Cane, metal or linen: choosing a shade

Two lamps with the same bulb can light a room in completely different ways, depending on the shade. When customers visit our Lower Parel studio, we switch on a cane, a metal and a linen shade side by side, so they can see the difference. Here is what they notice.

Cane and rattan shades let light out through the weave. They throw a soft glow downwards and a pattern of small points and lines on the ceiling and walls around them. That makes them lovely over a dining table or in a corner, where the pattern becomes part of the room. They give less direct light for reading, and the effect is strongest in a darker room. Cane is light, easy to hang from false ceilings and suits Mumbai’s humidity if it is kept dusted.

Metal shades are opaque. All the light goes down through the open end, in a clear pool with a sharp edge. That suits kitchen islands, work tables and reading corners, where you want light on a surface and not in your eyes. Our spun shades have brushed brass inside, which warms the light slightly. The outside stays dark, so the shade itself becomes a strong shape against the wall.

Linen and cotton shades glow all over. They spread a warm, even light sideways and up and down, which is gentle and flattering for bedrooms and living rooms. They need a little more dusting and should be kept away from kitchen grease. Many homes use all three, one for each kind of light the room needs.