How To Know What Size Lampshade To Buy

Calculate this by measuring the widest part of your lamp base and multiplying it by two.

How to know what size lampshade to buy. You don t want the socket or the switch to be visible. When shade shopping the shade size refers to the width across the bottom of the shade. If you ever come home from the antique market with a new lamp base sans lampshade take heed of this golden rule before rushing out to grab any old covering. Lampshade size is usually expressed in terms of its diameter 16 shade has a diameter of 16.

Make sure the lamp shade is wider than the widest part of your lamp body. In most cases your lamp shade should be roughly 2 3 the height of the lamp body. The bottom edge of the lampshade should fall midway on the neck of the lamp. Video by beau sam.

Your shade should be about two thirds the height of your lamp base give or take an inch. Similarly many design experts suggest that shade s width be roughly equivalent to the visible height of the lamp base. Here are our guidelines for how to measure a lamp for a shade. So now that you know your lamp base shape it s time to grab a tape measure.

Don t slim down too much. Measure lamp for shade size. The best shade will mimic the base of the lamp and the shape of the table. Floor lamp shades should clear the widest part of the bulb by at least 3 5 on each side of the bulb unless using compact fluorescent bulb.