Functional lampshades can be intricate, beautiful and different. Each lampshade is lovingly crafted either working from personal ideas or from a client’s brief, lifestyle and the interior it is designed for. This will inform the colours, textures and techniques I will use. Whether the lampshade is the final touch to a room, a statement piece or a gift, it will be a far cry from what is out there.
I usually work with soft and muted colours inspired by coastal living and natural materials.
Here is a gallery to inspire you.
Deep blue sea
Living so close to the sea does something to you, whether you come on holiday or make it your home. For me, the ever changing colours have created a muted palette of blues and turquoise which I love. So it was only a matter of time before I created a design letting the beauty of the ocean shine through.
The first big change was to include a champagne backing, a nicely shimmering effect playing on reflection of the light and much less of the transparency of the shade.
Working from a watery background including folds in the paper to add dimension and flow of the sea, I also used techniques like painting and sponging.
Hand cut fish have been placed one by one, some with shimmering hues on them. Created as a pendant design, this design has been made to also work on a floor lamp without any change in the design. The finishing touch comes in the form of flowing free motion embroidery.
Dimensions: 45cm diameter, 25cm high
Recycled paper, acrylics and thread
Works both as a pendant or a floor lamp
Zen
Walking on the beach… ah sunny day, collecting little treasures hiding within the sand..
These treasures are sometimes very small from miniature pebbles to shells and broken fragments from the sea.
So this design is a cream neutral background with free machine embroidery tone on tone suggesting the fluidity of the waves. Tiny pebbles and shell fragments were added to recreate a peaceful beach. Even though it has been created with a nautical theme in mind, it is simple and restful and will fit contemporary interiors.
Dimensions: 30cm diameter, 21cm high
Recycled paper, beach finds
Lampshade displayed here is on a wooden table lamp base. Would equally work well with a glass or metal base design.
Natural grasses
Inspiration cane come from anywhere. In this case from flowers my husband bought me with ornamental grasses within.
I was fascinated by the wispiness of the grasses, so light and fine, very detailed and yet fragile.
So this lampshade was designed around keeping that fragile and elegant structure whilst being playful.
When lit, you can appreciate the full dimension of the plant’s beauty placed behind the paper layer. But even without light, the design is playful with a partial delicate pencil drawing on the surface.
The base was a repurposed vase from Habitat with a greyish blue organic glass shape.
Dimensions: 40cm diameter, 25cm high
Recycled paper and natural plant (frosted explosion)
Floor lamp design but available as a pendant on request
Butterfly dream
Initially inspired by a back lit frame I did with die-cut paper butterflies, the light playing with the layers was to good to ignore so this lampshade was born and this is where it all started.
Large lampshade 45 cm diameter drum, 25 cm high, recycled paper
Shallow pond
The first time I saw Siamese fighting fish (unfortunate name), I was transfixed. They looked like dancers, so light and elegant. So I carved some lino stamps. Then I created a light acrylic wash and a few details with a fine brush. I think though the magic of the one is the rocks I made from Tyvek which I hand painted together with real sand in between.
Medium lampshade 30 cm diameter drum, 21 cm high, recycled paper
Flower meadow
There is something wonderful about walking with bare feet in the grass on a summer day. Oh and the beauty of a meadow! So When I started thinking about a lamp for a little girl’s bedroom I thought about this and started playing with watercolours. All bursts of color, spreading through the fibers of the paper, once I started, I could not stop. A few added stamped butterflies and dragonflies finished off this summer day flower meadow.
Medium lampshade 30 cm diameter drum, 21 cm high, recycled paper
Seascape
I consider myself lucky to live by the sea. Cornwall is awash with rugged cliffs and beaches, wild flowers and beautiful colour palettes born from the sea. So I thought about movement, colour and the splashes of foam that make the sea so mysterious and yet so attractive especially on a stormy day. I used inks and splashes of acrylic. This lampshade is very tactile as the waves were also built to reflect a 3D movement. The sea has never been so magical!
Medium lampshade 30 cm diameter drum, 21 cm high, recycled paper
Orchids passion
When someone is passionate about something, this becomes an ideal starting point for a present.
Orchids are beautiful. They may not be my favourite but I enjoy discovering their make up. I worked on two techniques on this design. The first one was an set of intricate lino stamps, the second working from artificial flowers. Xmas was approaching and this was time sensitive so it could be opened on Xmas day. So as it happens with some commissions, I made a choice of the technique to use and the reaction when Claudine opened the large present was a picture. I made the right call and this is now taking place of pride in her lounge where a bare bulb was very lonely indeed before. She is now loving to tell her friend and family she has something unique that no one else has.
This one was made with white cotton fabric and some free flow wavy lines on the background in free motion embroidery before applying the flowers.
Large lampshade 45 cm diameter drum, 25 cm high, white cotton and artificial flowers
Lotus seed pods
For the lotus seed pods, I looked online for dried pods. The box I received had about 30 of them in and the textures and shapes were amazing. Soft, round and gentle. I took photographs. I drew. I carved lino stamps. It grew organically from playing with positive and negative space and adding seeds with different colour threads in free motion embroidery. This lampshade had a playful element to it. I started whilst not sure of the end result but keeping the hues of colours to a dark blue, a plum and a jade green simply fell into place. The drum shape inspired the contemporary layout. It is fresh and easy on the eye and will work in contemporary interiors.
Medium lampshade 30 cm diameter drum, 21 cm high, cream natural calico cotton
Poppy field
Bringing nature in your home in sometimes more about a feeling, the memory of warm days and the laughter that goes with it. Last year we went to Crantock Bay and we just missed the wonderful display of a meadow overlooking the sea. So this year it will be in my diary in plenty of time to spare. In the meantime though, I enjoyed so much making the flower meadow lampshade that I was only a step away to change the colours for a cliff covered in bright poppies. You will have noticed by now that my style is subtle and quite gentle so the flowers are abstract with the stems taking center stage and making the design stand out.
Large lampshade 45 cm diameter drum, 25 cm high, watercolour and free motion embroidery on recycled paper.