Whether you are looking for a way to add color to your living room or bedroom, lamp shades are a wonderful accent to any room. Often times, it can be difficult to notice the difference between the lamp shades. Shades are as different as night and day. Especially when you began adding fabric, colors, and designs to each on, there are a few things to do to begin.
Study the Room for Lamp Shade
Before you ever head out to the store, it is important to think about the room you want the lamp shade for. Some things to think about are size, color, shape, and style. While a Contemporary room might look more appealing with a Contemporary lamp shade, so would a Victorian room goes better with a Victorian lamp shade.
Study the room to decide on how large you want your lamp shade. A smaller room might look better with a smaller lamp shade as would a larger room go better with a larger lampshade. The amount of room and light shining through are also key things to look for. Once you know how much light you already have in the room, you can quickly decide on the basics of your lamp shade.
Measuring the Lamp Shade
When purchasing a new lamp shade, don’t think you have to purchase the very same shape and style. This is a wonderful way to get creative and add a splash of color into your room. To get all the measurements for your lamp shade, you want to measure the following things:
1. Measure Bottom Diameter of Lamp shade
2. Measure Top Diameter of Lamp shade
3. Measure Vertical Height of Lamp shade
4. Measure Vertical Slant of Lamp shade
Measuring the size of your possible lamp shade is important especially if you are replacing the lamp shade and want the very same shade for your room. You will want to have the same size, style, color, and shape as the one you have before. Taking a picture of your lamp shade and take your picture with you to the store is another way to make sure you buy the same pattern.
Types of Fittings
The most common type of fitting for glass lamp shades is the Spider with Harp. The correct harp size will be included with the lamp shade.
The second type of fitting is the Uno which is more commonly found on the smaller lamps. For this fitting, there isn’t a need for harp because the wire fitting is attached permanently to the shade. The lamp shade will be attached to the lamp socket.
The Clip on fitting is used on chandeliers and small accent lamps. The Clip On clips onto the light bulb and doesn’t require any hardware.
Picking the Bulb
Knowing what size of bulb to buy for your lamp shade is not only important but can eventually keep the room cooler. Compact Fluorescent bulbs not only burn cooler than other bulbs but will also require a larger harp as they are larger than most regular light bulbs. When you are buying the light bulbs, you might check the size to make sure you aren’t going to need the extra harp.
Types of Lamp Shade
There are so many different types of table lamp shades that it can get confusing. Knowing what you want for your room, your colors needed, and the style can all help you in picking the perfect lamp shade. Lamp shades can be created out of stained glass, fabric, leather, suede, metal piping, or plastic. The Hardback shade will have a layer of fabric on the exterior with plastic on the interior of the shade. The plastic allows light to filter through giving the lamp shade excellent lighting. Silk Shades are different from the Hardback Shades because Silk Shades are made purely from fabric. Hardback Shades are more widely available at local stores where as Silk Shades are more expensive and can be custom ordered.
No matter if you are creating a lamp shade from scratch or buying it from the local store, being prepared can make the difference in picking the perfect lamp shade. Color, style, shapes, and design can take an ordinary room into a spectacular splash of color. Be ready to explore the many shapes and sizes of lamp shades as you discover which type of shades are perfect for your home.
