New Lamp Shades - Quick, Cheap Way to Liven a Dull Room

 

Professional decorators know that there's a lot of power in a simple lamp shade. Just changing out your shade and choosing a new one can change the look of an entire area of the room. Change out multiple shades, and you'll give the whole room its own look. Don't make the same mistake most people do and choose a bland lamp shade in the hope of getting one that's versatile. Choose a shade with some color and make it an accent for the room. It's a decorative touch you won't regret.

 

There's almost no limit to the number of lamp and shade combinations you can choose. Light shades, dark shades, antique styles and modern ones - they all do something different for your room. Just make sure that you're using a strong enough bulb to shine through a dark shade unless you're looking for muted ambient light, and don't use an overly strong bulb with a paper thin white lamp shade.

 

Want the room to sparkle? Think about a Tiffany style stained glass shade, an etched glass globe, or a beaded shade. They throw light around the room in attractive patterns and add a magical feeling to any home decorating setup. Of course, not every room works with this type of shade, but many will.

 

Don't let yourself believe that lamp shade shopping has to be boring. There's an incredible variety of options out there! Choose a rustic lamp shade in leather, rawhide, or another similar material for your western, country, or southwest style room. Incorporate a minimalist shade in a bold accent color to go with a stark, modern interior design. Shop online to see all the options available to you before you head to the store. You can often find your perfect lampshade through online vendors.

 

Just remember to have good measurements and an idea of what you need for your lamps. A shade that's too small will look comical and is even a fire hazard because it's so close to the bulb. One that's too large will overwhelm the lamp. Remember that you shouldn't be able to see the bulb or most of the lamp hardware under your shade, and choose one that's appropriate for the lamp and where you're locating it. Lamps that are up high often need deeper shades than ones on a low table.