Guide to choose the perfect lampshade

Lights play an important role in amping up your space. It highlights all the dark corners, enhances your beautiful decor accessories, and creates a nice, subtle and relaxing vibe in your bedroom. Without lights our homes would not look as good as they do. But these are just the aesthetic reasons. Lights do have a functionality as well. And there are different types of light for different tasks or different spaces. A wrong light at the wrong place would create an imbalance in your house.

A lamp with a lampshade can create an effect which no other lighting can create. The shade diffuses the light just enough to create the perfect ambience. The lampshade comes in so many different sizes and shapes. But just the lampshade isn't enough. You need to have the perfect lamp to select the perfect lampshade. To select the perfect lamp, you will need to think of the space where you will keep the lamp and its use. Once you have the perfect, let us look at lampshades.

Here are a few tips you might want to consider before selecting the correct lamp.

• Room

 Think of the room where you will be keeping the lamp. The size of the room, the colors, the style everything. The lamp and the lampshade need to fit into the style and color of your room. So before selecting the lamp or the lampshade, decide on the room.

• Light

 Next you need to consider how much light you require in that room. Do you need a very bright light or do you require dimmer lights? There are shades which diffuse the light coming through. Based on the functionality or the task of the light, choose the lampshade. 

• Bulb

 You need to select the perfect bulb. It is the source of your light. You need to select the color of the light, the size of the bulb and also the amount of light it produces. Make sure the bulb isn't too big for the lamp as it may burn the lampshade if it is either touching or it is too close to the shade. 

• Lamp base

 This is probably an important choice you would have to make. Decide on the type of base you require. It can be a statement piece which will stand out in the room and call out for attention or it can be a minimal base which blends in. Your lampshade will be based on the type of lamp base you choose. 

• Size

Size of the lamp and the lampshade is also important. You would need to get a lampshade which fits into the space. It should fit the lamp perfectly and overall should look proportionate in your space. 

Once you have taken these things into consideration, let us look at how to select the perfect lampshade.

• Right size

 Choosing the size of your lampshade is a very crucial part. Your lampshade should have the right size or else your entire space could look disproportionate. So for choosing the right size, you need to keep in mind the space and the lamp itself. 

Make sure the lampshade isn't too big for your space. The height of the lampshade should not exceed the height of the base. The shade should be around ¾ of the total height of the base. The shade should be only 1 inch larger than the base. So depending on the base choose the shade.

• Right shape

 Lampshades come in many shapes. So to choose the right shape, you will need to understand the design and style of your space. There are shapes like drum, empire, tall tapered, cone, square and many more. 

So if you want a shade for your floor lamp in a corner, then you could opt for tapered or square lampshade. Or if you want to have a contemporary as well as a traditional look then opt for an empire shaped shade.This way you can use the space creatively. So look at the space you have and the space the shade will occupy. After that select the shape of shade.

• Right material 

 Next is material. This majorly depends on the amount of light you require in that space. So basically it depends on the task that light is supposed to fulfill. Also make sure the material is convenient and safe for a lampshade.

You can choose fabric, paper, velvet, jute and so many more. Different materials diffuse light differently so choose wisely. It should also go with the style of your space. You can either go for some solid colors or some patterns as well.

• Right design and color

 Now for the aesthetic part. The functionality part is important but so are the aesthetics. The lamp should blend in perfectly with your entire space. It cannot look out of place. So it is important to coordinate the shade to the style and color of your interiors. 

For this you can choose some geometrical shade for a little stylish drama, contrasting color shade for a statement piece or floral for some vintage look. There are many more options available as well. The patterns and colors of shade should go with the overall patterns used in the space. 

• Right light

 Having the right light changes the entire perspective of the space. The right light depends on the bulb and also on the lampshade. The material of the lampshade plays an effective role in this scenario. As already mentioned, the materials of the lampshades have different abilities to produce and diffuse light.

A translucent lampshade will diffuse just a little light as you would see in paper and silk shades. If you are looking for an accent light with just minimal light, then opt for a dark colored shade. This will work as an opaque shade doing just the work for you. 

Hopefully these tips and guides will help you choose the perfect lamp shade for your space.