Click here to consider our wide variety of empire lampshades.

The empire lampshade is one of the oldest lampshade designs, and even today, is what I consider the “workhorse” lampshade style.   As the largest retailer of lampshades – new and replacement – in New England, we sell A LOT of lampshades!  And, the most frequently sold style – in all the variant configurations – is the Empire.

So, what is an empire lampshade?  In general, the empire style is one in which the top diameter of the lampshade is about ½ of the diameter of the bottom of the lampshade; the style exhibits a straight, gentle slope from the top of the lampshade to the bottom of the shade.  For example, a 14” empire often has a 6-8” opening at the top, while the 16” empire lampshade most often has a 7-9” opening at the top, and so on for other sizes.

The empire lampshade is likely the most versatile style of lampshade, and works well on nearly every style of lamp or lighting fixture – from a simple ginger jar table lamp to a floor lamp to sconce and chandelier lampshades.

While there is some sentiment that the empire lampshade can be “boring”, we believe it doesn’t have to be!  You can dress the empire shade with pleats as in this lampshade custom made for our shop.

Another “empire” alternative is one made with a special “fabric” as in this empire shade made from a nautical chart

The limit is your imagination!

Read more ➜