Slag Glass Lamp Shade

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 09/04/2021

While they might seem somewhat heavy, glass lampshades are growing in popularity for good reason. Since the Tiffany company started putting stained glass lampshades on their lamps, bases have gotten sturdier, and the overall aesthetic of lamps in general have shifted deeper into the niches of decorative style. In that respect, we offer this collection of slag glass lamp shades that will enhance your décor.

Buying Guide

A slag glass lamp shade is a unique piece of decor mainly because of the rich history that is attached to it. Of course, it's still a lamp that provides a vital purpose of providing you or the room some lighting. The said lamp comes with a bit of enigma because of its primary material, which is the glass slag. As a means of clearing a bit of the confusion, this article is going to be a buyer's guide for slag glass lamp shades.

What is Glass Slag?

The term "glass slag" denotes a special kind of glass. It's a type of glass that was very popular during the 1890's. At the time, blacksmiths knew about this glass-like byproduct when processing iron ore. This glass-like product was known as slag. Hence, the name glass slag, which also goes by other names such as malachite glass and marble glass.

The easy way of identifying slag glass is by recognizing the colors. It usually comes with creamy or white color with a swirling of a different color.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the more white or cream color it has, the more it will seem older. Also, the swirl colors will indicate different eras. For example, dark brown, green, blue and purple are the earliest, while orange and red are more recent. It's a thing to remember if you want to pick a slag glass lamp with the goal of portraying a certain era.

What types of lighting are there to choose from?

There are two major categories of lighting design. First is the ambient lighting, and the second is the task lighting.

Ambient lighting is for general illumination, while task lighting is for additional lighting to help with writing, reading or other tasks.

Here's an important thing you need to know about a slag glass lamp shade: because of the opaqueness of a slag lamp, it limits the light from going out the sides. Hence, it's a lamp that is better suited for task lighting.

If the purpose of the lamp is for ambient lighting, it's a bit difficult to find the slag glass lamp shade (but not impossible) that will work for your needs.

How to style with a slag glass lamp shade?

The slag glass is a product that is popular in the old world. Hence, a slag glass lamp is a room decor that is often used in traditional settings like European or Victorian styles.

This also means that if the room has a modern, minimalist or another newer form of interior design, you'll be hard pressed to find a slag glass lamp that will fit into the picture.

A slag glass lamp comes with a unique look, and that also means that it has a style niche. Knowing when and how to use it is the first step to making a smart purchasing decision. Hopefully, this article has helped in such area.

For most shoppers, buying a lamp will also mean a getting a certain type of decor that can enhance the aesthetic appeal of the room further. Hence, knowing a bit more about the style of the slag glass lamp is essential.