Hello! I recently bought a lamp on ebay, but I need help picking a shade. At the moment it is wearing one borrowed from my bedroom, temporarily. I'm all for this shape and color--modern, clean, etc.--but I'm thinking it's on the small side. Should I go up a size? Or, since I'll be buying a new one anyway, try another shape? I want to get this figured out before Restoration Hardware's lighting sale ends (25% off!). Thanks! -- Carolyn
First off Carolyn, great lamp! We're totally jealous and while the shade you have on it is ok, that lamp could really sing with the right one. We'll let everyone chime in, but here are general rules of thumb for picking lampshades:
According to this guide:
• square based lamps take square or rectangular shades
• round lamps take round, empire or drum shades.
• bell lamp shades look best on candlestick bases.
Sizing Rules of Thumb for Lampshades from here:
• Shade height should be about 3/4 the height of the base.
• The bottom of the shade should be wider than the widest part of the base.
• Shade width should approximately equal the height from bottom of base to socket.
Of course, we really like oversized shades, but that's just us, what do you guys think Carolyn should do?
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Comments (8)
sure go one size up, will make it more modern
Funny, I've got an almost identical post on stylenorth today but with a range of shade choices to vote on--opinions?
http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2008/09/which-shade-for-these-lamps/
Nice lamp and it looks OK and a bigger shade might dwarf the lamp. Maybe a shorter but wider shade. The white seems a little starkly modern for the lamp and the room, but time will take care of that. Is it linen? If not, try linen - more texture and less white.
I'd go for a tall/narrow drum shade (1.5x-2x taller, @ same diameter as the top ring you have currently) in an off-white - Then I'd get some woven fabric trim in a shade similar to the base (greek key maybe?) and hot glue it around the base and top of the shade to make it more unique and coordinated with the base.
You're absolutely right that the shade is too small. I hate skimpy shades! It always makes it look like you were too cheap to buy something that fit.
Anyhoo, to make the lamp look more modern, I'd go with an east/west drum shade (wider than tall in about a 2:1 ratio). If you could find a creamy tan one with a grasscloth texture, it would be perfect. A single tier fiberglass one would look really nice, if you can find one for a decent price.
If you go with an empire or framed shade, that will make the lamp look more craftsman style. Which might be what you were going for. Anyway, it's a fabulous base. Good find!
**What qualifies me to answer a shade question? A serious lamp fetish, over 500 vintage lamps and shades in my own collection (yeah, in my house, right now), hundreds more sold on ebay, plus a great deal of experience making custom shades.
A low profile drum shade; shorter and wider than what you have there will create a cleaner more modern look.
Take the base into Restoration Hardware and try on the shades in the store. Given your white walls and white art, and to reduce glare hitting the screen - consider a linen, dark or metallic colored shade. Picking a shade by "maybe it will look better" is expensive.
-- If you are shopping online, then go into a local lighting store (or Target) and try shades on there, just to get a sense for how it will look.
Drum in darker tone