Parchment Lamp Shades

Vanessa Weber Interior Design Expert

Vanessa is a New York-based designer specializing in architectural lighting. Whether you are planning an event, want to illuminate your backyard retreat or simply need advice on what lamp to purchase for your bedroom, Vanessa will be more than happy to share her knowledge and expertise.

Updated 22/04/2021

Are you on the hunt for the perfect lampshade? Have you ever considered parchment? Well, consider it now because we have an extensive collection of parchment lampshades that might be exactly what you're looking for. Take a trip to the past every time you turn on the light. Take a look at this collection for more details. We have the lampshade for you.

Buying Guide

Parchment lamp shades come with their own unique sets of advantages that are hardly duplicated with other types of lamp shades. For one, parchment is much more durable than plain paper. It may not be as tough to fabric, but it's a lot more economical. Replacing a damaged parchment lamp shade won't burn a hole in your pocket. Despite having plenty of advantages, it is still not smart to buy the first parchment lamp shade you see.

Everyone has a different situation, and you need a parchment lamp shade that is suitable for your circumstance. To help you avoid costly mistakes, this article is going to feature a buying guide for parchment lamp shades.

How to determine the right height for parchment lamp shades?

When it comes to finding the right height, it's best to follow the eye-level rule. The rule suggests that the most bottom part of the parchment lamp shade should not be higher when compared to your eye level. If you choose to ignore this advice, it's likely that the bulb will be visible as you sit on your couch. In such an instance, you'll experience great discomfort due to too much brightness and glare.

Before you take the measurements, make sure you are seated on a chair that is closest to where you want to place the parchment lamp shade. If you are buying a lampshade for a table lamp, then measure the distance from the eye level and the desk top. If it's a floor lamp, then measure the gap between the floor and your eye level.

What are the major types of lighting?

In lighting design, there are two major categories. There's the ambient lighting and the task lighting. Knowing the difference between the two can help you pick the better lampshade in relation to your wants and needs.

If you simply want to illuminate the room, then you need ambient lighting. If you want a light to help you with reading, writing or other tasks, then task lighting is what you need.

Because parchment paper does not do an excellent job of blocking and redirecting the light, parchment lamp shades are often used for ambient lighting. Having said that, you can still use one for task lighting if you do a bit of optimization on the shape of the parchment lamp shade.

What are the best parchment lamp shades for ambient lighting?

Since parchment lamp shades are already excellent for ambient lighting, you don't have to do a lot of optimization. Almost any kind of shape will do at least a decent job of providing ambient lighting. However, if you want to maximize, the drum shape lamp shape is your best bet.

What are the best parchment lamp shades for task lighting?

Task lighting lampshades tend to prevent light from going out the sides and redirect it to the bottom. Hence, a coolie, empire or bell lamp shade is your best option.