How to Purchase a Lampshade

Have you gone to the store and purchased a lampshade replacement and gotten home to discover it does not fit the lamp?  Who would have thought that there are numerous lampshade fittings?  Check out The Shades of Light website for all your answers to this tricky problem.

​HOW TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT LAMPSHADE SIZE 
Looking for some help selecting a new lamp shade? We have pulled together a few guides to help answer your questions, including one we hear a lot. “How do you measure a lamp shade?” 


















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1. Measure across the TOP of the lamp shade
2. Measure across the BOTTOM of the lamp shade
3. Measure along the SLANT (side) of the lamp shade

These are the 3 dimensions you will see listed with most lamp shades (Top x Bottom x Slant). A four dimension that can also be helpful is measuring the height straight from top to bottom. This can will be helpful with some of the “rules of thumb” below. 

LAMPSHADE SELECTION GUIDELINES

1. The more basic the shape of the body of the lamp, the more varied styles of shades it can take.
2. Repeat the shape(s) in the lamp body in the shade shape; i.e., a round lamp on a square base can take a shade with a rounded top and square bottom.
3. The diameter of the bottom of the shade should not be greater than the height of the lamp body (to the bottom of the socket).
4. Match lampshade colors to the trim color in your room and the tones in the lamp body. Don’t be afraid of black or color as an accent.
5. Consider your wattage needs! The lampshade (not the lamp body) determines maximum wattage allowed.
6. Consider the style of the lamp when selecting a shade. A busy lamp generally calls for a plainer shade.
7. For DRAMA, try thinking outside the box! Put a deep cone shade on a short round ball base, a glossy white shade on a beige stone vase, a cube shade on a stacked ball lamp, a red or black shade on an Oriental base, etc.

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