So you’ve picked out a beautiful new table lamp for your home. But how much thought did you give to the lamp shade? The right lamp shade can transform a humdrum base into something exquisite, while the wrong lamp shade can make even the most stunning lamp look badly proportioned, inappropriate for the room or awkward to use. So how do you know which lamp shade is right? Lamp shade expert Laurel Ann Kulseth of Laurel Ann Studios in Seattle offers the following pieces of advice:
Height
A good rule of thumb is to choose a lamp shade that’s two-thirds the height of the base. That proportion assures that the lamp won’t look top- or bottom-heavy. You also want to be sure that the lamp shade doesn’t expose any of the hardware underneath, such as the harp (the wire frame around the light bulb) or the neck (the piece of metal between the base and the bottom of the harp). “It’s like a lady with her slip showing,” Kulseth says.
Width
The widest part of the lamp shade should be at least a half-inch wider on each side than the widest point in the base. Also consider the location of the lamp: if it’s going on a nightstand, you don’t want to crash into it every time you get in or out of bed. Same thing for a lamp on a hall table—don’t let it stick out so far that you bang into it when you walk by. Seventeen to 20 inches is standard for a large lamp shade; anything over 20 inches risks looking too big.
Shape
Candlestick lamps can support just about any shape of shade, but if you have a base that’s round, it will look best with a round lamp shade. Likewise, a base that’s square or angular generally looks best with a square lamp shade. The exception: If you’re putting a square-based lamp on a round table, it’s okay to echo the table top by using a round shade.
Translucency
If you are only using the lamp as an accent light and don’t need it to illuminate the room or shed light on a task, then an opaque lamp shade is acceptable. If you need the lamp to read by, or to shed ambient light into the room, go with a translucent shade.
To Pleat or Not to Pleat?
Pleated lamp shades tend to look more traditional, and are most appropriate in rooms furnished with antiques, or spaces that have a lot of pattern and detail. If the room is contemporary, go with a nonpleated shade. If you have a contemporary room and really want to use a pleated lamp shade, try a box pleat—its geometric design tends to look a bit fresher and more modern than its traditional counterpart.
