Finding beautiful lampshades should be easy. That’s why Cook’s: The Lamp Shader’s Company offers a massive selection of literally thousands of shades for practically any style or interior. If there’s a specific type of shade you want, we’ve got it.
The purpose of this article is to show you some of the beautiful lampshades you can source through us. You’ll learn how we’re not your average lampshade company. We care deeply about the style and provenance of each shade we sell. It’s not about shifting units: it’s about helping you find products that fulfill your aspirations.
So what shades are available through us? And what do you need to know about them?
Chandelier Shades
The chandelier evolved from the traditional candelabra – a device that held dozens of individual candlesticks, designed to illuminate a large room. Instead of having somebody (usually a servant) light each wick one at a time, electricity illuminated all of them instantly, freeing up designers somewhat.
Chandelier lampshades are an evolution of this original design, but specifically for lamps. Like the original, they typically feature lots of embellishments, like crystals and beautifully-shaped metalwork. And they instantly help to create a luxe look in your home.
Pleated Shades
Pleated lampshades are a style of shade mainly comprising ruffled fabric layered atop of a metal frame. The material looks a bit like a drawn curtain, sewn together to make it look like it is hooking back on itself.
Pleated shades come in all kinds of beautiful varieties, many of which are available in-person from our store. And because they have a long history, there are all kinds of retro and antique examples, giving you a massive choice.
Many floor lamp shades use the pleated design. It provides rooms with a comforting, homey feel that instantly makes you feel more relaxed. Pleated shades are primarily for the living room and bedroom, though you can also put them in libraries, studies, and music rooms.
Drum Lampshades
Drum lampshades are among the most iconic styles of lampshade available. They’re instantly recognizable for the barrel-like shape they form around the bulb – like a large hollow tube – leaving equal-size openings at the top and bottom.
Drum lampshades became increasingly popular in the 1970s as part of the original retro wave. Manufacturers discovered that they could make them affordably by wrapping material around a metal frame. Eventually, they became subsumed into the post-war modernist movement, becoming a critical feature of sophisticated interiors.
Now drum lampshades are the go-to fitting for anyone looking to create a neutral interior. Their simple, elegant, geometric design makes them suitable for contemporary homes.
Drum table lamp shades are also becoming increasingly popular. Usually, the shade has a smaller diameter to fit on the average desk, so it doesn’t take up precious laptop and stationery space.
Rectangle Lampshades
Rectangle lampshades are yet another child of the modernist movement and borrow heavily from artists like Wallace Stevens, Dorothy Richardson, and Ezra Proud. Most examples are similar in volume to drum lampshades but with an oblong shape instead.
The shade itself often looks gigantic compared to the lampstand, so careful selection is crucial. While rectangle lampshades can work with slim stands, they tend to pair better with broader bases.
The vibe of rectangular shades is different from drum shades. They’re intrinsically less retro and more modern. They work exceptionally well on lamps in contemporary-themed bedrooms, though you can also put them in the living room and hallway. Studies and libraries are also good locations.
Silk lampshades
Silk lampshades were among the first fabric-based shades to hit the market. They were popular from the outset for being hard-wearing, luxurious, fashionable, and, surprisingly, easy to clean.
While silk is similar to regular fabric shades, the nature of the material allows vendors to create more intricate and detailed pleating and patterning. Flat silk shades have an almost regal look about them, while patterned versions are more homely and low-key.
Victorian Lampshades
The Victorian era was perhaps the most interesting in lampshade history. Between 1880 and 1900, shades shifted from being coverings for oil lamps to accouterments for the new electricity-powered bulbs developed by Edison and his researchers at Menlo Park.
We have many examples of products that reflect the style of the era. The Victorians made most of their lampshades by stretching fabric over a wireframe to act as a diffuser. Later, they added beads and buttons that dangled down, making the shade look more intricate. Unlike oil lampshades, these new ones for electric bulbs didn’t need to accommodate a wick and oil receptacle, allowing designers more freedom.
Oval Lampshades
Oval lampshades are similar to drum lampshades. The difference is that the shade’s width is less than the depth – a feature that offers all sorts of benefits. For instance, it isn’t always easy to find space on a regular desk for a round shade. They tend to stick out a lot.
Oval shades, however, offer slimline orientation, allowing you to push them up against the wall and still have plenty of space to do work. Their flat back means that they protrude less – ideal for anyone with limited space.
Many Victorian shades followed the oval design, but vendors also carried it forward into the modern era. Now you can find many examples of modern variants that look great in contemporary interiors.
Square Lampshades
We also sell square lampshades. These work in the same way as their rectangular cousins except that the sides are all equal length. Manufacturers typically start with a metal wireframe and then cover it with a material, like silk or cotton. The result is a distinctly modernist shade that works well freestanding or on a tabletop.
Cylinder lampshades
Cylinder shades are a close relative of drum lampshades, except much longer. To qualify, the cylinder shade’s length should be greater than its diameter.
