Light Up Your Home With the Right Lampshades
No matter which room of your home you're decorating, lampshades are essential in the room's decor. Here are some questions to consider as you select...
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Size
Selecting the right size item is a matter of choice, but it's good to give some thought to how a relatively tiny lampshade will look compared to the relatively big room. Be sure your shade is big enough. And when trying to decide between a smaller and larger one, don't be afraid to choose the bigger shade: it's easy for a small one to get lost in a room's decor.
Part of the size choice will also be dictated when you consider whether you want a table, floor, or hanging lamp. There are many beautiful choices of lampshades among these three styles. In addition, when you are making decisions about size in pairing the light fixture with the right accessory, decorating experts recommend that a lampshade be about one-half to three-fourths the size of the base.
Style
Do you consider yourself a contemporary person or an old soul at heart? Do you prefer the modern or the traditional? The good news is that there are lampshades in every style and color imaginable.
You'll want to consider the decor in the room where the fixture will be placed. The light fixture doesn't have to "match" everything in the room - that would be boring. But it does need to "fit" the style of the room. Decorating experts claim that clear lamp bases appear lighter in weight, while heavier bases like wood or iron offer richness and texture to the appearance. A crystal base suggests glamour, while porcelain bases that are painted lend a luxurious Old World outlook. For added impact without overpowering the space, consider choosing a slim base paired with a drum-shaped shade. Alternately, you could select a lampshade with a bold pattern or added items like tassels or beads.
One of the fun things about these accessories for light fixtures is that it's possible to change the tone or feel of the room by simply purchasing a new one - and it's much less expensive than buying a new sofa or new carpet.
Purpose
In choosing a lampshade for a room, you'll want to consider the light fixture's purpose. Will the fixture be strictly decorative, or will it provide safety lighting? Will you use it for reading or just for mood lighting? Will the fixture provide light for a corner of the room or the whole room? Take a few minutes to consider the purpose before you choose the fixture and accessory. Your planning will help you narrow the choices somewhat before you begin shopping.
First, in our case, was a long search for suitable, interesting and practical lighting for the recent expansion of my client's laundry/service porch in the little house in Pasadena. One of the problems we had to overcome was the long pathway from the backyard and garage through the service porch, anticipating the carrying of ladders or other utility objects through the space; and the height of any type of lighting other than recessed, had to be considered. The original light in the service porch was a typical bulb covered by a glass globe of the 1930s, which hung down about six to eight inches from the ceiling. With the new addition, the contractor installed a recessed light, so the inner workings of the two ceiling lights were quite different. This was not a problem for an electrician or a handy husband.
The proper adaptations for the "find" of the day a few months ago at the Rose Bowl, were two old, and a bit rusted, fluted funnel cake pans. These old pans would be a nod to the age of the house in the new space, so it would not feel so brand new. The cake pans cost three dollars apiece, and we were notably thrilled with the idea and cost. Unknown to us until just recently, the very same idea at the HD Buttercup showroom on the west side of Los Angeles. The price was significantly more-to the tune of $175 each! While we were a bit disappointed to find "our" idea used, we were delighted in the "savings".
The light above the kitchen sink was constructed out of a an ordinary kitchen colander, cute, easy and not particularly original, but it feels right in the space.
The next special find, came from an estate sale, where we located three large chess pieces; of the three my daughter wanted the knight, so handsome with his curly mane; next was the king who was particularly handsome, and we decided he would stand tall on a fireplace mantle or hearth. The third and final piece was the rook. I immediately identified him as a perfect lamp base. I knew my clever husband would have no problem drilling a hole in the top and out the side to run a cord, but it was up to me to find all the various pieces-and I did. The lamp is the best of all three pieces, starting off as the most plain and unassuming, it has taken its place of honor on the night stand, no pun intended.
A light can be fashioned out of practically any vessel or container, depending on how much light is needed. The pendant lighting in the back yard has been a terrific hit and so practical, since the shades do not have to be brought in in inclement weather. The next outdoor project will be to cover some very modest and uninteresting jelly jar lights on the exterior of the house. The plan is to fashion covers over the jelly jars to mask their utility and add some interest with more of the punched tin that was used in the outdoor pendant lighting over the patio. While we searched for something suitable, we settled on the modest jelly jars so we could satisfy the city and get a final inspection completed. We knew we could always change them, and they were less than ten dollars each. Adding the covers will disguise them sufficiently and add to the outdoor theme.
Let Lighting Be Interesting
Lighting is a necessity, but there is no reason it can't be beautiful or unusual or interesting, depending on the setting. Here are some interesting...
