No two lamps are alike and the same can be said for lamp shades.
Generally, the shape of the lamp will dictate the ideal shape of the shade.
Round lamps often look best with round shades, such as oval, bell, and drum.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
Lamps with harder lines and angles benefit from squarer shades, such as square and rectangular.
For more ornate lamps, a simple lamp shade is all it takes to create something stunning.
If the lamp shade is round or square, it may be that every side is the same length.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
However, the lone dimension could also refer to the width of the base.
If the lamp shade is rectangular, record the longest of the two lengths.
Measure the Bottom Width
Measureand record the distance from one bottom side to the opposite bottom side.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
If the lamp shade is rectangular, record the longest of the two lengths.
Measure the Height
Measure and record the distance from the top of the shade to the bottom.
For floor lamps, decrease the lamp shade height to around 1/3 the height of the lamp base.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
A lamp shade can be too big for a lamp, causing a top-heavy look.
However, an undersized lamp shade will almost always look worse than an oversized lamp shade.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
