For some reason lampshades have become the forgotten item in home decor.
So sad, as a lovely fabric light shade can become the hero piece for any room and create a lovely ambiance and counterpoint to the glare from ceiling lights.
I have lots of beautiful shades and table lamps online - but if you're like me, now you know there are options, the choosing is the hard part.
So let me help. Here are my 3 essential tips to help you pick a beautiful shade.
1. Location. Before thinking about the fabric consider where the light shade is going to be located. Is it for a table lamp or hanging from the ceiling? Is it for a formal living area or a casual area, or bedroom? Is it going to live just in one room, or might you be changing things around and need it to be versatile?
2. Size. In deciding the size of light shade you will want to think about what base it's going to sit on and the space you have available. For example, it's common that a smaller table lamp and shade is required for a bedside table, than say, for a sideboard in a living area.
If the shade is going to be hanging from the ceiling, then the size of the room and its height need to be considered. If you have a large space then you have the wonderful potential of choosing a larger feature light shade.
3. Colour & pattern. It's tempting to dive in to deciding the fabric before thinking about the shade's location and size. But if you take it in the steps I recommend, then at this point you will have some key factors that will influence the colour and pattern you choose.
For example, if you have a small space and think a small shade is the way to go, then you will probably want to avoid a fabric with a big pattern on it - as it will swamp a small shade.
Similarly, if you want the maximum amount of light to shine through the shade, you will want to choose a lighter colour fabric.
These are some of the practical considerations. Next, it's all about whether you want a colour and pattern that matches your home decor, or one that provides a pop of colour and stands out from a neutral colour scheme.
Or perhaps you like a melange of colour and patterns.
This is the fun part, where you can let the practical considerations guide your subjective decision making - that is picking a fabric you like!
