Lamp Shades

Glass Lamp Shades

Why Use Glass lamp Shades?

Glass lamp shades are some of the most elegant lamp shades you can find and they have a beauty rarely surpassed by fabric shades. It is the nature of glass which gives them that edge as it can be made into wonderful shapes, stained with attractive colors giving it an opaque look (while still allowing the light to shine through) and it can even be cut into small colored shapes and crafted into a reproduction Tiffany style lamp shade which is a work of art in itself.

Yet glass shades are not all copies of the kind of antique glass lamp shapes you pay a fortune for at auction, you can also buy contemporary glass lamp shades and light fittings which would look just right in a modern loft apartment. In fact, these modern glass creations will often be the focal point in a minimalist scheme.

Glass Lamp with Crackle Lamp Shade (Click Image for Details)

Glass Lamp with Crackle Lamp Shade (Click Image for Details)

Replacement Glass Lamp Shades

Although they are beautiful, glass shades are unfortunately pretty easy to break so you do need to take care with your shade. While they are not so fragile that you need to treat them with kid gloves, they will probably crack or shatter if you knock them over or drop them. Then you will be faced with looking for replacement glass lamp shades which is not always an easy task unless the manufacturer is still making the same kind. You may be lucky however and find a similar glass lamp shade in your local store. Take your base if possible (easier with a table lamp than a floor lamp) when you look around and see if you can find something that will fit your lamp and suit the style. At the very least take notes of the fitting such as dimensions and so on so that the store assistant can help you.

How to Choose a Glass Lamp Shade

The style of shade you should choose very much depends on the effect you want to achieve. If you are going for a period or antique look then frosted glass lamp shades in a classic shape (such as you find on an oil lamp) will be just right. If you have a romantic style bedroom then a flower shaped shade with fluted edges in cranberry glass might be just the thing. And if you have a floor lamp look at torchiere glass lamp shades which funnel the light upwards towards the ceiling (torchiere comes from the French word for torch) and will cast a wash of light over your room. If your traditional style living room need a focal point then you might like to look at stained glass lamp shades which will add a touch of beauty to your room. Finally for a contemporary room look at the many chrome and glass light fittings which you will find in interior design and specialist upmarket lighting stores as well as cheap and cheerful furniture stores specializing in the latest designs such as IKEA.

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.