If you’ve ever typed “What size lampshade should I buy?” into an online search engine or even just “How do I choose table lamps?”, then you will absolutely understand how overwhelming it can to choose the right lighting style for your home. One minute you’re a relatively sane human being and the next, you’re walking around a store singing “we’ve got a lovely bunch of table lamps” to the tune of Merv Griffin’s ‘lovely bunch of coconuts’ like a slightly disheveled funfair character.
From the right size lamp shade, to the colour of the lighting cord, to the perfect shape of a light base, there’s far too much to think about and frankly we just don’t know why it has to be so difficult.
Of course even we know there’s no set way of doing these things because tastes are completely personal. While some may favour the minimalist Danish lighting look of Oi Soi Oi silk pendants, you may be inclined to slot in a colour-changing bulb and make a 70’s disco in your dining room. While we can’t tell you what you like, we can certainly tell you how to achieve the look you’re after.
Since we opened our Broad Street store in 2020, we’ve worked with the same UK based lighting makers along with our favourite brand Oi Soi Oi and have helped countless of customers achieve their perfect look. It’s not an official custom lighting service and at the moment it’s completely free, but with the help of our knowledgeable Always Sunday team, you could be well on your way to designing your perfect table lamp or find the floor lamp to match your interior.
We speak to Managing Director Bella and Lead Designer Nat of Always Sunday Design Studio about what to expect from our bespoke lighting design process, the customisable light options available and some illuminating advice that may just answer your questions.. finally!
How does the Always Sunday bespoke lighting service work?
Bella: We’re human beings so we always prefer the personal touch; we’d recommend our customers get in touch and book an in-store appointment when commissioning bespoke lighting with us. That way we can walk you through the entire process properly, show all available options and samples and it’s just easier if you have any questions because we can answer them on the spot.
The service is completely free, just book in with us and one of our lovely team will help you resolve those tricky lighting design queries you’ve been mulling over. We can talk you through our Oi Soi Oi Lighting Collection if you're looking for ceiling lights, or if you're looking for table lamps or floor lamps we work with a UK based maker to offer a custom lighting service where almost every possible element can be handpicked.
Choosing the right lamp base:
Nat: We’ll start by going through what requirements you need to fulfill and talk through how to resolve any dilemmas you have. We tend to keep about ten colours of lamp base available (in the recycled glass lamps collection) to view in store. We’ve had small samples in the past but because the glass is recycled and the colours vary so much, we always say it’s better to see them in person as an actual lamp. It’s much easier to visualise how your lamp will look when you can see one ready made.
Choosing the right lighting cable:
Bella: The lamp bases we do are glass so the cable is of course visible and for us it’s just an excuse to choose a flex that’s actually really nice to look at. We offer over ten colours and styles; from the bestseller timeless natural linen to denim blue, twisted gold and a really stunning navy blue fleck. When we order ready made lamps for the store stock we try to pick varied cable combinations so that customers can see what their chosen colour cable looks like against and through the glass of the base.
Nat: It’s the detail that you don’t think about but actually completely elevates the entire look.
Choosing the right lamp shade:
Bella: We offer over thirty different lampshade colours with everything from our bestselling Cadet Blue cotton shade to a seriously spicy hot pink that looks amazing on a tall pink floor lamp.
We know picking the right size and shape is probably the most difficult part so we can help you choose the right size to compliment your chosen lamp, and you can pick between taped edges (made by carefully feeding the shade through a machine that seals them shut) and beautifully hand-rolled; a process that’s immensely time intensive and laborious but makes the lamp shade look such high quality.
Nat: You can also choose between matte lining and a metallic lining that’s ideal for particularly dark rooms because it bounces light. We’ve had specific shapes and sizes commissioned, old frames recovered, a diffuser added to hide the bulb on a pendant light, and even customers who have used their own fabrics (as long as they meet requirements) with a sample sent to the lighting makers to get it checked and then an order placed. The options are almost endless!
Bella: Almost every stage of our custom lighting service can be personalised, we relish the challenge! Just give us a call to make an appointment and you could have your perfect lamp in as little as a few weeks!*
*Custom orders timelines can vary, we will let you know how long your particular order will take during your consultation.
Nat’s quick-fire responses to your top 10 burning questions:
So how DO I choose the right light?
I kind of feel like there’s no such thing as the right light. Maybe that’s a controversial opinion? We just get so many variations of requests in store, from the shape to the size to the colour of the hardware, it’s impossible to say there’s any one right light!
Should lamp shades match?
We’re big fans of coordinating lamps but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right for you. One of our bestsellers in store is the petrol blue glass base with a cadet blue shade, and then most customers like to choose either the denim blue cable or the neutral linen cord with it. Our Frances Olive Green Glass Lamp base comes with a yellow-gold textile cord so we put it with the 14” Mustard Yellow Cotton Shade, it’s tonal without being samey.
What colour lights should I choose?
With regards to colour, i’d say consider whether you would like to highlight a particular colour in your home or just need it to blend in. I tend to advise going for a neutral coloured base that’s timeless, because that way it has more longevity, and then adding a shade that’s in a brave colour you wouldn’t normally choose.
What size floor lamp do I need?
All those overexcitable dogs and small children running around your house plus clumsy visitors means a tall lamp on a small base is just asking to be knocked over. Make sure there’s enough breathing space between bodies and the lamp shade, I’d say if you can twirl around it yourself comfortably without knocking it over, you’re probably alright!
What size lamp shade do I need?
The Golden Ratio comes into play here. You want 3/5 on the base to 2/5 on the shade. Some people want to play with that ratio for something more striking - think the West German ceramic lamps where the bases are small and stumpy with really tall tapered shades. There’s no set rule although we would always advise against a small shade on a large lamp, it just has a tendency to look stingy. That being said, if you want a weird looking lamp that’s certainly a way to go. There are absolutely no rules, we love seeing the unexpected combinations our customers come up with!
