Lampshades are often an afterthought when it comes to decorating a room, but they can actually go a long way to the design and feel of your interior, as they’re a flexible way to add color and pattern. I have been making drum lampshades for over 10 years.
There are a number of things to consider when shopping for a lampshade:
Suitable
Is your lampshade for a pendant ceiling light, a side/table lamp or a floor lamp? It’s important to make sure the screen you buy is fit for purpose, as accessories may vary.
Do you need a screen with standard UK fittings or are you looking for a screen to fit an IKEA or similar base that uses wider European (ES) fittings?
Size
If for a central ceiling pendant, take into account the size of your room, you do not want a small lampshade that is lost in space, a large lampshade will still dominate the space. Don’t forget that if you hang it too low, some of your taller friends and family may hit their heads. I once had a beautiful silk screen that was huge, but I hung it so low my husband had to walk around it!
For a lamp base, the lampshade should skim the top of the base with no visible hardware or plugs when you look at the lamp while standing in the room.
shape
Coolie/empire shapes are becoming less and less fashionable for ceiling lights and are being replaced by the more contemporary drum shape, but they still look great for a small lamp next to it.
Light
If you want to use a dazzling 100 watt bulb make sure the shade you buy can handle this high wattage, many shades recommend a maximum of 60 watts but some are as low as 40 watts and therefore don’t let through. a lot of light. Don’t go for a dark color tone if you want it to shine a lot of light. I recommend using a 60-watt max bulb with all of my shades, although 100-watt equivalent energy efficient bulbs will work fine too.
Watch out
Lamp shades are not the easiest things to clean and can attract dust. You can buy “lamp shade cleaners,” which are basically a rubber sponge that removes dust. Otherwise, a soft bristle brush should suffice and some people even use the upholstery attachment of a vacuum, but since I didn’t try that, I’d advise you to be careful if you use this method.
