Swapping old lampshades out with new ones is a quick and inexpensive way to refresh your room. However, it’s important to learn which lampshade shapes, materials, colors, and sizes will look best with your lamp base before you upgrade.
1. Make Careful Measurements
Lampshade Height:
Needs to measure about three-quarters of the base height.
With an incandescent bulb, leave two-to-three inches between the shade and bulb to allow heat to disperse (LEDs give off almost no heat).Lampshade Width:
Should ideally be double the base width.
Your shade needs to cover up the light switch and harp.
For floor lamps, the lampshade looks best when its diameter is 18 inches or more.
2. Pick a Complementary
Shape for Your Base
Square lampshades go well with square bases, and rounded shades can be paired with either rounded or hexagonal bases. “Empire style” is the term for lampshades with that classic conical shape. Although rounded lampshades are more popular, square shades conserve table or floor space because they can be pushed closer to the wall.
3. Choose Material
and Translucency
Parchment is a good choice for contemporary and modern rooms because of its minimalist, solid-color look. For traditional and classical rooms, I recommend silk, linen, or cotton lampshades with a pleated effect. Linen shades look great in either solid colors or prints.
Are you planning on using your lamp to add more ambient lighting, create a reading corner, or highlight a focal point? In any of these cases, choose a translucent lampshade to let light filter through. Feel free to use a darker, thicker lampshade material if your lamp is purely decorative and is in a well-lit area.
4. Use Colors and Patterns That Contrast With Your Lamp Base
If your base has a unique shape, make sure to choose a simple shade so that you don’t draw attention away from the base. Simple bases call for lampshades with interesting colors or patterns. Since lampshades have less of an impact on the room than curtains or upholstery do, you have more leeway to use striking colors or patterns on them.
When I’m working with an interior design client, I take their original lamp with me when I shop. Having the original helps me find the perfect new lampshade color and material while seeing how the lampshade will transform. Updating lampshades can seem intimidating at first, but don’t be discouraged. You’ll be amazed at what a difference a new shade can make.
Margaret Chambers, a registered interior designer (RID) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) member, leads Chambers Interiors and Associates. Her colleague Caitlin Crowley helped edit this column. For more ideas and articles, follow us on Instagram at @chambersinteriors, or visit our website at www.chambersinteriors.com.
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