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FAQ

Boutique Lampshades - Made by Hand with Luxury Fabrics

 

Candid Owl create high quality lampshades, by hand.  Each lamp shade is made by a member of our professional team, using luxurious fabrics sourced from the UK.

Our techniques used will ensure your product is finished to a high standard and of superior quality to the mass produced offering of large retailers. 

 

Winner of Best Bespoke Luxury Lampshade Provider, 2020 & 2021

SME Midlands Enterprise Awards

Frequently Asked Questions

On this page you'll find answers to many of the most popular questions asked by our customers.

I'm unsure of the colour or fabric that I'd like my lampshade made with?

No problem. Candid Owl offers a free sample service whereby you can request any of the materials you're interested in to check for colour matching and quality purposes. Simply fill out our request form and we'll have these dispatched to you. 

How do I know the size lampshade to order for my lamp?

Prior to ordering your Lampshade it is important to know what size lampshade you will need.

Choosing the right lampshade can be tricky but, there are a few basic (though not exclusive) considerations to determine the approximate size of your lampshade.

For standard Circular Drum, French Drum and Empire Tapered shades that will sit on a table lamp, making sure that it looks proportional to your Lamp base is key.
This means first taking a measurement of your lamp’s width at it’s widest point along with the height, from base to bulb fitting.

Your shades should then be approximately twice the width of your lamp base measurement in diameter. This approximation though, can alter based on the shape of your lamp (see below). 

Image guidance on how to approximate the diameter and height of your required lampshade, based on your lamp base.


Please note; with Empire lampshades, the largest point (the bottom ring) is the diameter you should consider.

When selecting the required height of you shade we recommend approximately 70% of the height measurement of your lamp.
Again, depending on the shape of your lamp this guidance isn't exclusive.

A smaller diameter shade would also suit your lamp, if the shape is as short as it is wide, as seen here.

These more ‘stumpy’ looking lamps (also known as fat lamps) also suit taller shades such as Candid Owl’s Extra Tall Conical lampshades.

An example of one of Candid Owl's Extra Tall Cone Lampshades.

What fitting types do your lampshades use?

All of our shades come with a 40mm fitting. This is suitable for standard EU fittings. We also supply (fitted) a reducer ring that brings this size down from 40mm to 29mm. This 29mm is suitable for standard UK fittings.
Our fittings are recessed 40mm from the top or bottom of the shade (dependant on your orientation).

If either of these fittings is unsuitable; i.e. you have a Harp/Finial fitting at the top of your lamp, or you would like the shade to sit lower than our standard fittings allow, please get in touch as we are usually able to customise your order to suit your needs.

I see many straight sided drum lampshades but I would like an Empire or French Drum style lampshade.

Whilst Candid Owl does specialise in the more modern straight sided drum lampshades, we do offer a range of different sized tapered shades in Empire or French Drum style. 
If we do not have the correct size specifications for the lampshade you require listed as standard, please get in touch via our 'Contact Us' page or email us at info@candidowl.com and we can discuss your bespoke lampshade requirements.

Will light be emitted through the lining and fabric of my Lampshade?

This is dependent on your fabric and lining selections.

Linings:

When considering the lining for your PVC lined lampshade, it's important to decide if you would like light to shine through. A lampshade lined with White PVC will allow this, in combination with a thin fabrics such as Cotton, Linen & Silk. 

In contrast, all of our Metallic linings are thicker and as a result, won't emit as much (in some cases any, dependant on chosen combination) light through the side of the lampshade itself. You will however witness a hue in the glow of the light emitted top and bottom, in the colour of the lining (more on this below).

When considering double sided fabric lined lampshades, please note that light is predominantly emitted top and bottom of the lampshade and should not be purchased if you prefer a lot of light through the lampshade side walls. If the inside has a pattern however, and the outer fabric is any other material except Velvet, there will be a small amount of light which will make the inner pattern visible when the lampshade is lit.

Fabrics:

When considering the fabric for your lampshade, it's also important to consider it's thickness. More light is emitted through lampshades made using thinner fabrics, for example Cotton, as mentioned above.

The quality Velvet fabric used by Candid Owl for our lampshades, will not permit light through the sides due to its thickness. Velvet lampshades will emit only from the top and bottom of the lampshade.
Our Cotton, Linen, Silk and Hessian lampshades will permit light through the weave of the fabrics, when used in conjunction with a White PVC lining, thus giving you a glow through the side wall of the lampshade.

Visual representation of how light emits from Candid Owl lampshades, dependant on materials selected.

 What colour will the light be for a Metallic lined Lampshade?

As mentioned above; light from lampshades lined with Brushed Metallic linings will give a hue depending on the colour of the chosen lining.
For example, Brushed and Mirror Gold linings emit a warmer, Yellower tone to the light whilst Brushed and Mirror Copper linings deliver a more Orange tone to the light. Brushed Silver lining will deliver a lighter tone than the aforementioned but, not as bright as standard White lined Lampshades.

When can I expect to receive my lampshade?

Candid Owl work very hard to dispatch all lampshade orders as quickly as possible but, depending on current demand, our lead time does vary. For extended lead times we will display a banner at the top of our Home page notifying visitors of their expected wait time.

All UK orders are then sent via tracked and signed for services through either Royal Mail or Parcel Force, depending on order size and your location. We're always happy to deliver to business addresses to makes things that little bit easier for you.

All overseas orders are shipped from us using Parcel Force.

Typically, we use a 48hr delivery service so please consider this on top of our current lead times.

Alternatively, we do offer a collection service that can be selected for UK mainland customers in close proximity to our workshop in Blackminster, Evesham.
Should you wish to collect your lampshade in person, this option can be selected when checking out your order. You will receive an email notifying you of your order being ready for collection.

What Bulb should I use?

Candid Owl recommend Low Energy Bulbs however, if using a regular bulb we recommend 60w Bulbs.