Shade vs. Lamp

The height of the shade should be roughly 3/4 the height of the base, and the shade's width should extend past the widest part of the lamp base. Make sure that any new shade extends down far enough to cover all the electrical fittings and the base of the socket.

Shapes

Try looking for a shade that echoes some shape or curve of the lamp base. For example, an urn-shaped lamp can be matched with a flared shade that repeats the basic outline of the lamp base. Similarly, a square, mission-styled base would work well with a rectangular or square-shaped shade.

Harps and Risers

These bits of hardware allow you to easily adjust the shade position for a perfect fit. Harps are the metal frames that attach to the lamp base saddle and hold the shade in place. They can be used to greatly raise the height of a shade.

Harps come in one inch increments beginning at 7" and continuing up to 12", and come in light or heavyweight units, depending on the size and weight of your shade. They cost around $1.99 a unit.

Risers screw onto the harps and can be used to minutely adjust the shade, allowing you to adjust a shade to just the right fit. They come in 1/2 inch, 1 ½" and 2" increments, and generally cost around a dollar.

Fittings

Spiders are used with a shade harps. These are most common in table and floor lamps.

Uno is a fitting seen on smaller table or bedside lamps and swing arms.

Clip-on is a specialty fitting seen on smaller accent lamps and chandeliers.

Getting the Right Look

Once you've determined the basic shape size and shape of shade you'd like to go for, you can narrow your search down to find the perfect match.