Octagonal Lampshades

Octagon Empire Lampshade with Decorative Trim
Octagon Empire Lampshade with Decorative Trim

Octagonal Lampshades

Octagonal lampshades form an often useful “bridge” between your round empire or bell lampshade to a “shape”.  With eight unique sides – sometimes of equal size, sometimes 2 sets of 4 sides the same – the octagonal lampshade offers “softer” edges or corners than the hexagonal or square / rectangular lampshades.

We will most often suggest an octagonal lampshade in one of two situations.  The first is when presented with a lamp that has been dressed with a cylindrical lampshade for the last 40-50 years, and our customer wants to make a change, or “update” the look ….. sort of – but is so used to looking at the long cylinder they might not want to make a dramatic change!  In that instance, I will often offer as an option the “Fancy Octagon” lampshade.

Image 1 Fancy Octagon - Silk-1

The Fancy Octagon is available only as a silk lampshade and only in the larger sizes – 14” and above.  This lampshade is relatively long for its size (eg, an 18” shade is 15.5” long, whereas you standard 18” empire lampshade is 13” tall), and also offers a slightly belled shape.  It can look very nice on some of the old and wonderful brass Stiffel lamps we see in the store looking for a new lampshade.

A close rendition of the Fancy Octagon is the Modified Fancy Octagon.  The dimensions of the modified FO are much closer to the standard dimensions of the empires or bells in a similar size.  Further, the bell shape of the modified FO is more exaggerated than is the case with the Fancy Octagon.

Image 2 Modified Fancy Octagon - Silk1

Another octagonal lampshade we keep in stock – particularly in the larger sizes – is the Octagonal Coolie lampshade.  The Octagonal Coolie is a wonderful lampshade to use on a large round oriental style ceramic.  It is often a more interesting choice than the coolie lampshade – but still offers the general short and wide shape characteristic of the coolie style.

Image 3 Octagonal Coolie - Silk1

Yet another style of the octagonal lampshade is the straight sided octagon.  Pictured below on a tall blue and white oriental lamp, this custom made and trimmed deep octagon lampshade is a perfect complement to this very interesting lamp!

Image 4 Tall Octagon with Straight Sides

Some of our customers enjoy silk lampshades that offer a “gallery” feature – the straight banding or detail at the bottom of a lampshade, following the shape of the lamp, but set off by a wire and piping or other special trim treatments.  Pictured below is a round top outscallop octagonal bottom lampshade with a gallery.

Image 5 Silk Round Top Outscallop Octagon Bottom w Gallery1

 

The octagon lampshades provide just another opportunity to set off your lamp in a special way!

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