How to Select a Lamp Shade
When you select a lamp shade, you are making decisions that affect both the appearance and the usefulness of the lamp. There are few household objects that are uglier than a bare lamp with an exposed bulb and no lamp shade. Yet, finding the right shade is not an easy task. It may take some searching to find one that fits and suits your tastes. Select the right shade by making decisions about size, function and style. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Think about what material you want for the lamp shade. There are fabric and glass lamp shades. Part of this decision is based on the type of lamp you have. Many floor lamps are made to take a glass shade, while table lamps usually take a fabric shade.
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Figure out your lamp's height with two measurements. First, measure the height from the base of the lamp to the top of the lamp stem. Second, measure the height of the harp, which is the curved metal piece that holds up the lamp shade. Measure the harp from the top of the lamp stem to the top of the harp, not including any screw-on ornaments that hold the shade to the harp. Diagrams for these measurements can be found at Antique Lamp Supply.
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Search for lamp shades that work with your measurements. One of the rules, according to an article by Antique Lamp Supply, is that the shade diameter at the bottom of the shade should be within 2 inches of the measurement of your lamp height from base to stem. The article goes on to say that the overall height of the shade should be the same measurement as the harp, plus or minus 1/2 inch.
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Match the right size of lamp shade to the right shape that suits your lamp. Use rounded lamp shades with rounded lamps, square shades with square lamps and rectangular shades with rectangular lamps
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Choose the color and decorative design of the lamp shade. Lamps USA suggests you make a choice as to whether to emphasize the style of the lamp or the shade. Have them work together to highlight the most interesting of the two, rather than have two competing design elements.
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Choose a lamp that gives enough light to do the job you want it to do in the room. If it is a reading lamp, make sure it lets out enough light for you to see the print of a book. That involves the bottom diameter of the lamp shade, but the color of the shade can have an effect as well. Meteor Lights specifies that warm and neutral colors are best for reading lamps, but warns that red, purple and blue make reading difficult. Choose the lamp shade that has all the attributes that make it work well for your lamp.
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Check that the bulb type you prefer to use will not be too close to the lamp shade to prevent burning the shade material. Lamps USA's Lampshade Buying Tips suggests leaving at least 1 to 2 inches around the bulb if you are using a 40 or 60 watt incandescent bulb, 2 to 3 inches for a 75 or 100 watt incandescent bulb, and 3 to 4 inches for a 150 watt or higher incandescent bulb. For a compact fluorescent bulb, you can leave less space--as little as 1 to 2 inches around the bulb because it creates less heat.
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References
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