Fancy refurbishing your home lighting to stylish and professional effect?
When decorating your home, how you light it can be one of the most important, and most difficult, areas to address.
Look no further; here are top tips courtesy of Jim Lawrence for successful shade buying:
1.Size – Size really does matter! In most cases the best look will be achieved if:
The height of the shade is approximately ¾ of the height of the base (in the case of a table lamp).
The width of the shade is approximately equal to the height from the bottom of the base to the socket and the shade is wider than the widest part of the base.
The shade also needs to be deep enough to cover the fittings, but not so deep that it covers the main body of the lamp.
2.Shape – Try to echo the shape of the base in the shade. For example, a geometric base works best with a square or rectangular shade, whilst a curved base suits an oval or cylindrical shade.
3.Style – Consider the look you are trying to achieve. An empire or tapered shade is a timeless classic that fits any theme, whereas a cylindrical or half shade gives a modern twist.
Also, don’t let the shade and base compete – if there’s a lot going on with the base, the shade should be quite simple. Conversely, a patterned shade can look amazing on a simple base.
4.Space – If you haven’t got much room around the lamp you need to select a narrower shade.
A rectangular shade for instance, is a practical solution if you need to position a lamp close to a wall.
5.Colour – The colour needs to suit the lamp base and the room – both lit
and unlit. Request a swatch and try it in situ. Bear in mind however that a big block of colour at wall height, will have much more impact in the room than a small swatch of fabric.
6.Light – If you want to use the lamp for reading, go for a wide shade that will allow plenty of light underneath the shade. Conversely, diffusers are great for softening the light from a ceiling shade or standard lamp shade.
7.Bespoke – If you can’t find exactly what you want, why not have a shade custom made? That way you can really put your own stamp on your room.
8.Experiment – Finally, swapping shades around is a great and relatively inexpensive way to refresh a room, and as long as you follow the above guidelines you can’t go too far wrong.
Jim Lawrence handcrafted home furnishings have a huge selection of lighting ideas, from wall lights and pendants to table and standard lamps.
To view the extensive range of Jim Lawrence home lighting products, please visit the website.
Tel: (01473) 826685