How to Select Proper Lampshade

QUESTION: How does one measure the base of a lamp in order to get the correct proportion and size for a lampshade? Is there a rule of thumb?

ANSWER: Generally speaking, a bulbous lamp base is, approximately, either slightly under or slightly above 50% of the largest flared edge of the lampshade. However, this can vary as to the effect the lighting designer is trying to accomplish. With a slender, straight base, it is probably a one-third, two-third ratio that is used.

Just try to remember that the light needs to “bathe” the outside edges of the base, so that the light is not only serviceable for the user, but enhances and features the base as well.

To make the light further serviceable, remember that the lower edge of the shade should be alongside the eye level of the reader. In the event a taller floor lamp is chosen, it should be placed at the back of either shoulder so that the glare will be avoided.

Taller floor lamps vary from 42 to 49 inches above the floor. Shade heights vary also, and most often are slightly taller than the base measures in height.

However, if the base is a candlestick design or another slender type where the designer wishes to feature the base, or its height, then a shade is usually chosen that flares out at the bottom and is about one third the height of the base.

BETTY D. HYDE, ASID

Laguna Niguel

Wants Antiques Added to Contemporary Style

Q: We have two quality black leather sofas, an Eames chair and a glass-top coffee table that are very contemporary, but we want to develop an eclectic style by adding a few antiques. We don’t know much about older furniture. What should we look for?

A: Let us first define eclectic style; it is the effect achieved by selecting and mixing forms and motifs from one or more schools of furniture design or period styles.

The added design or style must be complementary and compatible with your furniture. This takes imagination, a feeling or knowledge of balance, scale and proportion. A conference with a qualified interior designer would not go amiss.

Let me illustrate one solution to your problem. If you use simple Oriental furniture (new or antique) and art, it would transform your living room into an unique, artistic environment.

For example, if you should use one or a pair of Ming Dynasty black-teak or ebony chairs, each topped with a bright-red cushion and an Oriental paneled paper screen hung on the wall above your sofa, plus a long console or Chinese altar table, you will have created a good combination.

You could substitute a modern console of bleached wood or Lucite. Lamps can be modern porcelain or Oriental ginger jars.

A mixture of Oriental and far-out modern accessories would be stunning. Perhaps a Lucite or bamboo game table and chairs would fill out your needs. For lamp or side tables to flank your sofa, a pigskin leather Oriental trunk would do for one side and a marble base with a glass-top table for the other side.

Other styles besides Oriental that will wed with your contemporary furniture: Art Nouveau, Regency, Early American, Baroque, the Marcel Breuer/Knoll/Syrie Maugham International and antique reproductions of furniture in the classical periods.

Keep in mind restraint for this type of decor. As for price, modern-made Oriental furniture and accessories are cost-effective. Magnificent antiques as well as fine reproductions are available at all prices. Your interior designer has access to every range and style. Good luck.

A. ALLEN DIZIK, ASID

Los Angeles

Questions to Ask a Designer Before Hiring

Q: Do interior designers work on a fixed-fee basis, and can I save money by buying merchandise through an interior designer?

Where do I find such an interior designer and what questions should I ask in order to select an interior designer to help me with my home I have lived in for 30 years?

A: The first questions one needs to ask before starting an interior design project are: What areas do I want to change, and how much do I want to spend. By establishing a scope of work and a budget you are now ready to talk to an interior designer.

The fact that you recognize the value of planning ahead and planning the entire project at one time is to your economic advantage. Most interior designers I know will plan your entire project for a fixed fee, including color boards, detailed plans and specifications. This flat fee is usually based on the size of the project, the scope of work and the location.

In addition to this design fee, there is generally a discount on merchandise purchased through the interior designer. The percentage of discount passed through to the client varies depending on the manufacturers discount to the designer. Each manufacturer has his own system of discounts. These discounts can range from lO% to 50% of retail price.

Unfortunately, the public is under the impression that it is extremely costly to hire an interior designer, but quite the opposite can be true. When you hire professional designers, they will generally pay for themselves with savings to the client in time and money. Time will be saved through efficiencies in purchasing and installation and money will be saved through the designers’ buying power.

I recommend that you call your local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and ask for several designers that will do residential work in your area. Also you can use the Yellow Pages and look for interior designers who have ASID affiliation.

They represent the highest quality of designer your money can buy. Also, you may talk to friends who have worked successfully with interior designers or go to show houses and see several designers’ work.

After you have compiled a list of designers, interview them at your potential project site. During the interview you may want to ask them some of the following questions: “What is their fee structure?” “ What types of projects do they specialize in?” “ How many projects of this type have they done?” “Could you visit one of their recently completed projects of this type?” “ Is your budget realistic for the scope of work you are contemplating?”

After the interviews I would recommend that you hire the designer you feel most comfortable with and who best understands your needs.

You are on the verge of an exciting trip. Plan it wisely, explore new options and have fun along the way and the final destination will be a fantasy come true.

PAULETTE BARRETT, ASID

Long Beach