Today lamp shades are
more than mere covers for lamps. They add to the decor of the room and more
importantly are determined by the role that they have to play. If general
illumination is the determinant, then the shade is made from a light colored
material, which is translucent in nature. The shade should have a wide
opening (like that of a barrel) at the top to direct the light upwards and
side wards. This is called as ambient light. One point to be kept in mind is
that the shade should be of sufficient height so that the rude harsh glare
of the bulb is not visible. If however, you want to read, the shade should
be tapered so that the light falls on the book or paper. The shades can be
of any color, but only the inside should be white. All the light is
reflected downwards. The lamp shade should be so adjusted that the eyes are at a
level above the bottom of the shade and the width of the shade at the bottom
adequately ensures dispersion of light onto the book.
Astonishingly, these lampshades are available not only in different shapes
but in a variety of colors and sizes. Hardbacks and silks are the two basic
types that are available. Hardback shades have an inner lining of plastic
and paper or fabric is laminated on to it. This is stretched to fit around 2
wire rings one at the top and the other at the bottom. The extended portions
are folded and glued together. These shades are inexpensive, but cannot be
washed. Hardbacks are available in the form of almost any geometrical shape,
drums, squares, hexagons, ovals and rectangles. In drum shades, the diameter
of the top ring is less than that of the bottom ring and the length of the
shade is almost the same as the diameter of the bottom ring. Oval, square
and rectangular shades can be designed in any fashion depending on
individual taste. Empire and coolie shades slope outward from the top and
the only difference is in the diameter of the bottom ring. In the case of
Empire shades, the bottom diameter is twice that of the top, and in a coolie
shade, the bottom diameter is thrice that of the top. The lengths vary from
11\2 times to twice the size of the diameter of the top ring.
Silk shades are not really made of silk. These shades have a full wire frame
meaning that the top and bottom rings are connected with side wires over
which a special fabric is fitted. The inner lining usually white in color
and an outer fabric covering are attached to the special fabric. These
so-called silk shades are more expensive than the hardbacks but are more
durable. One advantage is that they can be washed using warm soapy water and
can also be dried. As these shades have a full wire frame, it is possible to
produce unusual and interesting shapes.
Many fabrics like linens, damasks, canvas, cotton can be used in the making
of shades, but what is attractive about them is that they are being made
more decorative with adornments like pleating, rope trims and embroidery.
They look elegant and can adorn any room. So if you want a lampshade, decide
the purpose you want it for and take the lamp with you to see if the shade
fits properly.
Remember, the shade should cover the unseemly electrical
parts and should be just the right width and height.
When purchasing a lampshade, there are 3 important measurements that come
into play. The diameter of the top ring(A), the diameter of the bottom
ring(B) and the depth (C). The diameter of the bottom ring in the case of an
oval shade will be the longest distance across the shade, in case it is
square, rectangular or a polygon, take the distance from any point at the
bottom ring and measure exactly across to the opposite side. So the size of
the shade is usually depicted as A x B x C.
Like other things, we need to keep the lampshades also clean. If they are
not washable, dust them regularly, and if they are washable, warm water and
a mild detergent will make the dust and dirt disappear. Using a brush with
soaps suds on it and dipping it into water will make the task easier. Keep
changing the dirty water three or four times to ensure a good wash. Dry
well. Sometimes during the wash, the fabric will seem to sag, but once it is
dry, it will fit taut over the lamp. Look after the Lamp shades and they
will always look good as new.-
~ Lamp shades ~
author K.Bajaj
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