Nov 07, 2019

How to Customize a Lampshade Using Trim

One can find great joy and delight in the unexpected, like the discovery of small-scale detail on a bespoke shade. Beyond soft furnishings and upholstery, lampshades offer a distinctive creative challenge—a smaller canvas—yet with great potential to impart color, pattern and texture in your design. We’ve tapped a trimming expert from our NYC showroom for helpful shade suggestions on how to customize a lampshade using trim. A member of the Samuel & Sons family for nearly 30 years, Janice Alguram is adept at recognizing trimmings for any application and happily shared a handful of recommendations that are certain to inspire your one-of-a-kind designs. Samuel and Sons New York

Custom Combinations for Bespoke Shades

Janice offered several unique combinations, some delicate, others bold, pairing complementary trimmings on top and bottom or together for a layered look.

Pairings for a subtle, sophisticated metallic shade include a favorite--the new Cabaret Pleated Metallic Gimp from Lori Weitzner's new Encore collection. Her suggestion for each of the pairings below is to use Cabaret along the bottom edge of a shade and the gimp or braids along the top edge.

 Délicat Silk Gimp + Cabaret Pleated Metallic Gimp

Cambridge Metallic Braid + Cabaret Pleated Metallic Gimp

Cambridge Metallic Braid + Cabaret Pleated Metallic Gimp

For designs comprised of natural fibers and a drier hand, Janice achieves casual elegance in combinations of linen, cotton and jute.

An illustration of gimps layered on top of each other.

 Garland Linen Gimp atop two rows side-by-side of La Terre Macrame Gimp

A crete border on top of a solid linen tape.

Veranda Linen Crete and Flanders Border

A solid tape can be seen between the open weave of a macrame border on top.

Savannah Jute Openweave Braid by Lori Weitzner and Positano Linen Tape

Designers & Makers Show How to Customize a Lampshade with Trim

Every shade presents an opportunity for trim, be it a border, gimp, cord, even a delicate tassel fringe. Let these designers and makers inspire as you consider bespoke shades in your next design. A stack of colorful mini lampshades

Céline Ombré Borders in Poppy, Dahlia, and Ink accent shades by Bay Design in Cornwall, England.

String lampshades with gimp interwoven.

1/2" (12mm) Délicat Silk Gimp in Ice Blue weaves in and out of string lampshades designed by Betsy Berner Interiors.

Tassels and Fringe

Pink tassel fringe around a printed lampshade.

A silk shade made by Perrotine, design by Barrie Benson featuring Carolina Ombré Tassel Fringe in Rosewater from Lori Weitzner's Couture collection.

A playful, fringe wrapped lamp with gold duck feet.

This whimsical lamp was created for Samuel & Sons 2019 display at Decorex in London. A shade wrapped in Aria Silk Brush Fringe and Chevallerie Brush Fringe by Timothy Corrigan sits atop a base by Porta Romana.

Long chainette fringe surrounds a silk lampshade.

10" (25cm) Barcelona Ombre Brush Fringe surrounds a silk shade made by BeauVamp.

A bedside detail from a Miles Redd project, with a dark blue beaded fringe lampshade.

Design by Miles Redd, accented with Torero Beaded Fringe in Cenote from Laura Kirar's Artesania X collection.

A fabric shade accented in gimp and beaded fringe.

Lumiere Glass Beaded Fringe in Rose Gold lines a lamp designed by Tonini Interiors.

An entryway featuring two table lamps with beaded fringe.

Two Baobab lamps by Porta Romana are edged in Aurelia Beaded Fringe in Chocolate.

Overhead Statements

A whimsical chandelier with miniature printed shades.

A cheerful chandelier designed by Keeler & Co. Design features shades edged in 5/8" (15mm) French Grosgrain in Sunflower.

A modern chandelier with miniature printed lampshades.

A modern chandelier with shades accented in 5/8" (15mm) French Grosgrain Ribbon, in a room designed by Mallory Mathison, Inc.

A kitchen with a drum pendant.

A kitchen designed by Digs Design Company, with a drum shade pendant lined with 1.5" (28mm) Cabana Ring Border. Photo by Greg Premru.

A large drum pendant with a dark blue border.

2" (50mm) French Grosgrain Ribbon in Cobalt borders a drum pendant designed by Parker Jones Interiors, LLC.

Bedside Details

Delicate wood bead fringe finishes a custom lampshade and canopy in a bedroom designed by Cece Barfield.

From Cece Barfield Thompson, delicate details grace this bedroom's custom canopy and shade: Seychelles Wood Bead Fringe beneath French Grosgrain. Photo by Lesley Unruh.

A pleated fabric lampshade on a bedside lamp.

Flanders Gimp surrounds a pleated lampshade in a bedroom designed by Shelby Ames Interiors, LLC.

A blue and white bedroom scheme complete with custom lampshade and tableskirt trimmed with Samuel & Sons passementerie.

Délicat Silk Gimp complements a classic blue and white bedroom scheme by Mallory Mathison, Inc. Our Harbour Crown Knot Frog provides a cheery contrast to a bedside skirt and a functional one at that. Photo by Jeff Herr Photography.

Find more custom lampshade inspiration on Pinterest!

And as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram, share and tag your designs: #samuelandsons


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