Furnishing our pied-a-terre in Palm Beach, “Petite Fox,” has been such a delight. It was love at first sight when I spied two pink and blue, antique French vases, transformed into lamps, while Stuart and I were attending a viewing at Hindman Auctions in West Palm Beach. The bespoke, delicately pleated, pink and white silk lampshades are beyond divine, and just had to come home to our "Holly-pink" living room!
Lovely light brings any room to life! Lighting is a key component of a room’s ambiance. Creating a soft, warm glow is the ideal way to establish a welcoming environment in any room. A light that is too bright or intense serves only as a deterrent to your guests, reminding them of a place that is not that inviting, such as an operating room or a police interrogation room! I shy away from the seat that is near a brightly lit lamp as the harsh shadows are not becoming to anyone… wouldn’t you agree?!
Lampshades serve to attractively conceal the lamp’s electrical hardware and shield one’s eyes from the brightness of the bulb. They add a touch of elegant enchantment. They can also be clever and whimsical. Like a stunning sunset, soft pools of light created with smartly appointed lampshades offer an ambiance that serves to subtly captivate your guests.
The lampshade is adorned with a darling pink, pearl-drop glass trim, applied along the bottom edge. The light reflects through the glass, adding a lilliputian touch of glam!
A stately lamp is a composition of individual elements, but I feel that the most important element contributing to the overall aesthetic of a lamp is a well-proportioned, detailed lampshade. It adds beauty and majesty to a room. I like to think of a proper lampshade as the lamp’s crown!
In my first book, The Pretty and Proper Living Room, a chapter is dedicated to lamps and lampshades, featured on pages 286 - 289. There are samples of the various nuances and details that will contribute to the overall design of a lampshade and complement the room and space.
Here are a few aspects that you will want to consider when designing a bespoke shade:
The shade fabric and color: silk, linen, chintz, woven ribbons, string, paper, parchment, etc.
The shade fabric design: pleated, ruched, smocked, etc.
The shade lining: fabric type and color
The shade size and shape
The decorative trim: fringe, ribbon, tape, gimp, cord, pleated silk, etc.
The style and size of the finial, which graces the top of the shade
Taken from a page from my first book, the chapter about custom lampshades offers a glimpse at decorative options to consider when designing a lampshade.
I have seen the most divine lampshade creations in England and France. How does one find a lampshade designer in the USA?
Search for lampshade designer or custom lampshades.
Call a “to-the-trade” design center and ask for a recommendation.
Attend a top-tier Showhouse and ask a designer for their sources for custom lampshades.
I prefer to be in person versus ordering online, to discuss the design, with my lamp in hand, enabling the experts to guide my vision! I have used Blanche Field, my premier source, located in the Boston Design Center, and also at the D&D in NYC.
This Architectural Digest article shows some bespoke examples to inspire you.
It is true, an elegant custom-made lampshade is an extravagance, but it will serve you and your room well. I feel it is well worth your investment of time and money. Be forewarned that once you have a bespoke lampshade, it can become addictive and hard to come back down to the store-bought variety!
Grandmillennial Tips:
Use some additional fabric that you adore, which is already in the room. Silk always works well for my design projects!
When you are choosing a lampshade, consider the colors in the room. Where will the lamp be placed and how will it be used?
Also, what is the formality or informality of the room? This will help to determine the overall appearance of the lampshade, including size and shape. You want to produce a lampshade that appears tailor-made for both the lamp and its intended location.
Your lamp should have a three-way bulb or a dimmer switch installed, to keep the light low in the evening when entertaining! (I love to use soft pink bulbs in my living room… women naturally gravitate to them because the soft light makes everyone look and feel pretty. I often request a pale pink silk lining for lampshades in bedrooms, too.)
If you are savvy with a glue gun, consider adding your trim to a store-bought shade as a less expensive option for a bespoke detail. Order a little extra trim and practice gluing some of the trim on a different surface first to see how the trim reacts to the hot glue in advance of gluing it onto the lampshade… I am speaking from a ghastly experience!
Finials are the little gems at the top of the shade. Decide if you want to call attention to the finial or have the finial discretely fade into the overall aesthetic of the lamp and its shade, which I prefer.
Forbidden Faux Pas:
For a well-dressed lamp, you should not be able to see the socket and switch. An old saying is that “your guests should not be able to look up the lamp’s skirt” (lampshade)!
Lampshades should not be mounted too low, either. Show less than 1” or 1 ½” of the lamp’s neck.
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