Lamp shades play an important part in decorating a room or home. The growing popularity of lamp shades that are coordinated with the furnishings, colors, and shapes in a room often make the lamps in a room part of the total feeling that a person is trying to capture in their decor.
Before choosing shades, it will be important to decide what the primary purpose of the lamp will be. Some shades are more appropriate for ambient lighting and will not work in a location where you need direct task lighting. Other shades are great for task lighting, but do not provide the kind of soft glow that is desired in many rooms.
It is becoming more popular for people to design shades that fit the design of the room they are decorating. An individual may have a neutral, minimalist room that is depending on a few pops of bright color to bring the room to life. This is when a brightly colored shade that has a unique shape will help to define the space and give it personality.
Affordable hardback shades are often selected for rooms that require task lighting. These shades are made with a fabric covered styrene that is often in an accordion design. The short, squat coolie shades emit light from the base of the shade and provide direct lighting on a desk or small table. These shades usually have a clip-on fitter which makes it very easy to move the shade to a different lamp if needed.
More elegant shades can be found in the beautiful silk shades that have traditionally been used in more formal sittings. These shades often sit atop an intricately detailed lamp and provide a beautiful enhancement that draws the eye to the lamp base. The ability to use fabrics that are used on pillows or other accessories in a room make them an ideal addition to a formal room.
There are many selections available for shades that provide soft ambient lighting in a room. The shades are often made from the same textures and fabrics that are used throughout the room. When pairing different shades using fabrics in a room, the effect can create a continual look in the decor of a room.
Creating a nest of lamps can create a stunning look in a room. By pairing three lamps with cylinder shades that are different heights a person can create a beautiful effect in a corner. The light using these shades provides a very soft glow through the shade. The color and texture of the shade gives off a muted color of the shade.
Maintaining symmetry in a room that requires several different types of lighting gives a person the opportunity to use different shapes and sizes of lamps that share color, design, and shape. When the lamps are the same, but different, the look of a room opens and even a small space looks larger. The mobility of lamps make them very easy to position for dramatic effect when not in use for task lighting. Changing shades also can give a lamp and room an entirely different look for an extremely affordable price.
Choosing the best lamp shades for your home will depend on the amount of light you want in your room and the effect your are trying to achieve. When selecting your shades, it will be important that you choose shades that will provide the amount of space between the shade and the bulb that will keep it from getting too hot.
