The Lamp Shade: An Underappreciated Décor Item

When it comes to decorating the home environment, most people automatically think of repainting or adding a new piece of furniture to change things up a bit. While both of these things can be great when done properly, it’s also possible to add some simple things to your room that can have a big impact on how you and your guests perceive your space. It’s natural for people to think of the big items when decorating, but it’s the smaller features that can provide a finished look and an inviting feel. A perfect example of this point can be found when looking at staged homes. While these homes look good in their own right, they just don’t have that warm, welcoming vibe that we all strive to provide in our homes.

One piece of décor that doesn’t always get a lot of credit is the lamp, yet it’s the one thing we all rely on when we want to showcase our homes during the night. Apart from providing lighting the way for us, decorative lamps and lamp shades also provide us with a certain level of understated décor. So often people fall into the trap of purchasing a plain floor or table lamp, which is a mistake when there are so many more interesting designs out there. The following article will attempt to promote the lamp as a viable décor item and will provide some examples of how to use lamps most effectively in the home environment.

The first think you’re likely to notice when shopping for lamps is that they are classified into 3 basic formats based on the light that they provide – ambient, task and accent. It’s important to understand how these types of illumination differ from each other so that you know what you need and understand how to use it most effectively. The first type, ambient light, is used to describe light that illuminates a large area, allowing you to carry on inside your home as if the sun never set. Typically, ambient lighting is provided through overhead light installations such as recessed lighting or chandeliers, though it can also be supplied through a series of floor or table lamps.

The next type of lighting, task lighting, is used to provide a focused amount of light over a relatively small area. A perfect example of fixtures that provide task lighting are table lamps, which can be used to supply light to a portion of the room. Task lighting is the perfect type of lighting for activities like reading. When it comes to design, task lighting fixtures are where you’ll likely concentrate your efforts, since there are many decorative lamp shades made specifically for this type of fixture. This makes it very easy to get creative with the lamp shade of your choice.

The last type of lighting is accent lighting, which is probably the most focused form of lighting you can provide. Types of accent lighting include under-cabinet and spot-beam fixtures. Because this type of lighting is typically rather inconspicuous, decorating with lamp shades is simply not possible.

With so many different options in terms of color, fabric and texture, the options for elevating your décor with lamp shades is nearly endless. If you’re still unsure of how to use these fixtures effectively, however, the following tips can make things a bit easier:

1.    Avoid Solid White or Other Bland Materials – using a decorative lamp shade is your opportunity to inject some interest into the design of your space, so it’s imperative that you avoid the dull and boring. Anyone can install a plain white lamp shade, though your goal shouldn’t be to fit in with everyone else. Use the opportunity to get creative with your design and you will be rewarded.

2.    Keep Your Existing Décor in Mind – while it’s great to be creative with your selection, you don’t want to draw the wrong type of attention by selecting something too wacky. Your best bet is to stick with something that compliments your existing décor.

3.    Proportion is Important – be mindful of the relationship between the overall size of your fixture and the size of the lamp shade you purchase. The last thing you want is to purchase a shade that completely dwarfs the fixture.