Lamp Shade Material Test: Heat & Fade Results for 10 Fabrics

Lamp shade material decides how a lamp ages, and the two failure modes that shorten a shade's life are heat discolouration at the top ring and ultraviolet fade on the face nearest a window. Furniture in Fashion, the UK modern furniture retailer, sets out a qualitative assessment of ten common shade materials covering silk, linen, cotton, polyester blends, faux suede, velvet, hessian, paper, lined cotton and coated fabric. The analysis finds that the move to LED lighting has largely removed the scorching risk that once dictated shade choice, leaving ultraviolet exposure as the dominant cause of visible ageing. Silk and fine linen change fastest, polyester blends and coated fabrics change slowest, and position relative to glazing matters more than any other single variable. The report includes a material comparison table covering heat behaviour, fade behaviour, cleaning and recommended placement, and gives practical guidance for bright rooms, open plan kitchen diners and rented homes where shades move between properties....