Laminated or hardback lamp shades create a contemporary look, with a clean aesthetic, simple shapes and minimal details. Popular across the USA, Europe, and further afield, laminated lamp shades are popular for their modern appeal.
Credits: Pinterest
Available in a wide variety of fabrics including real and faux silks, these shades can also be crafted in materials such as linens, European parchments and burlap. These materials can all be bonded onto a hard backing, creating a lamp shade style that is durable, stylish and enduring.
The Difference Between Hardback and Softback Lamp Shades
Hardback lamp shades are created by laminating fabric onto a hard plastic inner. This material is then molded around two wires for the top and bottom and shaped into the lamp shade shape. Softback shades are created by gathering or stretching the outer fabric over a metal frame, which is then cut off, stitched and finished at the top and the bottom of the shade. Soft back shades are often created with pleats, tucks, gathers or smocking, whereas laminated or hardback shades are uniform and sleek.
Benefits of Using a Laminated or Hardback Lamp Shade
1. Clean and Contemporary
This style of lamp shade suits sleek shapes and designs Drum shades and conical shades such as Euro or Coolies are shades with a modern style. As this fabric is firmer, it lends itself to simple shapes and contemporary lamp shade designs.
Credits: Pinterest
2. Simple Design
The clean lines of these lamp shades work well in just about any interior space and suit a huge range or decorative themes. Versatile and simple, these minimalist lampshades will suit basic or ornately themed lamp bases.
Credits: Pinterest
3. Cost-Effective
Laminated lamp shades are often much less expensive to make than their soft-backed counterparts. This is often because there is more fabric required to make a softback shade, with ornate fabric details and linings.
Credits: Pinterest
Drawbacks of Choosing a Hardback Lamp Shade
There is just one drawback with choosing a soft-backed lamp shade, and that is that these laminated styles cannot be made with gathers, intricate pleats or smocking, due to the firm inner material. The only pleat style that is available in a hardback lampshade is a narrow mushroom pleat – a more subtle pleat design that lies quite flat and flush to the overall shape of the lamp shade.
Laminated Lamp Shades at Oriental Lamp Shade Company
We offer a wide selection of finishes for a range of hardback lamp shades, with materials such as synthetic or 100% authentic silk, linen or parchment. Our collection of contemporary hardback lamp shades are exquisitely made and crafted using superior quality fabrics. To find out more, explore our collection or visit our store in New York.
