White lampshades

To choose a white lamp shade, start with the stand and the room: a large 50 cm diameter for a floor lamp or a large living room lamp, 30 cm for a table lamp, 20 or 14 cm for a bedside. In this selection, linen dominates, round shapes are in the majority and the socket is almost always E27.

Which white lamp shade should you choose for each room?

The living room calls for a large format that spreads light widely, the bedroom a contained diameter placed near the bed, the office a compact model that does not dazzle. In this selection, linen dominates, round shapes are in the majority and all models are IP20, so for indoor use only.

White lamp shade for the living room

A 50 cm diameter covers a reading corner or a coffee table: this is the case with Linella and its large diameter, in linen, E27 fitting, 20 cm high. For a narrower room, Cylène, a 40 cm cylinder, reduces the footprint at the same height. These formats appear in our living room selection.

White lamp shade for the bedroom and bedside

Near the bed, stick to a contained diameter and softened light: Sylvo, small format for the bedside, measures 20 cm in diameter by 15 cm high, in linen lined with velvet. The Nomi with its E14 fitting plays a different card: a 20 cm chrome base, a 14 cm ball shade, a total height of 50 cm.

A compact model for the office

On a desk, the lamp shade comes down low without hiding the work surface. Zennorano, round at 30 cm by 18 cm high, combines linen and velvet and is content with a discreet table lamp; its E27 fitting takes standard bulbs, LEDs included. For a child, a model suited to a baby's room takes this principle in a smaller size. The rest of all the home's lighting can be browsed by room.

What is the difference between white light and warm light?

White light sits on the cool side of the spectrum, warm light leans towards orange yellow. A white lamp shade lets through the maximum amount of light and does not tint the beam: the perceived temperature depends above all on the bulb chosen, not on the colour of the fabric.

What a white lamp shade changes about the light

A white lamp shade does not colour the light it filters: it softens and spreads it. Linen and velvet diffuse while reducing contrasts, chintz fabric gives a taut surface and more even light, metal reflects a more direct beam. The final result therefore comes down to two things, the material of the shade and the bulb installed.

Warm white or cool white for the evening?

In the evening, a rather warm light rests the eye and accompanies reading; a cool, whiter light wakes you up and suits a work surface better. The choice is made on the bulb, because a white lamp shade lets through as it is the tint it produces, without warming or cooling it.

Linen, velvet or chintz fabric: which finish?

To go further on this material, compare the linen models and the taut fabric lamp shades.

Which lamp shade colour should you choose and which wood to pair it with?

White remains the safest choice: it does not compete with the colours of the wall or the furniture and it brightens a wood-filled interior. Pair it with light or dark wood, with black or grey for a sharp contrast, depending on the mood you want.

White lamp shades and light or dark wood

Paired with a wood and white sideboard, a white lamp shade echoes the light part of the piece and lets the dark wood stand out. To avoid a set that is too uniform, shift the white of the lamp shade slightly from that of the furniture. A raw linen, whose weave remains visible, brings this nuance better than a perfectly smooth fabric.

White, black or grey lamp shades: which contrast?

On a dark structure, such as that of Zennorara and its black structure, the white of the shade creates a sharp contrast without darkening the room, and the grey interior further softens the beam. If you want the opposite effect, look at the black version. For more graphic shapes, browse the modern style lamp shades.

What is the difference between a chandelier and a lamp shade?

A chandelier is a suspended light fixture with several light points, fixed to the ceiling; a lamp shade is the cover that dresses a source, on a table lamp, a floor lamp or a pendant. The chandelier lights the whole room, the lamp shade directs and softens the light of an area.

White chandelier or white lamp shade: which one on the ceiling?

Suspended, a fixture with several points lights a whole room at once; placed on a lamp or a floor lamp, a lamp shade concentrates the light on a specific use, reading, desk corner, bedside table. In both cases, white diffuses without tinting. The families present here are pendants, table lamps and floor lamps.

A pendant light and a white lamp shade in the same living room?

On the ceiling and on a table lamp, two white sources coexist without repeating each other provided you vary the diameters. A large ceiling light for general ambience, a 30 or 40 cm one for the extra light: the difference in size is enough to rank the two. See pendants, table lamps and floor lamps to put the set together.

How do you change the fabric of a lamp shade?

Remove the old fabric by unpicking it or unclipping it depending on the structure, keep the frame, then stretch the new fabric over the top and bottom rings before fixing it. Allow for a fabric that lets light through and check that the new diameter matches the frame.

Changing the fabric of a lamp shade: the steps

1. Remove the lamp shade from the lamp and note the original socket, E27 or E14, to stay compatible.
2. Unpick or unclip the old fabric without deforming the metal rings.
3. Measure the frame, top ring and bottom ring, before cutting the new fabric with a margin.
4. Stretch the fabric, fix it to both rings, then put the whole thing back on the lamp.

How do you make lamp shades yourself?

Start with a bare frame and a fabric that filters light. Linen and chintz stretch easily; velvet requires more care because it marks when folded. Keep the same height as the original shade so as not to obstruct the socket. To visualise the result, look at Livnorano in chintz fabric, stretched over a tapered shape.

How do you whiten a yellowed lamp shade and care for white linen?

A textile lamp shade yellows mainly because of dust and the heat of the bulb, which fixes it onto the fibres. Regular dusting with a brush vacuum, then a gentle wash in cold water with a little Marseille soap, is often enough to brighten white linen. Avoid chlorine, which attacks the fibres, and the tumble dryer, which deforms the frame. Velvet is content with dry brushing, metal with a soft cloth. Allow for dusting every two months, more often in a very heated room.

Which diameter and which fitting for your white lamp shade?

The diameter is chosen according to the stand: a large format of 50 or 40 cm for a floor lamp or a large living room lamp, a 30 cm format for a table lamp, a small format of 20 or 14 cm for a bedside lamp. As for the socket, E27 equips almost all these models, E14 the diffuser model.

Which diameter for a floor lamp or a bedside lamp?

On a floor lamp, you cover the source: 50 cm for a living room, 40 cm if space is tight, with a shade height of around 20 cm. For a bedside lamp, 20 cm in diameter by 15 cm high, or 14 cm on a diffuser model, is more than enough. The opening must match the socket of the stand.

E27 or E14 fitting: how do you check?

E27 is the large screw fitting, the one on almost all our models; E14 is the small fitting, reserved for the Nomi diffuser model, rated for 10 W. To check, unscrew the bulb in place: a wide thread indicates an E27, a finer thread an E14. The power indicated on the large format goes up to 40 W.

Why choose a Designix white lamp shade?

All the models in the selection are guaranteed for 2 years and protected to IP20, for indoor use. Payment is secure, delivery tracked, returns are possible and Designix customer service helps with the choice of diameter as well as fitting, before and after purchase.

For a large living room, start with Linella and its large diameter. For a bedside, Sylvo, small format for the bedside, fits on most bed lamps. The rest can be browsed in the complete lamp shade collection.

Frequently asked questions about white lamp shades