choosing a large lampshade

Large lampshades look most at home atop a large floor lamp but there's nothing stopping you from getting creative. With so many delightful patterns and styles available, you can make a large lampshade frame your space beautifully with any type of lamp.

You can choose between large lampshades in classic shapes like drum, straight empire and fluted fancy – but you'll find curious shapes like bell and cone shades, too.

Whether you're finding the perfect match for a tall and thin lamp or something a little bit broader, finding the right shade is an art.

monochrome interiors

Large black lampshades make a sleek and sophisticated addition to trendy homes. For a solid block of colour, our rather regal 45cm silk shade in raven could become the defining piece in your interior. This black shade will cast light up and down, adding a little bit of drama.

But there's also the charming large black and white lampshades: from contemporary stripes on hand-painted card to black and white printed linen ikat shades, it's easy to make a statement in monochrome.

large lampshades for floor lamps

A tall floor lamp always suits a large lampshade. Finding the right shade, though, is quite like choosing a new hat: if it's the wrong size, it might look out of place – not to mention a little bit wonky.

To complement our floor lamps, we'd recommend choosing a lampshade with a base diameter of at least 45cm. Luckily, the large lampshades in our collection are available in sizes ranging from 45cm to 50cm and even 55cm.

material matters

Depending on their material, all lamp shades fall somewhere on a scale from opaque to transparent. The amount of light that they let through – also known as luminance – is an important factor to consider in the process of choosing a large lamp shade.

Translucent lampshades diffuse more light around the room. Our silk lampshades make a lovely example and a large white lampshade in silk will be almost transparent. Lighter linen lampshades should spread light just as evenly as our large lampshades in silk.

Opaque fabrics like velvet send beams of light from the top and bottom of the shade. This gives a slightly darker, dramatic effect that works beautifully in snugs, studies and games rooms.

larger than life

Matching shade size with your room is equally important. A large, airy room naturally invites a large lampshade rather than a smaller one, which could end up looking a little bit lonely.

A large lampshade casts wider beams of light, helping you to fill the room with gorgeous, evenly distributed light. We've written a useful lampshade buying guide to help you to find just the right shade for your décor.

Head over to the Pooky Instagram for the brightest lighting ideas from our clients and top interior designers too.