E14 lampshades

An E14 lampshade is chosen according to the lamp it fits and the light you want. An E14 lampshade dresses a small screw-cap lamp, and the material chosen decides the light rendered before the colour.

What is an E14 lampshade and how do you check compatibility?

An E14 lampshade fits onto a small screw-cap socket, the kind used on bedside lamps, small floor lamps and some pendants. Before buying, measure the diameter of the socket and the gap between the socket and the base: it is this space, more than the colour, that decides whether the lampshade sits straight.

E14 lampshade: recognising the small screw cap

The E14 cap is the narrow thread, the one used on bedside and accent lamp bulbs. The wider E27 fits living room floor lamps and classic pendants. The marking is often moulded into the socket. Fixing is done by a ring screwed onto the socket or by a collar placed on top. Look at the available lampshades and check this fixing method, then the maximum wattage marked on the socket.

E14 to E27 lampshade adapter: when it really helps

A reducer ring inserts a thread, it does not transform the lamp's socket and never replaces a lampshade of the wrong diameter. It is only fitted if the manufacturer provides for it on your model. In doubt, take a lampshade with the right cap: it is more stable and hangs better.

E14 lampshade in glass, linen or rattan: which material for which light?

The material decides the light. Glass lets the beam through and lets the bulb be seen, linen and fabric diffuse it gently without glare, rattan filters it and draws shadows on the walls. Choose the desired effect first, the colour afterwards.

E14 lampshade in glass: the clean beam

Clear or frosted glass lets the source be seen and projects a sharp light, useful for reading or lighting a precise surface. It suits bedside lamps and floor lamps far from the sofa. It needs a slightly damp microfibre cloth, without abrasive product.

E14 lampshade in linen or rattan: diffusing or filtering

Linen, like the fabric models, veils the source and gives a soft light, without harsh reflection on a pale wall. Rattan filters and projects a pattern of shadows, it finds its place in a living room or a reading corner. To compare the shades and the density of the weave, look at the linen lampshades and how they hang.

Which E14 lampshade for a bedside lamp or a floor lamp?

On a bedside lamp, a short, closed E14 lampshade frames the light towards the book or the floor; glass suits when you want a clean beam, linen when you are after ambient light. On a floor lamp, a wide cone lights the room without glare from the sofa.

Glass lampshade for a bedside lamp

The constraint of a bedside is the height under the socket: a lampshade that is too tall comes up to face level and glares when you are sitting. A short cylinder or cone, in glass, keeps the beam downwards. Also check the clearance above the tray, to put a book down without hitting the material. The bedroom models often play on this compact format.

Floor lampshade for the living room

On a floor lamp, the stability of the base matters as much as the shape: a wide cone or a drum spreads the light upwards and downwards, without a harsh patch on the walls. Check the diameter of the frame and the weight the socket accepts. To balance a reading corner, compare a living room lampshade with the modern lines: the silhouette changes the whole effect. All that remains is to choose a model from all the small cap lampshades.

How to install an E14 lampshade without getting it wrong?

Most E14 lampshades are fitted with a ring or a collar that screws onto the socket: you slide the lampshade onto the socket, screw the ring, check that it does not lean. Always switch off the power before handling the socket or the bulb.

How to install a lampshade on an E14 socket

Switch off the current, unscrew the bulb if necessary, slide the lampshade down to the stop, then tighten the ring by hand, without forcing. The lampshade must not touch the bulb. Check the alignment by looking at the lamp from the front and from the side: a badly engaged ring makes the whole thing lean. The weight of the lampshade must remain compatible with what the socket and the support accept.

How to hang a lampshade from the ceiling

A pendant is fitted onto the intended support: socket with collar, or frame suspended by a chain. Switch off the current at the breaker before working. For a living room, the fitting height is generally around 75 to 90 cm above a table, depending on the size of the top. The rest of the assembly can be found in the Designix lighting catalogue.

How to change the fabric of a lampshade?

You can re-cover a lampshade whose metal frame is sound: peel off the old fabric, keep the shape as a template, glue a thin fabric and stretch it without creases. If the frame is twisted or the socket damaged, replacing the lampshade is simpler and safer.

Changing the fabric of a lampshade: the method

Peel off the old fabric without deforming the rings, then use the frame as a template adding a gluing margin of two to three centimetres. Glue on the top, stretch, then glue the bottom. Choose a thin fabric: a thick textile blocks the light. To judge the drape before you start, look at the effect of the fabric on assembled models.

When to replace the lampshade rather than re-cover it

Replace the lampshade when the frame is warped, when a ring is bent or when the socket shows signs of heat. Re-covering corrects neither alignment nor a damaged fixing. A slightly darker or lighter lampshade is often enough to change the mood of a bedside without touching the lamp.

How to match the E14 lampshade with the room and its colour?

The lampshade is chosen to continue the wall or the furniture when you want discreet light: white and pale tones blend in, black draws the silhouette, green brings colour without glare. In a child's room, look for veiled light and a fixing out of reach.

E14 lampshade in white or green, and black shades

White blends with the wall and most furniture, it suits when you want a light silhouette. See the white shades for this type of match. Green brings a visible colour without glare, useful in a bright living room. Black, for its part, draws the lamp and structures a reading corner: browse the black lampshades if you are after a strong contrast.

Lampshade for a baby's room: the criteria

In a child's room, the material comes before the colour: a dense fabric or a thick linen veils the source and avoids direct light above the bed. The fixing must remain out of reach, the ring well tightened, the cable tidied away. A closed lampshade, without roughness, is easier to clean. Find these formats in the baby's room.

Which mistakes to avoid when choosing an E14 lampshade?

The recurring mistakes: confusing small and large cap, buying without measuring the space between socket and base, neglecting the maximum wattage marked on the socket, choosing a very tight fabric when you want light. Measure, check the cap, then choose the material.

• Buying an E27 lampshade for an E14 lamp, or the opposite: the opening and the ring do not match.
• Ignoring the socket-base gap: a lampshade that is too tall glares at face level.
• Fitting a bulb beyond the maximum wattage marked on the socket.
• Taking a very tight fabric hoping for light: it blocks it.
• Choosing the colour before the light effect, then regretting the mood.

For a relaxation corner, compare lighting the sofa corner with the modern silhouettes before deciding. The final choice is made in the lampshade section, and the whole lighting catalogue remains to be browsed to match the room.

Frequently asked questions