A new lampshade is the cheapest makeover a lamp can get: the base and the wiring stay, yet the lamp changes character completely – from office-grade to cosy, from grandma’s parlour to modern. The trouble is that a shade bought by eye tends to droop like an oversized hat or expose the socket like trousers that are too short. In this guide we explain how to choose a lampshade: which size proportions always work, how a cone differs from a cylinder and the empire form, how the material – fabric, linen, paper, glass or wickerwork – transforms the light, and how to check the fitting so the new shade actually fits your lamp.
Maciej Hudaszek