds of edgings which you can attach to your plain shade with a glue gun. There are things like fringing made with beads which are fantastic as they catch the light and many different embroidered braids as well as feather edgings for an exotic look.

Cover Your Lamp Shade

Yet another option is to cover your lampshade with exotic paper. You will find some beautiful hand made papers in craft shops. You can do this most easily with a drum lamp shade or a conical one with straight sides. Other shapes are a bit trickier to deal with. Roll you lamp shade over the paper and mark the edges to form a template, then cut out leaving a small margin for overlap. Wrap the paper around the lamp so it is a smooth fit and then use a good glue on the overlap to keep the cover in place. You make can make this even easier if you use a self adhesive lamp shade as then all you have to do is cut out fabric or paper following the included pattern and then apply it to the lampshade.

Where to get Replacement Glass Lamp Shades

If you break a glass lamp shade your first port of call should be the original vendor of the light fixture or lamp shades.

Styles tend not to change too much so you may very well find that you can buy the same glass lamp shade in the place you originally bought it – although you may have to shell out for the whole light fitting again even if you only broke one of several glass shades from your lamp. (Still, it means you will have spares for future breakages).

Give the lighting store a call and see if they are still around. If they are, ask about a replacement shade although you will probably find it easier to pay them a visit to check out the stock.

If the lighting store is no longer in business or doesn’t have the same lamp shades or light for sale then it’s time to put your detective hat on and track down what you are looking for elsewhere.

The best place to look for replacement lamp shades for a particular light fitting is online.

Flower Glass Lamp Shade

Flower Glass Lamp Shade

First of all, it is worth taking a look at eBay. Although you won’t always find just what you are looking for on that site – they do have hundreds of lamps and light fittings and sometimes you will find just the right glass lampshades and resolve your problem that way.

Check the feedback of the seller before you make your decision to buy, but in the vast majority of cases you won’t have any problems with your purchase (and for the odd case that does turn out to be a problem, there’s Paypal buyer protection which you get automatically if you pay via Paypal).

Elsewhere online (which should be your next port of call), you’ll find online lampshade stores which generally have much more choice than local stores. This means you should be able to get what you are looking for if you just keep on searching until you find the right lamp shade.

Do a search for “glass lamp shade” or “glass lamp shades” on each site and you’ll see the vast selection available and generally see at a glance if they have something suitable.

You may even find something better than the glass lamp shades you have already – don’t blame me if you end up with something completely different which suits your room and decor far better than the original glass lamp shades you were looking to replace!

In no time at all – problem solved – you’ll have your replacement glass lamp shades arriving at your door without having to stir from your armchair and you’ll be able to repair your lamp or light fitting.

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