Bedsides,
hallways, sofas and even
kitchen areas are always improved with a table lamp. If you crave character, welcoming pockets of light and relaxed ambience then you’ve come to the right place. Layering your lighting with
table lamps is essential for adding depth and modifying the energy around you. Bringing in pools of light from different sources like table lamps is the key to a balanced atmosphere whilst giving you the option to dial up the cosiness.
REFRESH WITH A LAMPSHADE
Before you buy a
new lamp, pause a moment. Do you need one, or can you refresh the look of your room with a new shade? We’ve styled our bestselling
Mansfield Table Lamp with different handmade shades to show just how versatile a well-placed table lamp can be. By focusing on the longevity of what you already have, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to update your lamp for each season or easily relocate room to room to shake up your style.
TOP SIZING TIP
There are no rules, but we do try to stick to the following guidelines:
The height of the lampshade should be approximately two thirds of the height of the lamp base.
The lampshade itself should be wider than the widest bit of your lamp base. This just ensures a harmonious, balanced look and avoids a shade looking too small or too large.
CYLINDER SHADES
If the idea of swapping shades appeals to you, then
cylinder shades are the most versatile as they can be used to fit lamp bases as well as ceiling pendants. The straight sides have a contemporary feel and look wonderful in more modern settings.
Tip: our cylinder shades in plain or geometric fabrics can be turned upside down and used as a pendant for a bedroom or dining room.For more information, see the
Cylinder Shade Guide in the Jim Lawrence
Knowledge Base.
FRENCH DRUM SHADES
Our superb collection of classic
French Drum lampshades are available in a huge range of sizes for creating the perfect finish for your table,
standard or floor lamp. With its gently tapering sides, a French Drum shade offers a more contemporary feel than the more classic Empire and are among the most popular style for table lamps and ceiling pendants.
For more information, see the
French Drum Shade Guide in the Jim Lawrence
Knowledge Base.
OVAL SHADES
Oval shades are very useful for narrow spaces such as hallways, landings or alcoves where you like the look of a circular shade but need something a little narrower. Choose a sloped oval for a traditional feel, or a straight sided version for a more modern look. Our smaller oval lampshades are well suited to most column-style table lamps (like our Mansfield), while larger oval shades can be used on wider lamp bases, floor lamps and as ceiling pendants. Remember, straight sided versions in a plain or geometric patterened fabric can be used as an alternative to a cylinder shade for a ceiling pendant light.
For more information, see the
Oval Shades Guide in the Jim Lawrence
Knowledge Base.
EMPIRE SHADES
Complement your interior with one of our beautiful
Empire Shades. With its traditional, steeply sloping cone-shaped sides, an Empire shade is possibly the most recognised shade shape which works in all manner of settings. It is the standard style shade for our candle clip lampshades designed for the majority of our wall lights.
For more information, see our
Empire Shades Guide in the Jim Lawrence
Knowledge Base.
SQUARE SHADES
Update your interior with one of lovely square, straight sided or sloped square lamp shades in a multitude of different sizes and fabrics. The geometric shape of the straight sided shade gives your room a contemporary feel. These shades work very well with an angular or column lamp base, whether a table, standard or floor lamp.
For more information, see our
Square Shades Guide in the Jim Lawrence
Knowledge Base.
CONSIDER THE FABRIC
As well as thinking about which tones will best suit your existing colour scheme, its important to bear in mind that the fabric of a lampshade influences how much it diffuses light. Our shades are made from quality card for stability of form, and the thickness and colour of fabric used on top will impact how much illumination your light fitting will have.
Before selecting your lampshade, think about the purpose of the lamp. If it is for reading or to shed ambient light, you are best opting for shade in a natural colour in a light fabric such as linen, cotton, or silk as it is naturally more translucent and will allow more light to escape through the sides, diffusing it evenly across a space. Shades made in darker colours or from thicker materials such as velvet, wool and tweed are more opaque which prevents light from escaping from the sides. Instead, it is emitted from the top and bottom of the lamp creating pools of light that give a sense of drama to a room. If you’re using the lamp as accent lighting and don’t need a lot of light in the room, an opaque shade is ideal.
Tip: We strongly recommend that you order a swatch before ordering any of our fabrics to help you decide if it is right for you.
SIZING YOUR SHADE: 3 THINGS TO REMEMBER
1. Table lamps come in all shapes and sizes, so it is important to keep the shade proportional to the size and shape of the base. You don’t want your look dwarfed by a huge shade or unbalanced by a small one. A perfectly fitting shade should hide the bulb holder underneath without encroaching on the lamp base itself.
2. Lamp shades are sized by measuring cross the diameter at the bottom of the shade – so if the shade diameter measures 25cm across the bottom, then it is known as a 25cm shade. As a rule, you should be looking for 15-20 cm wide shades for a smaller lamp base, between 20-35 cm for an average lamp base and anything up to about 50 cm for a larger lamp base.
3. A rough guide to working out the size of shade you require is to measure the height of your table lamp from the bottom of the base to the top of the lamp stem just below the lamp holder. The shade you select should then have a diameter of plus or minus 5cm of this measured height. So, if you have lamp that is 40cm tall, you should choose a shade that is 35 to 45cm wide.
For our guide on how to measure for table lamps, see How to Size Shades for Table Lamps in the Jim Lawrence Knowledge Base.
The width of the lampshade should be roughly equal to the height of the lamp base.
The height of the lampshade should be about two thirds the height of the lamp base.
HANDMADE SOFT FURNSHINGS
All of our lampshades are handmade here in our Suffolk workshop by our talented soft furnishings team. We believe that by focusing on the quality of materials, craftsmanship, outstanding customer service and the well-being of the Jim Lawrence community, we can guarantee that every product we sell meets the exacting quality control standards we have set and for which we are renowned.
To discover more about how we make our beautiful shades, read our blog on
Meet the Makers - The Soft Furnishings Team. You can also find out more about sizing shades for table lamps in our Knowledge Base page,
Table Lamp Shades.
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