Lamp Shades

Leather Lamp Shades

There are two distinct types of leather lamp shades and each type is for a very different style of room. There are those rustic lamp shades destined for rooms with southwestern style decor. And then there are the ultra contemporary leather lamp shades which are the darling of the interior design elite.

Southwestern Style Leather lamp Shades

Any western lamp shade is quite distinctive in style. These are often made of rawhide and have visible stitching in thick leather lacing. They are generally made in classic shapes and natural colors such as sand and rust which gives them a look of age perfectly in keeping with the style of a southwestern or Native American style abode whether you live in a ranch, cottage, cabin or log home. Rawhide lamp shades have to be looked after quite carefully despite their rustic appearance as they can be quite fragile under the hot conditions of a lamp.

Take care of your natural leather lamp shade by using a low wattage bulb, keeping it away from direct sunlight and conditioning it regularly. The problem with rawhide, in particular, is that it is not tanned like normal leather so it contracts and expands with heat and humidity. The main problem is with the hide splitting if it is subjected to too much heat. This is especially the case with mini leather chandelier lamp shades as the shade is so near the bulb.

Faux Raw Hide Lamp Shade (Click Image for Details)

Faux Raw Hide Lamp Shade (Click Image for Details)

Apply neatsfoot oil to your leather shade every week to give it the best protection and buy a shade which is large enough for your lamp to let the heat escape easily. Keep the wattage of the bulb a low as possible too and do not have the lamp on when the room is not in use to cut down on drying out.

No matter what you do, a rawhide lamp shade will eventually wear out but you may be willing to live with that as part of normal wear and tear in your home expecting to replace your shade every few years if you love these lamp shades and they are just right for your decor. Rawhide lampshades, especially those in pale colors, are quite special as they have a translucent quality which is quite unique. They do not block light in quite the same way as a thicker leather lampshade.

Contemporary Leather Lamp Shades

Contemporary leather lamp shade and base (Click Image for details)

Contemporary leather lamp shade and base (Click Image for details)

You will typically find a contemporary leather lamp shade in the form of a large drum shade on a table lamp on the pages of interior design magazines. They are often faux finish leather rather than the genuine article however, as leather which is not properly treated may dry out and become brittle with the heat from the light bulb – something to watch out for if you buy a genuine leather light shade. As well as a smooth leather finish, you will often find contemporary lamp shades in suede which adds an interesting texture to your lamp.

Colors of these modern lamp shades tend to be typical leather colors of black and brown although you will find some lighter natural colors too such as cream, coffee and beige. You will usually find faux leather lamp shades paired with ultra contemporary chrome lamp bases as well as those made from a solid block of wood or sculpted natural stone or bronze. In many cases, it is actually easier to buy a lamp with a leather shade than to buy leather shades individually when you are looking at contemporary lamps which is annoying when all you want to do is replace a shade with something ultra modern but if you look hard enough you should be able to find what you are looking for.