Changing up a lampshade can be a quick and easy way to transform the look of a room, but finding the perfect lampshade can be a challenge. IKEA offers a wonderful selection of lampshades at reasonable prices but they have uno fittings and many lamps (especially older ones) feature traditional harp and finial fittings. You can change out the actual sockets of your lamp to uno sockets, but if you can't find uno sockets or just want a simpler solution, then read on!
1 & 2. This vintage lamp has a great shape, but the pleated shade is seriously out of date, not to mention tattered and grubby. A quick trip to a discount store at the mall turned up a new more modern drum shade but the uno fitting wasn't a match for this harp and finial lamp.
3. Unscrew the finial and then squeeze the harp to remove it. Unscrew the on/off switch, then unscrew the actual brass socket from the lamp base.
4. Pop the socket itself apart. If you can't get it to come apart by hand, use the edge of a dinner knife or letter opener to pop off the bottom.
5. Remove the top portion of the socket to reveal wire connections. Note which wire connects to which screw, then unscrew them in order to release the socket. Slide the bottom portion of the socket (the cup) off the wire.
6. Thread the wire through the ring of the uno shade and then through the socket cup. Screw the socket cup onto the exposed threaded rod in the base of the lamp.
7. Reconnect the wiring, making sure to use an underwriter's knot for safety. If you need a refresher on tying an underwriter's knot, check out this great diagram from Ready Made.
8. Slide the brass sleeve back onto the socket and pop it into the socket cup. Screw the on/off switch back into place.
9. Depending on the width of the base of your harp, you may or may not find your shade is wobbly. My uno ring wedges tightly into the harp base, but if necessary you can add a couple of rubber gaskets or pieces of thick felt (like the pads you use on the bottom of chair legs) to eliminate the wiggle room.
10. The finished lamp works much better for my space and gives off better light. All in all, well worth the 20 50 minutes of labor in order to make an inexpensive lampshade work on my existing lamp.
Images: Colleen Quinn
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Oh my goodness, did you read my mind? I bought some amazing vintage lamps, but the shades are too big and the lamp has a harp setting (first time I've heard that term by the way). I haven't been able to find shades to fit them anywhere! This really helps. Thanks!
LIAR! You say 20 minutes, but the clock clearly states it took you 50 minutes! :P
But seriously, very clever solution! I've got a lamp I wanna put a new shade on, so this is kinda helping me.
Might wanna try to get those wrinkles out of your shade though.
You don't mention unplugging the lamp from the electric source. Would that be a good idea?
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Hey, that's a good, easy trick! I'll definitely keep that in mind...
Love the new look !!
Nice tutorial, thanks.
Doesn't the wrinkling on the bottom of the new drum shade bother you?
This is very clever. I bought some lamps from the Goodwill that had harps but thankfully the uno shade ring fit snugly between the harp holders. I will keep this in mind though, it could come in handy.
I just followed this tutorial to the letter only to get my new shade on and realize it was way too low. D'oh! I undid all my hard work, put everything back together except for the harp, and just slipped the circle base of the uno shade right around the cardboard covering the socket. It's perfect. You might try this first to see if the positioning is good enough for you before you rewire. I wish I had since it took less than a minute to put a new shade on my second lamp.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I just bought the cutest shades at Ikea, and was more than upset they didn't fit my lamps. While adapting my lamps was a bit different due to the style of the lamp, and simpler (I didn't have to rewire), this article lead me in the right direction to the solution. Again, thank you, thank you thank you.