What shade should I put on this lamp?

June 3, 2009 7:53 AM

I just found this funky diamond shaped lamp and am not sure what it is, or what kind of lampshade would look right on it.

It is a ceramic lamp with thin brass overlay running around the base and a (hand-carved, I think) wooden base. No obvious maker's marks. It looks old-ish, at least mid-60's because it has a woven flat electrical cord, which I think went out of common use around that time.

But the biggest question is what kind of shade I should put on it! I would love it to fit into our apartment which has a sort of simple, dark wood, craftsman style.

Anyone know anything more about this lamp, or have any lampshade suggestions? Thanks!

posted by arnicae to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

I recently bought a custom lampshade from this seller on Etsy. Unfortunately I can't link to your pictures at the moment to see if any of her ready-made work suits your lamp, but she did do a nice custom shade for me out of a fabric I picked, so I'm sure she could come up with something to suit your base. Also, one of her shades is featured here on Fox's iMag as an affordable alternative to a designer lamp.
posted by philotes at 8:07 AM on June 3, 2009

I think an elliptical lampshade oriented with the diamond would look best. I'd go with a simple fabric with a single color -- cream, maybe one of the colors that show up in the lamp but a lighter hue, or something dark -- a dark chocolate brown or black.
posted by amanda at 8:35 AM on June 3, 2009

Take a look at these basic shapes:
http://www.morleelampshade.com/id8.html

From the first page, I would choose the Tall Cut Corner Rectangle. From the second page, I'd choose one of: Cut Corner Rectangle, Oriental Pagoda or Cut Corner Square. All of these have a shape which echos the squareness of the lamp base. My choice would be the Pagoda (with a straight hem) as I happen to like that shape.

Nthing the black or cream.
posted by x46 at 11:59 AM on June 3, 2009