Lamp Shades - The Variety of Styles and Shapes
There are lots of different options when it comes to lamp shades. You don't have to stick with the old standards - there are many different shapes and styles. Here are a few of your options when it comes to picking the perfect lamp shade for your home.
The most common type of shade out there, and one of the most traditional, is the empire shade. This is a round shade with a straight, but sloping side. The angle is relatively mild, not an exaggerated slope. Change that straight side to a curve, and you have a bell shade, instead. With an exaggerated slope, you have what's referred to by some as a coolie shade, due to its resemblance to straw Chinese hats.
Drum shades are round in cross section, with straight sides and a top and bottom diameter that's nearly the same. Shades with a slight slope may also be considered drum shades, but the overall shape should be cylindrical. These are probably the second most common shade type, though they were out of style for a while.
Drum shades are available in both deep and shallow types. A bouillotte lamp shade is a shallow drum or bell drum that was originally used in conjunction with a French card game, which it is named after. Another type of short drum lamp shade that was popular in the 1930s is the junior lamp shade, which was made specially for six way reflector lamps used at the time.
Shades don't just come with a round cross section, either. There are square and rectangular lamp shades, ovals, and even unusual shapes like hexagons and octagons. These can add an exotic look to a room, even if the shade itself is still relatively simple. Fancy square shades are square bell shapes with each bottom side cut as an outward scallop.
Cut corner lampshades have corners what have been cut straight across, instead of being cut at a right angle like an ordinary shade corner. This can also be inverted - cut inward at a curve, or cut as an "out round" - rounded outward in a curve. Scalloped or wavy tops and bottoms are available, as are notched shades. Gallery lamp shades have a wide section on the bottom edge, usually having a different decorative treatment.
Many of these types can be combined with one another, creating drum bells and hexagon bells, cut corner squares, notched bell drums and just about any other style. Trim and fabric can vary a lot, too - from shiny plastic to painted paper to luxurious silk. Shades can be simple and flat, pleated, or covered in braid and other trims like an early Victorian lamp shade. There are as many options out there as there are lamps! Check out some of your options and see what's available when you next need to choose a shade for you lamp.
