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.

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.

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

Veranda Linen Crete and Flanders Border

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.

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

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

Tassels and Fringe

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Overhead Statements

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

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

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

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

Bedside Details

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.

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

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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