small lampshades, big styles

We have small lampshades for table lamps and wall lights in a charming array of styles and shapes. Whether you're new to designer lighting or you'd like to try something different, a few of our favourites include:

Drum and short drum – a contemporary classic

Empire – a dainty shape suited to cosy bedsides

Scalloped empire – frilly on the edges

Tall tapered – elegant, best for narrow spaces

Wizard hat – for those quirky desk setups

Of course, there's much more to choosing a lampshade than just its shape. You can find a few ideas for styling your small new lampshade below.

lighting with colour

Colourful lampshades add personality to a space – and we think that they can really enhance your interior. When they're chosen with your existing design scheme in mind, small lampshades can become a striking design feature themselves.

For neutral colour schemes, a small cream, grey or white lampshade could offer ambient lighting without stealing the show. If you'd like to add a playful pop of colour, though, a small pink or green lampshade could strike a beautiful contrast.

small lampshade fabrics

Finding the right material is important, too. It determines how much light will diffuse into your space – and does a good job of shaping the overall look of your lighting, too.

Going for lighter shades in silk or cotton offers the most translucency. These lightshades will cast a gentle, balanced diffusion into the room, serving as ambient rather than task lighting.

Slightly more opaque materials like velvet or coarse linen, for example, will change the effect. Rather than casting light outwards, many of these shades project beams out from the bottom and top. If you'd like dramatic mood lighting, a dark and opaque mini lampshade is an ideal choice.

finding the perfect pair

Small table lampshades make a lovely companion for designer table lamps. In fact, you can create almost any effect imaginable when you pair the right lamp base with your small new lampshade.

Just make sure that you're not planning to use a small lampshade on a tall floor lamp. Much like a tiny top hat, this might look out of proportion and a little bit silly. Mini shades work beautifully with bedside lamps – they're not usually meant to take centre stage but cast a soft, gentle diffusion instead.

And you'll want your lamp to look just as lovely when it's turned off, too. That's where choosing the right style, material and pattern makes all the difference. You can learn more about the process in our comprehensive guide to choosing a lampshade.

caring for small lamp shades

Thanks to their size, you won't need to spend a lot of time maintaining your small lampshades. As with all of our designer lighting products, though, a little bit of regular TLC will help to keep them in tip-top shape.

The specific care requirements for your new mini lampshades will depend on the materials from which they're made. Generally, we'd recommend a light dusting around once every one to two weeks, just to keep the dust and dirt at bay.

Still looking for bright ideas? You can head over to the Pooky Instagram to find more inspiration from our clients and top interior designers.