The Humble Beginnings of Decorative Lamp Shades

The integration of decorative lamp shades offers a great and simple way of sprucing up the interior design of your home. With the increasing demand for these stunning lamp covers, you'll likely find that they are widely available in an array of designs, styles, patterns, colors, and prints. But, how did they come about?

Decorative shades for lamps have been around for centuries. They made their first appearance in the streets of Paris in the late 1700s. During this time, lamps were generally used as public lanterns that lit the road at night. Not long after, the réverbères were introduced in 1763. These were the very first oil lamps used in Milan, which were financed by the revenues produced from a lottery. They feature an oil lamp with a number of wicks, as well as a semi–spherical reflector that rests above the lamp’s flame (used to project the light downwards), and a slightly concave reflector near the flame (which functioned to direct light latterly).

The early forms of lamp covers were mostly made out of paper. They were originally designed to diffuse the lamp’s light. However, after the gas lamps came into being, people began using them differently. By this time, they were no longer used to direct light but rather to dissipate it. Opal glass and light fabric shades were used to filter the light from gas lamps. When electric lamps emerged, shades were added to disguise the light.

Over the years, the style, design, and the way lamp covers were constructed have greatly evolved. The improvement in their appearance reflected different fashion trends. During the Victorian and Edwardian periods, romantic and decorative cloth shades were in vogue. In the succeeding years, Japanese, animal, beaded, floral, pleated, fringed, and lace styled shades started gracing many households. Homeowners became interested in purchasing lamp covers with ornate and opulent designs. By the 1920’s to the 1930’s, a new style trend hit the market. Art Nouveau and Deco styles ruled the spotlight. Tiffany and glass shades grew in popularity. From the 1940’s to the 1960’s, Aladdin, a highly acclaimed lamp company, began producing fancy shades that featured etched, pressed, and painted designs.

Time passed by and style trends continued to change. The use of elaborate and ostentatious lamp covers soon plunged out of style. While simple, cheaper plastic and paper shades entered the picture. Since then, manufacturers have been producing lamp covers from a wide variety of materials. The modern society is blessed to have easy access on a great number of resources that can be used as viable materials in producing distinct, durable, and fashionable shades.

These days, acquiring lamp covers are much more convenient since they are practically sold almost everywhere, whether online or offline. You may opt to buy a pre-manufactured shade or you can have it custom made or even make one yourself. Either way, it is vital that you take note of the size of the lamp that it will be covering to ascertain a perfect fit.

By integrating stylish and appealing lampshades, you can certainly add a touch of sophistication and elegance to your home while concurrently improving its form and function!