Exclusive LightingA big thanks goes to Kristie over at The Decorologist for referencing our Cord and Plug DIY article! Check out the article here.
lampshade
Apr
06
06
Thanks so much to Alicia for writing about us and working with us to giveaway this amazing lamp!! Check it out here.
Mar
20
20
This week at our Flagship Store in Richmond VA we’ve been having such fun. Our First (soon to be annual) Trunk Show began Wednesday for a two day event.
It dawned on us we haven’t shared our Crown Jewel with our blogging community. Take “a-look-see” at all the fun and if you’re ever near Richmond stop by. It is a unique gem of a store with over 6000 square feet of amazing and rare finds. Our gracious staff of experts aims to please and loves to give first timers the tour.
We rolled out an exciting display of Custom Lampshades. Our clients were invited to stop by & design their own lampshade!
We had all the fixings; fabulous fabrics in an array of colors, styles & designs, trims & an army of frame styles. Folks brought by their lamps & the fun began.
Clients could also design their own lamp! We had porcelain vases with choices of bases & finials. Custom shades were available along with our large selection of stock shades; caused quite a stir!
Last but certainly not least was a truck full of one of kind hand-knot rugs. There were thousands! There were Persians, Oushaks, Heriz, Kilims and some precious antiques; just to name a few. Our designers and clients were enthralled & the rugs went flying out the door!
After months of planning we are happily exhausted & thrilled with the results!
To be included in our next event sign up for our Event Emails. If you are in the area of 95 & 64 stop by! We welcome your arrival. Also visit our 2 other locations: in Virginia Beach on Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, VA and our Decorating Outlet on Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond VA!
Feb
02
02
The Drum Shade…who knew it could be so versatile and trendy! We’re seeing it used more and more as a pendant or chandelier.
Organza Shade & Crystal Chandelier – Round
Convert your favorite lamp shade into a convenient pendant over a study space, casual dining area or even above your bed! No electrician needed! Use a simple cotton drum shade or add a “fun” fabric lampshade.
Jan
26
26
Looking to freshen your home without emptying your wallet? Check out these simple ideas to keep costs low and results high.
- Paint one wall an accent color or a deeper shade of the color you already have. If the room is long & narrow, paint a warm dark color on the short wall. Or paint the ceiling a light cool color. Or just paint the fireplace wall section an accent color. Add new lamps with that accent color.
- Paint a piece of furniture (such as a coffee table or 2 end tables) an accent color. Be sure to use the proper prep (ask the local hardware store for guidance).
- Rearrange your furniture and add a new rug. Change or recover your throw pillows or try “wrapping” them with your favorite scarf.
- Take an existing console or end table and add a storage shelf on the bottom for baskets to hold “stuff”. Paint the shelf an accent color or use antique wood flooring. Or sell an existing piece of furniture at a consignment store and replace it with a storage piece like a mirrored furniture piece that will always go with any look you do.
- Add inexpensive seating “stools” that can double as end tables. Paint them a fun color or distress them and “paint” with an antique wash.
- Add accent lighting (plant lights on timers, picture lights, spotlight on sculpture or architectural feature). You will be amazed at how much accent lighting can do for a room at night! Put dimmers on all other lighting in the room.
- Add some interest to your walls by taking all pictures down and rearranging them in a new plan on the floor, adding short shelves made from antique molding (for collections of sculpture, colored or clear glass, candles or candlesticks), table clocks and decorative items from the kitchen that can be hung on the wall (platters or plates, containers that can hold trailing greenery, handmade bowls, etc.), and small mirrors hung from decorative chain or interesting ribbon. Try adding an open empty frame (antique ones are great) around a plate or platter (maybe even on the diagonal).
- Add a “fun” fabric lamp shade on a plain lamp.
- New monogrammed towels for your bathroom (Hit the white sales!).
- Frame your bathroom mirror with antique molding, polyurethane molding painted in an accent color, upholstery braid, or outdoor ribbon.
©Shades of Light 2008
Jan
16
16
- The more basic the shape of the body of the lamp, the more varied styles of shades it can take.
- 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.
- Always take the lamp body (not necessarily the shade) to the store to buy a new shade.
- 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.
- Consider your wattage needs! The lampshade (not the lamp body) determines maximum wattage allowed.
- Consider the style of the lamp when selecting a shade. A busy lamp generally calls for a plainer shade.
- For DRAMA, break the rules! Try “extreme” shades! Put a deep cone shade on a short round ball base, a white shade on a beige vase, a cube shade on a stacked ball lamp, a red or black shade on a boring base shape, etc.
©2005 Ashton Harrison. All Rights Reserved.
Jan
16
16
A lampshade can have many different fittings to attach it to the lamp.
| washer | (goes on a harp) |
| regular clip | (clips on to a regular light bulb) |
| candle clip | (clips on a candle bulb) |
| uno | (threaded hole in top that screws onto the socket) |
| chimney | (open hole in top that slides over a glass hurricane) |
| reflector bowl | (shade rests on top of a glass bowl) |
Maximum wattage for Lampshades
| Distance from widest part of bulb to inside of shade | Wattage |
| 1 5/8″ | 25 watts |
| 2″ | 40 watts |
| 2.5″ | 60 watts |
| 2 7/8″ | 75 watts |
| 3.5″ | 100 watts |
| 4.75″ | 150 watts |
| 6″ | 200 watts |
| 7.25″ | 250 watts |
How to measure a shade: diameter across top/ diameter across bottom/ slant along side
©2005 Ashton Harrison. All Rights Reserved.
Jan
16
16
A carefully selected lampshade will make your lamp really special as well as maximize the function of the lamp. You should choose a shade with a shape that follows the general contours of the lamp. Square lamps look best with square shades and round lamps look best with round shades. A shapely lamp can take a shapely shade. An interesting alternative is to repeat the shape of the BOTTOM BASE of the lamp in the shade’s shape. For example, try a square shade on a round ginger jar with a square wood base.
The height of the shade should never exceed the height of the body of the lamp. Generally, the shade is 1/3 the total height of the table lamp. The more slender the body of the lamp, the shallower the shade can be. Often you will need to change the size of the harp on your lamp when you change the lampshade. The more flared the shade, the shorter the harp you need. The bottom of the lampshade should come to the top of the body of the lamp so that no mechanical parts except the neck show. The bottom of the shade should also fall at the eye level of the user.
While shades add the finishing touch to a lamp, they should also be selected to produce the amount of light required. Translucent white and ivory shades give off a gentle overall light while opaque shades focus light down for reading or illuminating objects on a table. Although it’s best to keep all the “white” shades in a room the same color (keep to the tones of the wall or trim color), an occasional colored or black shade can add pizzazz and diversity.
©2005 Ashton Harrison. All Rights Reserved.