Lamp shades might sound like an easy product to find. You would expect to find any variety of shades in most home decorating stores, and even in some general shops. Technically this is true, but the majority of them are either hideously ugly or are sold for prices that can bring a grown man to tears. Whether you’re in Cape Town or Johannesburg you need some sort of cover for your lamp before you can have that cosy light inside your home. There are so many choices in most stores – you can choose between modern, glass, black, antique and fabric shades. Sometimes simpler really is better.
A good place to start looking for lamp shades is in large shopping malls with a number of home decorating stores. Places like the Design Quarter in Johannesburg or Canal Walk in Cape Town have a huge variety of modern and antique furniture stores which allow you to browse for the specific style you want. The prices at these centres are generally higher than at other malls, but the time you will save shopping all at one venue is entirely worth it. Black or glass shades are no longer in fashion and you will find mostly material or specialised shades in these centres.
Depending on the size and style you can pay anything from R100 to R1000 for a good shade. It all depends on the prices you’re willing to pay, and probably on the number of lamps in your home. There are some good choices in shops like Loads of Living, At Home, Mr Price and Woolworths Living Spaces. These can be found across South Africa from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Whether you are looking for modern or antique styles it is better to go to big centres to look for lamp shades.