Choosing a Lamp Shade
By Kristen Easton

It is pretty obvious that lamp shades are useful for redirecting light from lamps so that it can be dispersed properly, but aside from a functional purpose, they also provide a decorative use that can add a stunning design to any room. They come in a variety of sizes, types, styles, and colors, but sometimes there are so many options that it can be difficult to sort through them. I’ve assembled this guide of some of the most popular lamp shade styles and designs to help you make sense of the choices available and choose what is right for your home.

The first thing to look for when shopping for one is the size. You need to make sure you measure the slanted distance, not the vertical distance, when sizing an angled lamp shade. You also need to buy a shade that is proportional to the lamp you are buying it for. You don’t want something too big that will overshadow the lamp, but you also don’t want something to small that won’t look visually correct. The typical standards for choosing lamp shades are that they are ¾ the height of the base and approximately the same height as the base to the socket.

There are a wide variety of styles available too, and you need to make sure that you pick one that compliments your lamp. Try to match the design of the lamp by examining curvature, pattern, and color and you will be more likely to find a shade that looks right. There are nearly 25 popular types of lamp shades, such as candelabra, shantung, pleated, drum, and beaded. Although the type does offer different functionality in terms of light dispersal, generally you are safe with any style that matches that of your lamp.

There are also several types of materials that are used. You can buy fabric, simulated leather, linen, silk, and even real leather. Choosing the right material is an important choice because the material selected can have an impact on price, light dampening, durability, and color. Although cheaper materials make for cheaper prices, if you have an expensive lamp you will want to highlight it with a nice shade. Sacrificing quality for price is often a mistake that home owners realize only after their cheap lamp shades are destroyed or damaged.

Choosing one of these for your home or office doesn’t have to be hard, but if you take the time to properly measure, size, and understand the design of your lamp you will be much more likely to find a lamp shade that fits right and looks good. Although you can buy a lamp shade locally at a home store, you can find a much larger selection of lamp shades on the internet, where you can browse by size, material, color, and style. If you don’t know what you are looking for, then it may be difficult for you to sort through all of the options available to you, but hopefully after reading this guide you’ll understand enough about them to find the right shade for your needs.

The author enjoys writing about a variety of topics including the shoe storage bench and drop leaf tables for your kitchen or entryway.

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