Decorating ideas: all about stained glass lamp shades

Using stained glass in a decorating scheme never seems to go out of style. There are many ways to incorporate stained glass into your design idea. One excellent way is to purchase stained glass lampshades. They are both beautiful and functional, and provide soft attractive light for any decor.

Stained glass is made by fusing colored enamels to pieces of glass and firing them at temperature of up to 1100 degrees Fahrenheit. There are thousands of colors that can be made to use in stained glass art. The most important quality of good stained glass is that the colors are transparent enough for the light to shine through and that the colors never fade.

Stained glass has been around for a long time. The use of stained glass began in church windows, with many surviving to this day. Wealthy people wanted to also take advantage of the beauty and refinement that stained glass represented, so it began to be used in homes and office buildings. Several famous artists became very well known for their stained glass creations. The most famous is probably Louis Comfort Tiffany, whose stained glass creations were often inspired by nature. His dragonfly and cherry blossom motifs are still much sought after today. The other famous artist was Frank Lloyd Wright, who tended to create stained glass in the mission and/or prairie style.

While original lamps by these artists would be almost impossible to find and prohibitively expensive for the average consumer, very good quality reproductions of these works are available at a fraction of the cost. This means that everyone can have a Tiffany stained glass lampshade if they so desire.

Stained glass provides soft, diffused light that changes with each color used in the design. When turned on at any time of the day, the colors will play across the wall or floor and provide interest to your room. Lamp shades can be purchased with table or floor length bases, which are usually made of sturdy metal such as brass or pewter so the lamp is not likely to tip over and break the stained glass. A lamp can be found to complement nearly any decor. Lampshades can have floral, geometric, whimsical or animal designs. Lamps are no longer limited to traditional choices. Larger lighting stores and also specialty shops usually carry several different choices, and can order others to suit your needs, as well. They can also be purchased online. Prices for stained glass lampshades can vary greatly, anywhere from forty dollars for a less expensive one to several thousand for a museum quality reproduction of a Tiffany lamp. Whatever your price range, there is good quality stained glass available.

Another good place to find stained glass lamps is to seek out artists in your community. The art of stained glass is enjoying great popularity these days, so many are reviving this beautiful art technique. If you are a creative person, you can take a class on creating stained glass, and in time, design and create your own stained glass lampshade. It takes time and patience to learn, but a personally created lampshade may be just the thing to complete that room that has been lacking something beautiful.