LAMP SHADE SHAPES + NAMES

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So here’s the deal…for the past 5ish years there was one lamp shade that was considered “the popular choice” and that was the drum shade. For every 1 uniquely shaped shade displayed in a department store, there were 10 drum shades in a variety of colors.

But now all of a sudden we’re seeing a revival in the lamp shade department and I’m here for it! The empire shade is back people! It’s back and the drum is taking a back seat for the first time in a looong time! (Can you sense my excitement?!)

So since things are getting shaken up in the lamp shade world, I figured now is the perfect time to refresh our memories of the many styles of lamp shades and their technical names.

It’s time for a Nadine Stay lesson…

The most common and most familiar – the drum shade. It’s a cylinder shape with straight edges and it typically has the same (or close to the same) height and width making it easy to blend with a variety of lamp base styles. A tapered drum shade on the other hand has the slightest tapered edge.

The bell shade typically has a smaller top and a wider base with curved sides making it look much like a bell…hence the name. 🙂

Lately we’re seeing an explosion of empire and coolie shades making a comeback! Empire shades are characterized as having a base that’s tpyically twice as wide as the top with tapered sides. And the coolie shade is essentially the extreme version of the empire. It mimics the Chinese hat forming a nearly perfect triangle. (Bonus fact: knife pleated empire or coolie shades are on the up right now!)

The bouillotte is a less common shade but if I were to make a prediction, I think we might start seeing it more now that the empire is back. It’s similar to the empire in that it has tapered sides; however it’s shorter in height and forms an oval shape vs the traditional circle.

Another less common shape is the hexagon. Typically the base is wider than the top and it has…you guessed it…6 sides. Occasionally you may see the hexagon sporting scallops but I must admit, this shape is somewhat of a dated styled at this time.

And finally, the rectangle and square lamp shades. They are of course…rectangle and square shaped. Styling tip: they are best suited with lamp bases that have a similar shape.

And one last bonus tip – I love to browse the aisles at our local thrift stores for lamp shades and I often pair department store bases with my thrifted shades for a fresh look. The lamp in our home office (as seen in the photo above) is a perfect example of that! I found the terrazzo base at Home Goods and I bought the pleated empire shade at Goodwill for a whopping $3!

LET’S SHOP BY SHAPE!