Bamboo lampshades

To dress a light fixture without dimming it, start with the weave: bamboo lampshades filter the light instead of blocking it, the strands separate the rays and cast soft shadows on the walls. Then match the diameter to that of the base and the fitting to the socket already in place, and choose between woven and lacquered depending on the effect you want, diffused or sharper.

What light does a bamboo lampshade give?

Woven bamboo lampshade: filtered light

The weave lets separate rays through. In the evening, the room receives a warm light and drawn shadows that climb up the wall, without the harsh beam of an opaque shade. The bulb sometimes remains visible between the strands: a diffused bulb prevents glare. For a more matte effect, a fabric lining behind the bamboo closes the weave and softens the diffusion further.

Lacquered bamboo lampshade: a sharper effect

The lacquer fills the gaps in the weave. The light then falls more directly downwards, suited to a table or a worktop. The lacquered interior reflects the light towards the surface rather than towards the eyes. The look is more contemporary, the surface dusts clean with a dry cloth, and pairing it with a linen lampshade in the same room works through the contrast of materials.

How to choose a bamboo lampshade?

Size: small, large or made to measure

Measure the base before anything else. A shade wider than the base overwhelms the lamp, a model that is too narrow lets the bulb stick out at the bottom. The height must cover the socket and the bulb, without hiding the top of the base. The table below summarises the formats by room.

Cap, socket and fitting: the points to check

Note the diameter of the bulb holder and the type of fitting before ordering: ring fitting for a table lamp, socket fitting for a pendant. The bulb cap (E27 or E14) determines the space available under the shade. Once these three points are checked, the material is chosen last. The rest of the shapes can be found in the collection guide and in the lampshade collection.

A bamboo lampshade is light, holds up well to a tight weave and draws varied shadows; on the other hand, it dislikes damp and yellows in direct sunlight. To compare with other solutions, see see the compatible light fixtures before making your choice.

Which bamboo lampshade for a bedside lamp, a floor lamp or a pendant?

Small bamboo lampshade for a bedside lamp

On a bedside lamp, the small format stays narrower than the base so as not to swallow the bedside table. The weave diffuses the light at pillow height: you can read without lighting the whole room. A glass lampshade for a bedside lamp gives a sharper light and wipes clean in one go, but it is heavier and filters nothing. Bamboo remains the choice for a soft effect, to be found in the selection for bedroom lighting.

Bamboo lampshade for a floor lamp and a pendant

On a floor lamp, the wide, tall shade covers the socket and reflects the light downwards, which lights the armchair without glare. A pendant requires a model closed at the top, fitted on the socket of the fixture: the lacquered weave, more opaque, suits above a table. For a living room, compare with the selection designed to dress a living room.

How to install a bamboo lampshade?

How to hang a lampshade from the ceiling

A pendant lampshade is fitted on the socket of the fixture, never directly to the ceiling. Cut the power at the breaker, remove the socket, place the shade on its support, then tighten. Check the stability before switching back on: a model too heavy for the socket cannot be fitted. The details of the pendants can be read in the Designix light fixture range.

Installing a lampshade on a lamp or a floor lamp

Fitting takes four steps, without tools in most cases.

1. Cut the power and remove the bulb.
2. Unscrew the ring or the socket depending on the model's fitting.
3. Slide the shade on, then tighten until it makes contact.
4. Put the bulb back, switch on, check that the shade does not touch the bulb.

For a replacement, all lampshade shapes can be compared at a glance on the hub.

How to change the fabric of a lampshade?

When the weave loosens or comes unstuck

A bamboo lampshade has no stretched fabric: the weave acts as the shade, on a frame. If the strands loosen or the lacquer blisters after a damp spell, the repair rarely lasts. It is better then to replace the model rather than re-weave it, except for an exceptional piece entrusted to a craftsman.

Replacing the lampshade rather than re-weaving it

On a classic lampshade, you remove, unstick or unclip the fabric, clean the frame, then stretch a new fabric over the two rings before gluing. This method does not apply to bamboo. For a change of style, fabric lampshades offer a flexible base, and the simplest route remains to replace a worn lampshade with a model of the same diameter.

How to care for a bamboo lampshade?

Dusting without washing

A feather duster passed over the weave is enough between two cleanings. Once a season, a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment removes the dust caught in the gaps, at minimum power. On lacquered bamboo, a dry or very slightly damp cloth finishes the job, without rubbing. A bulb that gives off little heat limits the drying out of the strands.

What to avoid: water, products, direct sunlight

Should bamboo fabric be washed? No. Water relaxes the strands, lifts the lacquer and distorts the weave, and household products attack the finish. Keep the shade away too from a very exposed window behind glass, where direct sunlight yellows the bamboo. For a damp room, a model for a bedroom lampshade or for a dry room is safer than a bathroom.

Which interior style goes with a bamboo lampshade?

Lacquered bamboo lampshade: pairing with a modern interior

The lacquered finish, smoother, speaks to contemporary furniture, straight lines and bold tones. It holds its own against more contemporary models and pairs well with black colourways as well as with a white finish, to be chosen according to the dominant colour of the wall.

Woven bamboo: living room, bedroom and baby's room

Natural weaving warms a light wood living room, a white interior or a reading corner. In a bedroom, it diffuses without darkening; in a baby's room, a tight weave and a stable fitting take priority over the pattern. The pairing tip remains the same: echo a material already present in the room, wood, rattan or linen, rather than adding a third material. For a more understated effect, look at a lampshade with a clean style.

Secure payment, tracked delivery, returns and Designix customer service accompany every order. A question about a diameter or a fitting? Customer service answers before purchase. Find all the pieces in all our light fixtures to complete the room.

Frequently asked questions