The Stan Hywet Project! The following is the fabric information for the sconce / candlelight lampshades being restored for the Music Room.
The fabric and color has been decided upon with help from a team of professionals in the industry. It is impossible to get an exact match to historic fabric, color and pleat but we have duplicated as close as humanly possible! The original cover color was an old gold, believe it or not! The only way we could tell the actual color was the fabric under the trim where the fabric was not exposed to light or heat. I gently washed multiple shade covers to get the best possible original color.
The cover fabric is silk broadcloth. The silk broadcloth has the grain identical to the original fabric. The silk broadcloth was also the correct weight and texture for pleating. However, the fabric only came in white or ivory.
Ivory Silk Broadcloth
The many yards of fabric, along with samples of the original covers, was sent to be dyed. The old gold color is a perfect match! The gold fabric will be warm soft lighting.
Silk Broadcloth Dyed Old Gold to Match Original Historic Shades
Now that the silk broadcloth was the correct color, the fabric needed to be pleated. The pleating company miraculously matched the pleating of the original historic covers. Not an easy task as the pleats needed to be very small and a little inconsistent. Keep in mind these tiny shades, at the tallest point on the sconces, is 5 inches.
Pleated Silk Broadcloth
The ivory silk broadcloth is also being used for the liner.
Cameras and computers have their own color image!
Thank you for your interest!