Smoked glass lampshades

A smoked glass lampshade is chosen first for its shape and diameter: the drop for a floor lamp, the globe for a table lamp, a small diameter at the bedside. The whole selection is made of glass tinted through its mass, fitted on an E27 socket and rated IP20, including some modern-style pieces (Sphaeris, Brillanta).

What is smoked glass?

Smoked glass is glass tinted through its mass, a translucent grey-brown: it filters the light without stopping it and lets the bulb show through. On a lampshade, it softens the direct glare, keeps a warm light and makes the fixture decorative even when switched off. The tint is part of the material; it does not cloud over like a surface varnish.

Clear smoked glass lampshade: what you see through it

Clear smoked glass lets the eye pass through: you can make out the socket and the filament through the wall. It is the lightest effect, the one that suits a bright room where the fixture should stay airy. It calls for a clean, well-centred bulb, since everything shows.

White or black smoked glass lampshade: what light effect?

A denser glass, leaning towards milky white or deep black, cuts more of the direct radiation and gives a lower, more enveloping light. The smoked finish sits between the two. If you are after a sharp contrast on a pale wall, compare with black lampshades; for a softer light, look at the white version.

Which shape to choose between a drop lampshade and a globe lampshade?

The drop is taller than it is wide: it lengthens the silhouette and concentrates the light downwards. The globe is wider than it is tall: it lights around itself and shows from every side. For a floor lamp, prefer the drop; for a table lamp, the globe. The rule is simple: height for the drop, diameter for the globe.

Smoked glass globe lampshade: the dimensions to check before buying

Measure the diameter of the base or stem, then the clearance available around the socket. A Ø 25 cm globe such as the Sphaeris globe lampshade needs room at the sides; a Ø 15 cm globe, 11.7 cm high, such as the Brillanta in glossy glass, slips onto a narrow table lamp without unbalancing it.

Drop lampshade: when height makes the difference

The drop is there to make up for a line that is too short or a stem that is too tall. The Vesia drop-shaped lampshade, Ø 15 cm and 20 cm high, straightens up a small bedside lamp; the large Nerranisto drop lampshade, Ø 22.5 cm and 33 cm high, holds the scale of a floor lamp.

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

For a bedside lamp, aim for a small 15 cm diameter lampshade, such as Vesia or Brillanta: it stays in proportion to the base and places the light near the bed. For a floor lamp, the large Nerranisto drop, Ø 22.5 cm and H 33 cm, holds the scale of the stem and avoids the small-hat effect on a tall base.

Glass lampshade for a bedside lamp: which diameter?

Around 15 cm in diameter, you light the book and the glass of water without sending light over the whole pillow. Check the free height between the socket and the top of the bulb before ordering. Smoked glass softens the radiation, which suits late-evening reading; to go further, see the bedroom range.

Floor lamp lampshade: the height that keeps the line

On a floor lamp stem, the lampshade takes up the upper third of the silhouette. Too short, it lets the base dominate; too wide, it visually overflows. A drop 33 cm high restores the balance. The rest of the vertical catalogue is in pendant, table lamp and floor lamp lampshades.

How do you fit a lampshade on an E27 socket?

Switch off the power, unscrew the socket ring, slide the lampshade by its opening onto the E27 socket, then tighten the ring without forcing. Check that the glass does not touch the bulb and that the whole thing does not move. Plug back in and switch on. The E27 socket is common to the whole collection, and fitting needs no tools.

How do you hang a lampshade from the ceiling on a pendant?

The lampshade does not attach to the ceiling on its own: it fits onto the socket of a pendant already in place. Switch off the power, remove the old lampshade, slide the new one onto the socket, tighten the ring by hand. Ceiling fixing concerns the cable and the bracket, not the lampshade. Larger volumes are in all our light fixtures.

Changing the bulb without forcing the glass

Wait until the bulb is cold, hold the lampshade with one hand and unscrew the bulb with the other. Never pull on the glass to reach the socket. A bulb too wide for the opening heats up against the wall: better to use a bulb of standard size, at all the temperatures the E27 socket accepts.

Which room for a smoked glass lampshade?

In the living room, a smoked glass lampshade serves as accent light on a table lamp or a pendant. In the bedroom, it gives a low light, filtered by the glass. In a baby's room, it remains an accent light, never the only source. All are IP20: dry interior only, protected from water splashes.

Smoked glass lampshade for the living room: table lamp or pendant

On a piece of furniture, the Ø 25 cm globe sets a visible volume and lights widely. Above a table, the same globe hangs from the socket of a pendant and filters the light without hiding the sideboard. You will find both setups in for your living room.

Bedroom and baby's room: a softened light in the evening

Smoked glass lowers the perceived light level without changing the bulb, which helps at bedtime. In a baby's room, keep it as an accent light, away from the bed and out of reach. See the baby's room selection.

How do you match a smoked glass lampshade with the rest of the room?

Smoked glass is a translucent grey-brown that goes with pale wood, linen, rattan and black metal. It stays discreet when switched off and lets the bulb show when on. On a white wall, it brings contrast; against a dark background, it blends in. The modern style of the collection comes from this restraint.

Which materials go with smoked glass?

Pale wood and linen warm the tint, black metal structures it, rattan lightens it. Avoid stacking three cold materials on the same piece of furniture. For textiles, natural linen works better than a satin fabric. Compare with linen lampshades and modern-style lampshades.

Smoked glass lampshade or fabric lampshade: which to choose?

Glass wipes clean with a cloth, does not collect dust in the same way and lets the bulb show: the fixture stays decorative when off. Fabric absorbs the light and diffuses it more evenly, without transparency. For a muted effect, see the fabric models.

How do you care for a smoked glass lampshade?

Unplug the lamp, remove the lampshade from the socket, then wipe the glass with a dry or barely damp microfibre cloth. A mild glass cleaner is enough, with no abrasive or scouring sponge. Let it dry before refitting. The collection is guaranteed for two years.

Cleaning smoked glass without streaks

Tinted glass shows fingerprints more than clear glass. Work in small areas, in a circular motion, then polish with a dry cloth. Avoid loosening the ring with a tool: by hand, it tightens enough.

What not to do to a glass lampshade

No machine washing, no soaking, no strong alcohol or scouring product: the tint is in the mass, but knocks and harsh products weaken the glass. Never refit the lampshade before it is completely dry, or water will stay trapped near the socket.

Smoked glass lampshade or smoked glass wall light: which to choose?

For a smoked glass wall light, check the wall fixing, the accent-light function and the lack of floor footprint: these three criteria separate the models before you browse the catalogue.

A lampshade fits onto an E27 socket, on a table lamp, a floor lamp or a pendant. A wall light, on the other hand, is fixed to the wall and serves as accent light with no floor footprint. If you want to light a wall without furniture, look instead at the Designix light fixture catalogue and the lampshade guide.

Before ordering, measure the diameter of your fixture's socket and the clearance available around it: that is what tells you whether the lampshade screws on and turns freely.

Frequently asked questions