How To make your mind up a Lamp Shade

There are quite a few issues to consider when choosing a lamp shade. After 27 years of helping dealers, designers and sell customers match their lamps and shades these defining points which will allow you to sass this sometimes daunting query for yourself.

Beauty is not the only thing in the eye of the beholder. Individuals may already have preconceived ideas of the right size, shape, color, material, etc. For a particular lamp shade. Further, after one has looked upon and lived with a inescapable lamp and shade combination for years any deviation from that can very likely be perceived as "wrong". So, how can you be sure that a particular lamp shade is right or that it "goes" with the lamp? Keep three basic points prominent in your mind: portrayal style, shade size and shade vertical location.

Floor Lamps

Portrayal Style: First and foremost, what do you wish to portray with the lamp? Look at your lamp and determine what style it is such as contemporary, traditional, antique, funky, etc. If you surely cannot watch a exact style then you must determine what is the style or look that you wish to portray with this lamp. You will want the basic look or style of your lamp shade to compliment, not clash with the lamp style itself. You ordinarily do not want a very ornate and detailed shade if you wish to portray the clean lines of a very modern lamp. Likewise, you do not want a clean cut Chinese coolee type shade for a lamp that you want to portray as a traditional style. Think in terms of like styles for the lamp and shade. This does not mean like colors, textures, size etc. But normal style. Once you have decided the normal lamp style that you wish to portray, then you can begin concentrating on other details.

Shade Size: This characteristic of your lamp shade like all the others will of procedure be subjective and will vary with the observer. But there are some guidelines that will help you determine the boundaries within which you must consider. You are basically seeing for a balance in lamp and shade sizes that will make the lamp look neither top heavy or bottom heavy when viewed from a distance of about 20 feet away.

There are four (4) measurements to consider when choosing a shade: top diameter (across), bottom diameter (across), side distance (slope), and drop. The drop is the vertical distance the shade washer is from the top edge of the shade. Do not be too concerned with the drop. The drop and the harp size will determine the shade vertical location which we will cover later. You just need to be aware that separate shades do have separate drops. Small changes in the bottom diameter (1"-2") will have a dramatic succeed on the look of your lamp. The same applies to the side distance and top diameter. The numerous combinations of these discrete measurements can be mind boggling. Below are some exact guidelines that you can carry with you to the store when choosing a lamp shade.

Medium - small size traditional or old style lamps that are 20" - 27" tall to the top of the shade will likely need shades about 9" - 11" side distance and 16" - 19" bottom diameter.

Medium size traditional or old style lamps that are 27" - 30" tall to the top of the shade will likely need shades about 11" - 13" side distance and 16" - 19" bottom diameter.

Large size traditional or old style lamps that are 30" - 36" tall to the top of the shade will likely need shades about 12" - 15" side distance and 18" - 20" bottom diameter.

For each of the above examples, modern lamp shades will ordinarily have larger bottom diameters and possibly side distance as well. Larger diameter lamps need larger diameter shades and more slender lamps need smaller diameter shades.

Multiple socket lamps are a special observation that should be addressed by an experienced lighting expert that you will find in most reputable lamp and lighting showrooms.

Shade Vertical Location: This characteristic of your lamp shade is fairly uncomplicated to judge. It is the vertical location of the bottom edge of your lamp shade. On a particular socket lamp this will practically all the time be about 2" below the bottom of the socket assembly. To determine the exact vertical location, first look right across the bottom edge of the lamp shade and visually line up the near edge of the shade with the far edge of the shade. This line should then intersect about 2" below the bottom of the socket assembly for most particular socket lamps. The way that you adjust this vertical location of the lamp shade is with the Harp. This is the "U" shaped wire that attaches the lamp to the shade and it comes in separate lengths from about 4" on up.

Shorter shades will need shorter harps and longer shades will need longer harps. Many socket lamps are a special observation and I strongly propose expert advice for these instances, especially for security concerns as well as aesthetic values.

Summary: Use the above ideas as a normal guideline and it should get you started in the right direction. For supplementary assistance I strongly propose a reputable lamp and lighting showroom as this type store will likely have knowledgeable experienced staff who are well adequate to help you with the many subtle intricacies of lamp shade selection.

- Jim Hoyle