Stained Glass Lamp Shades

About Stained Glass

The technique of fusing colored glass together with copper or other metal materials has passed in and out of fashion over the years, but it is really quite old. Once associated specifically with churches, who used it to create dramatic stained glass window depictions of religions scenes, like the Stations of the Cross, stained glass as a home decorating material really came into its own through the art nouveau designers of the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Although the art nouveau movement started in Paris and was most widespread in Europe with designers like Charles Rennie Mackinstosh, it was the American designers at Tiffany that were most influential in using this style to create stained glass lamp shapes.

Tiffany Lamps

“Tiffany lamp” is now used as a catch-all term to describe any kind of lamp with a stained glass lamp shade done in a specific style. At the turn of the 20th century, however, a Tiffany lamp was a quite specific thing. These original lamps were designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany along with Emeral Freshel and Clara Driscoll, designers working in the Tiffany workshop. The original lamps have an intricately carved base and equally complex stained glass lamp shade design. The most popular designs for Tiffany lamps included:

• Irregular Upper and Lower Border
• Favrile
• Geometric
• Transition to Flowers
• Flowered Cone
• Flowered Globe
• Wisteria and Pond Lily

The combination of the natural world with the geometric inspirations of art nouveau was the constant theme in original Tiffany lamps.

The original Tiffany lamps were enormously popular at the time, and they are hard to come by now, unless you have very deep pockets. In a recent auction, an original Tiffany stained glass lamp shade and base were sold for $8 million.

The Tiffany Lamp Pretenders

Luckily for those of us without a spare $8 million to spend on a lamp, the Tiffany lamp shades have inspired millions of pretenders that are every bit as beautiful as the originals – although slightly more affordable. If you think that stained glass lamps are just the thing for you home, consider the alternatives:

• If you’re a stained glass enthusiast, you can learn to make your own lamp shades much more easily than you might imagine. Most community colleges offer art classes in stained glass techniques that you can take for a very small fee that will teach you the basics you need to churn out your own personalized lamp shade designs. By learning the methods, you can turn out stained glass that looks like it costs thousands for a couple of dollars.

• Check out your local artist community. Stained glass is an extremely popular medium, and you may be able to commission a lamp shade in your local area with an artist who can produce a unique piece for you for very little.

• The shop at your local art museum may not be your first thought when thinking of interior design projects, but often these stores have stained glass items like lamp shades that are gorgeous replicas of original pieces of art at a bargain price.

• Dedicated lighting shops often have an extensive selection of stained glass lamp shades in a wide range of prices. They may also be able to put you in touch with someone who can personalize a stained glass design just for you.

Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing Your Stained Glass

There are very few rules in choosing a lamp shade made of stained glass, but it is a good idea to keep in mind the general color palate that you already have in the room – a lampshade made of very deep colors might look out of place in your room of soft, pastel shades. Also, a geometric shade might be more at home in a contemporary style room and floral with country or cottage themes.