Retro lampshades

A retro light shade is chosen first by its fitting and the diameter of its socket, then by its shape: conical or curved, fringed, in textured fabric or opaline glass. The tint comes last, because it decides the colour of the light in the room.

What defines a retro light shade?

A retro light shade is recognisable by its conical or curved shape, its fringes, its textured fabric or opaline glass, and by strong tints such as green, orange or blue. These details are not decorative: they change the way the light comes out and the look the lamp takes on in the room.

Shape matters as much as material. A cone opening downwards sends the light down onto the table or the arm of the sofa, while a curved, rounder shape spreads it to the sides. Compare the silhouettes in our light shade range before deciding, and look at the living room selection if the lamp is to light a reading area.

Fringed retro light shade

The fringe casts a striped shadow on the wall and ceiling and draws the eye to the lamp. It works better on a table lamp or a small floor lamp than on a pendant above a dining table, where it gets in the way of guests' sightlines and cuts shadows across the tablecloth.

Futuristic retro light shade

Retro-futurism plays the opposite game: taut lines, smooth surfaces, metal or glass, no fringe. The light comes out sharper and the lamp stays discreet in a busy interior. It is the compromise when you like the retro tint without wanting fabric.

Which retro light shade in fabric, linen or glass should you choose?

Fabric filters the light and colours the mood, linen lets through a more natural, textured glow, opaline glass diffuses widely without drawing a sharp shadow. Choose fabric for a soft, warm light, glass for a sharper light and easier care.

Fabric retro light shade

A tight weave keeps the light downwards and gives a clean patch on the table; a loose weave, raffia for instance, lets streaks filter through and projects patterns on the walls. Fabric holds dust: a gentle dry brushing, regularly, is enough to keep it clean. Find these weaves in fabric light shades.

Glass retro light shade

Clear glass directs the light straight ahead and draws a marked halo: handy for lighting a worktop. Frosted glass and opaline soften and spread the light, without dazzling whoever is sitting next to it. Both wipe clean with a cloth, which counts in a kitchen or hallway.

Linen deserves a word of its own: its irregular fibre gives a light that is never quite identical from one point of the shade to another. See linen light shades if that texture speaks to you.

Which colour of retro light shade should you choose: orange, green, black or blue?

A coloured light shade filters the light and tints the room: orange warms, green sets a calmer mood, blue cools the light, black concentrates it downwards. White remains the most neutral choice when the colour should come from the walls or furniture rather than the lamp.

Orange retro light shade

Orange gives a warm, readable light on a pale wall, in a living room or a reading corner. It matches light wood and off-white, and copes poorly with a second very colourful object in the same room.

Green retro light shade

Green calms the light without cooling it. It works on a desk, in a bookcase, next to linen, brass or leather. It is the easiest tint to live with alongside old furniture.

Black or blue retro light shade

Black concentrates the beam downwards: ideal on a living room floor lamp, provided the walls stay pale. Blue cools the light and suits a bedroom or a room that is very bright by day. For a dark base, see the black tints; for a neutral result, the white finishes remain the safe choice in a soft light for the baby's room.

Glass light shade for a bedside lamp: how do you choose it?

For a bedside lamp, an opaline glass light shade diffuses a soft, even light, suited to reading before sleep, while clear glass lets through a more direct light. Check the socket diameter, the fitting and the height between the socket and the wall before choosing.

Take three measurements before ordering: the usable socket diameter, the height available between the lamp base and the shelf above, and the width of the bedside table. A shade wider than the bedside table overhangs and knocks against the wall. On a small lamp, a clip fitting avoids the overhang. The expected light level decides the rest: opaline to read without dazzling, clear if the lamp is a decorative extra. Browse the bedroom models and all light shades, pendants, table lamps and floor lamps to compare the stated diameters.

Which light shade for a floor lamp and for a living room floor light shade?

On a floor lamp, the shade should stay wider than it is tall so it lights the sofa without dazzling someone sitting down, and its diameter should stay consistent with that of the base. In a living room, place it beside the sofa, not behind: the light should fall on the reading area.

Floor lamp light shade

The shade diameter should be at least equal to that of the base, otherwise the lamp looks unstable. The bottom of the shade usually sits around the seat height of an armchair, so as to light a book without sending light into the eyes of the person sitting there.

Living room floor light shade

A textured fabric or linen softens the light of a living room floor lamp and avoids the white spot on the wall. A tint already present in the room is enough to tie the lamp to the rest of the decor. Find these models in living room floor lamps.

How do you install a light shade and how do you hang it from the ceiling?

A light shade is fixed either by a ring screwed onto the socket, by a clip on small lamps, or by a chain pendant from the ceiling. Cut the power, screw on without forcing and check that the bulb touches neither the frame nor the fabric before switching back on.

How do you install a light shade on its lamp?

Unscrew the supplied ring, fit the shade over the socket, then screw it back by hand until it makes contact. If the shade tilts, the ring is badly seated, not the socket. On a clip, grip the edge of the shade and not the taut fabric, which marks. The catalogue to consult remains the Designix lighting catalogue to find the original assembly.

How do you hang a light shade from the ceiling?

A pendant is fitted to the existing fixing point, with a chain or a rod adjusted in height. The shade should stay high enough above the table not to get in the way of guests' sightlines, and the cable should be taut without pulling on the socket. A wide shade needs a solid anchor point: the weight of the fabric and frame pulls on the wire.

How do you change the fabric of a light shade?

Changing the fabric of a light shade assumes a frame in good condition: remove the old fabric, mark the seams, cut the new fabric with a margin, stretch it then glue or sew it onto the frame. Choose a fabric that lets light through, otherwise the lamp will light less strongly.

Use the frame as a template: a quarter turn measured wrong shows immediately on a conical shape. A fine cotton or a voile works better than a thick upholstery fabric, which stifles the light. If the frame is warped, rusty or the shape is complex, a new light shade is better: see a retro fabric light shade and all our lighting to start from a sound base.

How do you match a retro light shade to the living room and the bedroom?

To match a retro light shade, pick up a colour already present in the room and limit yourself to two visible materials. In the living room, go for a large format placed near the sofa; in the bedroom, prefer a smaller model and a filtered light so as not to dazzle on waking.

Retro light shade for the living room

One fringed shade per room is enough: two fringes compete and clutter the eye. If the sofa is already colourful, take a neutral tint or a more contemporary design to balance it.

Retro light shade for the bedroom

In a bedroom, the bedside lamp is for reading then falling asleep: a filtered light and a calm tint avoid a harsh awakening. A small format with short fringes is more practical than a large cone, which takes up the bedside table. For the bedroom, compare tints and diameters on the bedroom models.

Reassurance and ordering

Designix supports your order from start to finish: secure payment, tracked delivery, returns and a customer service you can reach to check socket compatibility or a diameter before confirming the basket.

Choose the shape and tint in our light shade range, or go up a level to all our lighting if you are also looking for the base or the pendant.

Frequently asked questions about retro light shades