When it comes to interior design, nothing reinvigorates a room like a beautiful lamp. When thoughtfully positioned and topped with a custom lampshade, you can breathe life into your living space with the flick of a switch. Palette Studios of Cincinnati, OH, has been brightening area homes for around a century, and they’re proud to bring their business into the modern age with personalized design services. Here, they offer five tips for customers who want to invest in custom lampshades.

How to Use Custom Lampshades to Your Advantage

1. Supply Your Own Material

Unlike big-box stores that only sell mass-produced models, Palette Studios breaks the mold with their COM (customer’s own material) lampshades. Simply take a piece of upholstery that matches your current furniture—or repurpose a piece that’s already in your house—and bring it to their design experts. From this, they will create a lampshade for your living space that’s truly one-of-a-kind.

2. Design Accent Pieces

Think of your design as a vibrant accent piece. Instead of acting as the main source of illumination, it will provide a warm, soothing glow—perfect for creating a welcoming mood or enjoying conversations under. When you take this approach, it will be easier to prioritize form over function, so you can get creative and embrace a fabric that immediately catches the eye.

3. Consider Light Level

When choosing the fabric for your new lampshade, it’s important to consider where you will be using the lamp in your house. If the shade is for a pendant lamp that will hang over your kitchen table, it should be light enough for the illumination to spread around the entire room. If you’re designing a shade for a bedside lamp, a darker or more patterned fabric will suffice.

Avoid shopping in big box stores that sell hundreds of people the same lampshade—instead, design a custom look with a fabric that complements the rest of your home’s interior. Palette Studios will gladly lend their expertise to your vision and make valuable suggestions of their own. Contact this upscale lighting designer at (513) 961-1316 to start discussing ideas or visit the website to browse their work for inspiration.