| Saving our lighting heritage one shade at a time | Friday, 20 September 2024 - 5:45 |
This elegant brocade lampshade had a deteriorating liner.
Liners deteriorate and shred but the liners can be replaced and original trim re-applied.
Brocade Lampshade with Silk Liner Repair
The new liner in this lampshade was replaced with silk.
Silk is a long term fix and is as pretty as the cover itself.
Brocade Lampshade Liner Restored
Two very large (4″ x 25″ x 14 5/8″) contemporary lampshades restored. The original lampshade had a standard linen fabric laminated styrene shade.
After 20 years, the lampshades discolored but their lamp bases are a beautiful accent to their room. They could not find new lampshades to fit and could not find new lamps they liked or complimented the rooms color scheme like the current lamp bases they already had.
Contemporary Painted “Black Out” Lampshade
My customer painted the shade to be able to continue to use their contemporary lamp bases. I see quite a few of these. Paint works very well on these hard shades but it also turns it into a “black out” shade. The light only comes out of the top and bottom of the shade, but will not show through the actual shade, limiting the lighting.
Restored Contemporary Designer Ivory Linen Lampshade
We restored the original contemporary shades with “Designer Ivory Linen.”
The new shades light the whole room and accent the rooms decor.
Restored Contemporary Linen Lampshade
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“Saving Our Lighting Heritage”
This pleated lampshade has been repaired using charmeuse silk for the liner. The silk cover was in excellent condition, but the liner was shredding.
Pleated Silk Lampshade
Many people think their silk lampshade has a silk liner. The shade has a beautiful silk cover, but the liners seem to be acetone or a manufactured fabric. Acetone fabric is soft and looks like silk but does not have the durability of actual silk fabric. I believe quality silk fabric will stand the test of time.
Pleated Silk Lampshade with Silk Liner
I was researching acetone fabric and it says that nail polish will melt acetone fabric. The next shade liner I replace, I will do the nail polish test.
I restored a vintage shade that the cover fell apart but the silk liner was in mint condition.
Large drum lampshade liner repair.
This shade sits on a lamp with a glass globe.
Lamp with Glass Globe
I relined the shade with tricot fabric. It is a a sheer fabric and works well on a lamp that has a globe holding the shade. The globe filters the light, so the sheer liner allows maximum light through the shade.
Drum Lampshade Liner Repair
This liner would not work well on shades that sit on a harp. The sheer liner would be so thin, you would be able to see the light bulb when the light is on.
I was able to replace the original matching trim on the top and bottom of the shade, but had to use new soutache accent trim.
Lampshade Recessed Spider Wire Repair:
Contemporary Shade with deep recessed spider wire
The deep recessed lampshade spider wire on this brown cone shade came unglued. I reattached the spider wire to the original hard shelled paper (styrene) lampshade.
I used black grosgrain to secure the loose wire. Originally, black bias tape was used to glue the wire to the shade.
If any trim has high polyester content, the trim will not adhere easily with glue and will let loose. High cotton content is much more user friendly.
Contemporary Cone Hard Paper Lampshade
I did not get to see the original base that went with this dark brown shade, but when the lampshade is lit, it was such a warm light. A very nice decorative accent lampshade.
Accordion lampshades are a stiff pleated material. The pleated lampshade cover is on a plastic liner. Most often the spider wire (top wire) and bottom ring are attached to a plastic liner with paper tape or grosgrain.
Pleated Accordion Lampshade
Over time, the paper tape or grosgrain deteriorates and the wire lets loose off the shade. This particular old shade was one of a set of lamps and the top paper tape gave loose from this lampshade.
I cleaned and waxed the spider wire before attaching it back to the shade with grosgrain. The liner of the shade was old and brittle, so patience was a major factor in reapplying the wire to the original plastic shade liner.
Pleated Accordion Lampshade Wire Repair
Pleated Accordion Lampshade
This old shade cover has a wood grain fleck in the pleated material. A very pretty warm light
Just to make it clear, DO NOT SCOTCH GUARD A COMPLETED LAMPSHADE. I was restoring the entire cover and liner for this lampshade. When restoring an entire sewn shade, the cover is the first application and there is no other fabric on the frame of the shade.
The decor of this home is transitioning from a formal to a contemporary look, Originally this brass hanging light had a silk shade and owned by a very fine lady. The home changed hands and is now occupied by bachelors.
Silk Lampshade Cleaned with a Lint Roller
For a more masculine look, I used an ivory linen fabric for the new cover and trimmed the shade with black soutache trim. The restored shade looks nice on the brass hanging lamp and is not so formal.
Lampshade Restored with Linen
In an attempt to make the new linen cover more resilient to absorbing dust and easy to keep clean, I treated the linen cover with scotch guard. This is the first time I have tried treating a lampshade cover. It worked very well.
I would not treat a manufactured shade. You just cannot be sure of the fabric content or process used for making the shade.
Pleated Lampshade liner repair
Old pleated lampshade cover in great condition, but the liner needed replaced. I replace lampshade liners regularly. It is nice because there is typically no visible difference to the shade, except when the trim is replaced. Over time, the trim, being on the very top of the shade, collects dust and discolors. Sometimes replacing the trim is difficult or not the best idea due to the fact that the shade trim and cover are difficult to match.
Original Pleated Lampshade needing Liner Repair
The original trim on this pleated shade showed signs of age, and was not a hard fabric to match. I used a new shantung shade trim and outlined it with metallic gold soutache.
My customer was kind enough to send me a picture of the restored shade on the original lamp. It is a very pretty lamp and the metallic gold accented the lamp base.
Lamp with newly restored pleated shade liner.
Many of my projects are liner only repairs and I always clean the shades with a lint roller. I never use a liquid cleaner as I cannot repair liquid damaged fabric.
Dusty Old Lampshade
I am restoring the cover and liner on this 23 year old silk lampshade and I wanted to show you the amazing job of a lint roller. I had already removed the cover before I took the picture, so I secured the cover back in place so you could see the difference.
Lampshade Cleaned with Lint Roller
When using a lint roller on an old fabric shade, be gentle. The lint roller will pull the outer layer fibers of an old brittle fabric shade.
The shade had been in a smoke environment and nothing, that I know of, can be done about the yellowing.
Square bell lampshade liner repair.
lampshade, liner, repair
This lampshade is the original shade with a new liner.
The light is a little brighter with the new liner.
Square Bell Lampshade