Table lamps and floor lamps are found in almost every home on the planet. They have been around for about a century, and it seems they are here to stay. Table lamps have the primary function of illumining their immediate environment and are very convenient to turn on or operate. They also contribute to the interior décor of a room. Table lamps are considered an inexpensive way to up one’s décor and are considered by most people to be aesthetically pleasing.
Wooden table lamps can be placed almost anywhere in the house due to their versatility. Feather table lamps can be placed on tables beside sofas to emphasize particular features of the furniture. For children, lamps in the shape of their favorite characters or objects can be a nice way of decorating their rooms.
A table lamp is hardly a table lamp without a lampshade. Although lampshades are usually seen as a decorative element, their primary purpose is to protect the eyes from the bulb’s glare by redirecting or diffusing the light emitted by the bulb. Looking directly at a light bulb can be uncomfortable, hence the use of lampshades. Bare light bulbs are used, but they are primarily used in places where one is not liable to inadvertently stare directly at them.
Staring directly at a light bulb can damage the eye. The benefit of lampshades is that they prevent damage from happening while adding to the room’s decor.
Lamps seldom go out of style. This is because the light bulbs and lampshades are replaceable. They have been around for decades and all evidence points to the fact that they’ll be around for many more decades. Lamps can stand the test of time as long as they work and the shade surface is cleaned regularly. Lamps are usually decorative elements, with their primary function being illumination. A light may have a decorative lamp base or a plain one, and some have a curved base shape or curved base profile.
Types of lamp shades
Lampshades are of different types and they come in varying styles and beautiful colors. It is said that the type or style of lampshade a person uses is an extension of their personality. Lampshades can be found on floor lamps, table lamps, or suspended lamps. They are also used to refer to the glass under many designs of ceiling lamps.
The shades for table lamps come in varying colors too. There are lamp shades of lighter, translucent colors and those of darker colors. Many people who need ambient light or light to read go for a translucent or softer shade like a beige lamp shade, which is generally a bright color.
Darker-colored shades like a black lamp shade or a brown lamp shade are used for decorative accent lighting. Softer colors like a blue shade could also be used as decorative lighting since some people might not be able to read well using blue lamp shades. Popular colors include cream and white lamp shades. Brown shades and black shades or even green lamp shades are not very popular.
Some lamp shades are lined with a hard-backed opaque lining which is often gold or white. This is done to reflect as much light from the top and bottom of the shade while making sure little light is emitted through the walls of the lamp shade. Other lamp shade materials are designed decoratively so that on illumination, the lamp shade may accentuate a display of color and light. Sometimes, this display of color and light might even follow a specific pattern or design.
Lamp shades are differentiated based on shape, material, and fitter. The four basic shapes of lamp shades are drum-shaped shades, bell-curved lamp shades, empire lampshades, and coolie shades. It can be said that there is no common type of lamp shade based on shape.
The contemporary drum lamp shade is a shorter and flatter version of the cylinder lamp shade. Whereas the cylinder lamp shade has more height than width, the drum lamp shade has more width than height. Drum lamp shades are straight-sided shades. The bell lamp is shaped like a bell. It has a relatively small opening at the top, flares out at the bottom like a bell, and is supported by metal frames.
The empire lamp shade has a straight, gentle slope from top to bottom. In empire-shaped lampshades, the diameter at the top of the shade is about half of the diameter at the bottom.
Apart from these basic shapes, there are also rectangular shades, square shades, hexagonal lamps shades, oval lamp shades, scalloped lamp shades, and cut-corner lamp shades. Cut-corner shades look like a square or round shades with indented or “cut-off” sides.
Materials used to make lamp shades include fabric (e.g., silk, linen, and cotton), parchment, paper, plastic, and glass. Fabric-covered shades are supported by metal frames or a metal structure to give them definite shapes. Lamp shades made of plastic or paper do not need an extra metal framework for support.
Lamp shade fitters
Lamp shades have three common types of fitters: Uno fitters, spider fitters, and clip-on fitters. A fitter is basically a connection point that attaches the shade to the lamp. Of these three, spider fitters are the most common shade fitters. One of these three types of fitters can be found in all table or floor lamp shades like chandelier lamp shades or mini chandelier shades.
Uno lamp shades
Uno lamp shades are so-called because of the attached uno fitters. They are more adaptable than clip-on shades or spider lamp shades and are easily recognized by the socket-sized ring in the middle of the shade. The socket-sized ring, whether a slip or threaded ring, slips over the socket and is held in place by the light bulb. No harp is needed since the uno fitting is attached directly to the socket.
This design makes it relatively easy to replace the bulb. Uno fitters are less frequently found on larger lamps and more frequently on small and medium-size shade. These fitters are the second most common fitters after spider lamp shade fitters. Most European lamps have uno fitters.
Clip-on lamp shades
Clip-on lamp shade fitters are a type of fitter that attaches directly to the light bulb with no extra hardware. A clip-on fitter is found on small accent and table lamps, sconces, and chandeliers. The fitters come in two sizes to fit candelabra bulbs and regular-sized bulbs. Candelabra bulbs are used for sconces and chandeliers and have a maximum bulb wattage of 25 watts. Regular-sized bulbs are used for small lamps. The maximum bulb wattage is 40 to 60 watts.
Spider lamp shades
As stated earlier, spider lamp shades are the most common style of lamp shade and are used for both floor and table lamps. The term spider lamp shade is derived from the spider fitting they have. The spider fitting connects the lamp shade and lamp base with the use of a saddle, a harp, and a finial.
Spider fitters are set on a lamp harp and secured by a finial. A lamp harp is the part of the lamp to which the shade is attached to. It comes in two separate parts: a saddle and the harp itself. The saddle base is fastened under or attached to the lamp socket.
The harp is an upside-down U-shaped frame (usually metal) with its two ends attached to the saddle and arches over the light bulb. A threaded rod is at the top of the harp. The internal frame of the shade (the spider) mounts on this rod and is secured to the harp by a lamp finial. The lamp finial is an ornament (fundamentally a nut) that screws the internal frame of the shade to the top of the harp. Finials and finial screws come in unique varieties, and they double as a decorative feature.
Spider fittings are also called “washer fittings”. This is because the spider lamp shade has metal arms that join in the center to a hollow, round metal disc that looks like a washer.
Spider fitters are safe and secure, and they provide adequate protection for the light bulb, but the shape of the harp and its placement can make changing the wattage bulbs difficult. Changing the light bulb of a spider lamp shade is relatively more complicated than changing the light bulb of an uno lamp.
It is important to note that lamp shades have varying proximity to the light bulb. The proximity of the shade to the light bulb is especially a problem in smaller lamp shades. Larger lamp shades have enough space in between. For smaller lamp shades, one has to consider the nearness of the shade to the light bulb or the distance of bulb to shade, especially when dealing with the smaller shades used on chandeliers. It is advisable to have at least a 2 to 3-inch separation.
Incandescent light bulbs generate relatively more heat, which can scorch fabric lamp shades and crack glass shades. The use of LED light bulbs is a great solution to this problem since these light bulbs emit little heat and save energy.
Lamp shades are replaceable. But before replacing your lamp shade, you need to take the following measurements: the top diameter, the bottom diameter, the vertical slant (slant height), and the vertical height. And sometimes, the diagonal slant. Also, ensure the replacement shade is the correct shade.
After taking these measurements, you need to determine the type of lamp shade fitting you want or need. Once that is determined, you may decide on the color and shape you want. Choosing the design or style of the lamp shade and making a color choice is fun for some people.
