Ina Garten Makes This Same Design Choice in Almost Every Room — And Designers Love It
Ina Garten might be known for her delicious recipes, but she also has a pretty good eye for design. The Barefoot Contessa embodied the coastal grandmother aesthetic long before the style even had a name. And while she’s not afraid to experiment with patterns and colors, Garten does have a common denominator throughout her home design: white lampshades.
The author and TV personality has them everywhere in her home — really. Garten has a tall lamp peeking out between a bookshelf and a cozy green couch, another one in the center of a sun-drenched living room, and she has a smaller lamp perched on a kitchen counter. It’s a small design detail — one that might typically go unnoticed — but these shades can have a big impact. For designer Tara McCauley, a simple lampshade is a “timeless and versatile” accessory.
Why a White Lampshade Is a Smart Design Choice
“They work well within a variety of different design styles, from traditional to contemporary,” McCauley says. White lampshades also do more than look nice in a space: “They diffuse warm white light very beautifully, creating an elegant, glowy ambience at night,” she adds.
Since a white shade often comes standard with table and floor lamps from big-box retailers, they have the reputation of being “basic,” making some people feel like they need to find an alternative to make a space feel special. Stephanie Mahaney, founder and principal designer of Stephanie Rae Interiors, pushes back against the instinct to “upgrade” from a white lampshade.
“There are so many choices that go into designing a room, and not every choice has to be bold and unexpected,” Mahaney says. She explains that if you try to create too many standout moments, “then the truly bold choices might not pop the way we want them to.”
A white lampshade allows the fixture to fade into the background. “The goal is to ensure that the aesthetics of any artificial lighting never compete with natural light sources from windows or sunlight,” says Janelle Hughes, cofounder of Detail Theory Studio in the Virgin Islands. “Pools of light, not funneled light brought on by darker lampshades, is typically what we’re going for,” Hughes says.
Shawnté Edwards, also of Detail Theory Studio, argues a simple white shade is practical, too. “White lampshades are also a lot easier to spot clean,” she explains. “A little bit of baking soda and warm water can go a long way.”
How to Choose a White Lampshade
White shades might seem simple, but one size or style doesn’t fit all. “White lampshades look best when the shape is right,” Mahaney says. “More than anything the scale of lampshades can make or break the fixture.” As a general rule of thumb, look for lampshades that are about two times the diameter of the base. Meanwhile, the height of the shade should be about one-third of its base.
As for style? Though shape is subjective, drum shades tend to look better on more geometric bases. Meanwhile, some argue conical toppers look best with a tapered stand.
While you won’t need to think about color or pattern, McCauley says consistency is key. “Try to use the same material throughout a room: Choose paper, linen, or silk and stick with it,” she says. “It will feel more cohesive if all the shades in a room offer the same amount of light filtration.” Now, that’s a bright idea.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