You typically see cylinder shades paired with Stiffel brass and retro stands. The base is often broad to create symmetry with the cone-like shade on the top, though it doesn’t have to be. Some slimline designs look elegant paired with cylinder lampshades.
Mid-Century Lampshades
Cook’s also offers a range of mid-century lampshades. These pick up on the stylistic and cultural movements that dominated the 1950s and 1960s. Most mid-century lamps attempted to combine aesthetics and function into a compelling package. Expect to see bright patterns, bold colors, and space-age materials.
Fancy Lampshades
The definition of fancy shades is somewhat loose. You can trace the roots of the concept back to the Victorian era when designers such as Tiffany turned humble table lamp lampshades into something colorful, vibrant, and exciting.
Over the following years, fancy shades came to mean anything offering frilly extravagances and embellishments. It could refer to detailed artwork stitched into the material or luxurious adornments, like tassels on the lower extremities or finial. It could even refer to the choice of material.
The fancy lampshades we sell reflect the many ways designers have experimented with styles over the years. Many of their concepts are ground-breaking, making this one of the most exciting categories of shade around.
Scalloped Shades
A scalloped lampshade developed as a playful alternative to the straight edges of traditional shades. Most scalloped shades feature a wavy lower edge, generating a less imposing, more welcoming look.
Scalloped shades work in various settings, but they’re at their best when you want to create a relaxed space — think kids’ playrooms, bedrooms, and basements.
Scalloped shades have been with us throughout history. In the early days, manufacturers would create frames that created a wavy pattern both at the top and bottom of the shade, producing the classical aesthetic. Over time, some experimented by keeping the top straight and making the bottom wavy, and vice versa.
Chimney Lampshades
We also sell a range of exciting chimney lampshades, designed to fit over your glass chimney or hurricane lamps. These shades come in a full range of styles and fit over differently sized lamps.
You can often recognize chimney lampshades by their frame. Most have a large round collar through which you pass the glass oil lamp tube. The frame slots over the tube and then slides down until the glass widens sufficiently to hold it in place. The fabric sits some distance from the frame and glass tube, rendering it fire-safe.
If you’re interested in adding a chimney lampshade to your oil lamp, come and visit our shop. We will be happy to help you find the perfect match and fit it for you in-house.
Retro Lampshades
The term “retro” is short-hand for retrospective, meaning “to look back.” Thus, these shades pick up on past eras’ interior design styles, making heavy use of browns, geometric patterns, and curvy, organic lines.
Retro lampshades get their inspiration from several art movements. Many draw their inspiration from art nouveau, an art style that dominated between 1890 and 1910, which featured lots of asymmetrical lines in the form of vines, flowers, and plants stalks. Other motifs included things like insect wings and delicate objects from the natural world.
Dada is another movement that you often find embodied by these shades, popular after WWI. You can recognize it instantly for its collage-style, which pieced together random images on a plain background.
Bauhaus also plays a role in retro lampshades, particularly the use of block primary colors, bold, thick lines, and geometric shapes. The movement’s purpose was to make art more functional and rational, something that carried over into some examples of retro shades.
Finally, art deco – a French movement that came to the fore after WWI – also features prominently in retros shades. You’ll often see designs with symmetrical patterns and high-contrast colors that combine machine-age motifs with luxurious materials.
New Shades
Finally, Cook’s offers a range of new shades – contemporary designs for modern homes. The defining feature of new shades is their variety. You can find hanging lampshades for living rooms, desk lamp shades for studies and bedrooms, and floor lamp lampshades.
New shades are attractive because styles change all the time. Artists are continually looking for new designs to thrill both homeowners and interior designers. Most new art movements eventually find their expression in the materials, styles, shapes, and fabrics these shades use.
Find Beautiful Lamp Shades At Cook’s – The Lamp Shader’s Company
Whether you’re looking for contemporary lampshades or historical versions, Cook’s Lamp Shader’s Co. is here to help. We began our journey back in 1954 and are now in our third generation. We’ve been serving the local community for decades, and in 2003 and 2004 were named the best lampshade store in Metro Detroit – the only two years Detroit News had the category.
Our store offers more than 6,000 square feet dedicated to providing an unrivaled selection of lampshades for your perusal. We offer oval shades, rectangle shades, old shades, new shades, and hanging shades of practically every variety you can imagine.
Our collection also spans hundreds of different kinds of table lamp shades, shades for floor lamps, and other settings.
At Cook’s Lamp Shader’s Co., we believe in offering choice. We stock shades going back to the Victoria era – the first time people used lamp shades to diffuse light from electric bulbs. Our range covers practically every significant art movement between now and then, allowing you to find a design that perfectly complements your interiors, from chic to classic, art deco to zen.
With so many inferior products on the market, beautiful lampshades from reputable vendors can be challenging to find. But Cook’s Lamp Shader’s Co. is here to help. Thanks to our relationships with artisans, we only source quality-verified products you’ll love, letting you find the perfect shades for your home, no matter what you’re after.
If you want to learn more, come down to our showroom and see our shades for yourself! Get inspiration from the thousands of products we have on display!