“Patterned lampshades are suddenly looking good again. Have you noticed?” Julie said this to me months ago, and though I couldn’t say I had, since then the two of us have been constantly trading finds: lamps crowned with shades painted Bloomsbury style or made of cheery printed papers or geometric fabrics Sonia Delaunay would approve of. Some are more flamboyant than others, and many are admittedly too preppy for our eyes. But our favorites, most of which come from the UK and Sweden, have an old-world style that has mysteriously morphed of late: from grandmotherly to rakishly charming. Here are 11 standouts.
Above: From Colonel in Paris, the Magic Lamp 1, €195, pairs a graphic cotton shade with a lacquered metal light available in several colors. For more of our Colonel favorites, see Chic Rattan Lighting. Above: Artist Wayne Pate makes paintings, wallpaper, and, on occasion, one-of-a-kind lampshades. Go to Bloomsbury in Brooklyn for a sampling of his work, and watch his Instagram feed, @waynepate, for shades. Above: Svensk Tenn in Stockholm offers cotton lampshades in a dozen Josef Frank fabrics, including Manhattan, shown here, for $150. The Josef Frank bubbled glass Table Lamp 1819 is $620. Above: One of the many inspired vintage lighting combos on offer at The Apartment DK in Copenhagen: a 1930s French Ceramic Table Lamp and patterned shade, €540. Above: The printed paper Twist Lampshade is £55 from London lampshade maker Rosi de Ruig. Above: The Biscuit Lamp, ¥48,000, is part of a collection of designs from Flame of Japan’s collaboration with fashion line Minä Perhonen; see more at A Japanese Lighting Company Embraces the Dark Side. Above: Copenhagen antiques dealer Helle Thygesen got her start working at the Apartment DK (see above), and she, too, offers an array of sculptural vintage lamps paired with patterned shades. This Dutch wood Modernist Table Lamp comes with a shade made of vintage Liberty fabric; $504.04. Customized Lamp Shades are also available à la carte. Above: The glass-and-nickel Wisteria Table Lamp from UK lighting company Pooky, £165, comes with dozens of shade options in a range of sizes; this block-printed-cotton Empire Gathered Lampshade starts at £30. Above: Keeper of the flame: London designer-illustrator Cressida Bell, granddaughter of the Bloomsbury group’s Vanessa and Clive Bell, carries on the family tradition. Her hand-painted Paisley Leaf Lampshade is £52.50. She sells painted table lamps, too; go to Cressida Bell to see her line. Above: Clive Bell’s bedroom at Charleston, the Bloomsbury Group’s country home in Sussex, now a museum. Above: Discovered via The Socialite Family, Paris illustrator Marin Montagut has an online boutique devoted to his painted designs; Abat-Days Lampshades are €160 for a set of four.
Inspired to make your own patterned lampshade? The Lamp Shop is a good resource for parts and instructions.
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