Give me Color...in a Lampshade!

There are lampshades and then there are lampshades.  If you have ever been in a wonderfully decorated home you know what I mean (and how to spot the difference).  It is difficult for me to fathom that in Raleigh NC, one of the fastest growing metro areas in the US, there is only one place to buy a decent shade...in white, cream, or maybe black. Plus, if you need a pair (and who doesn't), they have to be ordered.  AND you can just forget about finding empire pleats (my personal favorite)...I had one salesperson tell me they did not sell them because they were too difficult to dust...imagine!

I realize good shades are expensive to stock (and buy) and to have a good selection in stock is next to impossible.  The problem is that buying a lampshade without the lamp is like buying a hat without your head!  You must take you lamp base with you for a fitting...just like if you were buying a made to order piece of clothing.  Below is a basic rule of thumb I ran across a few week ago that may help us all.

But let's get back to color.  I want you to imagine in these following photos how drastic the image would change if a white or cream shade was substituted for the one in color.  

And even if you just really need a simple black shade...how about lining it with a touch of...leopard!

As always....xx.DT