top of page
Search

Meet the Maker - Posh Lampshades

  • 4 hours ago
  • 7 min read

Today we’re meeting Sharon, founder of Posh Lampshades, whose discovery of soft lampshade making five years ago transformed the direction of her business. Since then, she has honed her craft to create luxurious, truly original lampshades that bring character and individuality to her customer’s homes.


Originality lies at the heart of Sharon’s business. Alongside carefully curating fabrics and trims full of personality for her ready-to-buy collections, she is passionate about restoring and reviving vintage lampshades, giving treasured pieces a new lease of life and helping to keep them out of landfill. Her bespoke service also allows customers to create a lampshade, whether soft or hard, that is perfectly tailored to their home and style.


Read on to discover more about Sharon’s creative journey, her beautiful lampshades and business, and, of course, enjoy a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of Posh Lampshades.



Hi Sharon!


How are you today and what’s on your workbench or to do list?

I’m well thank you. It’s great to chat with you about my business. 

 

Today I’m making up some drum and conical lampshades from website orders, and some bespoke sized shades with beautiful copper linings.

 

How do you start the design process when making a lampshade and where do you get your design inspiration from?

For me it always starts with the fabric everything else follows from there. I'm constantly on the lookout for fabrics that excite me. Once I have that starting point, decisions about the shape, size, and trims tend to fall into place quite naturally. I find inspiration everywhere, from interiors magazines and social media to colour and style trends. But ultimately it always comes back to the fabric. If the fabric is beautiful and interesting, the rest of the design almost takes care of itself.


 

How would you describe your style?

Eclectic, bold and colourful! I love making a statement. I'm also loving the trend for small-print designs at the moment, there's something so satisfying about taking two or three delicate prints and layering them together to create something unique.

 

When and why did you start making lampshades?

It was actually a bit of a happy accident! In 2021, I was retraining in upholstery and lampshade making was offered as an add-on to the course. My thinking at the time was purely practical.  It seemed like a great way to extend what I could offer clients and a brilliant opportunity to make use of fabric remnants. Drum lampshades didn't really do it for me at first. But when I discovered soft lampshade making, everything changed. There was something about the way fabric could be shaped and manipulated into something so elegant that just clicked for me in a way nothing else had before.



You make a mix of hard and traditional soft lampshades - what’s your favourite type of lampshade to make?

Choosing a favourite is a bit like choosing a favourite child, I honestly love them all. But if I absolutely had to pick, restoring a tired lampshade has to be right at the top of the list. There's something incredibly rewarding about taking a shade that has seen better days and bringing it back to life. Customers who come to me for restoration are frequently attached to their shade, and seeing their reaction when they get it back looking beautiful again never fails to make my day.

 

And your favourite part of the lampshade making process?

Without a doubt, it's that moment when everything comes together and I see the finished result. No matter how many lampshades I make, that final reveal never loses its magic.


 

Your ‘made to order’ hard lampshades are made in differing fabric collections. How do you decide which fabrics to use?

Originality is at the heart of everything I do. I'm very conscious of not trying to compete with the mass market, so I mainly steer away from plain fabrics. Instead, I look for fabrics that are interesting, characterful, and a little bit different, the kind of thing that makes a real statement in a room.


Can you tell us about the kind of bespoke lampshade commissions you take?

All sorts! My commissions are wonderfully varied which is one of the things I love most about this side of the business. I work with interior designers who need something very specific to complete a room scheme, with curtain and soft furnishing shops who want to offer their customers a lampshade made from the same fabric as their blinds or curtains, and of course with individuals who simply have a vision in their head and want someone to bring it to life.


We couldn’t help but notice your love of fringing featured in your Instagram reels! Any tips for makers wanting to incorporate fringing into a lampshade design and the best way to apply this?

Yes, I do have a weakness for a fringe! It just adds that bit extra and makes a shade really stand out. I tend to offer fringing on my more eclectic designs. I find the easiest way to apply it in most cases is with Soft Furnishings Tape supplied by Dannells - it’s super sticky! It can be a little wide, so I cut it in half by running a craft knife along the centre while it’s still on the roll - a tip I picked up from the Dannells Lampshade Makers Facebook Forum.


 

As a keen advocate for recovering and restoring vintage lampshades, what does this option offer the customer and what does this service bring to your business?

Restoration is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. For the customer their shade usually has sentimental value and giving it a new lease of life brings them so much pleasure. In a world where so much ends up in landfill there's a really important environmental argument for restoration too. For my business it brings a wonderful variety to my work, and I love the challenge of transforming something tired and forlorn into something beautiful again. Unfortunately, I am having to limit myself on the amount of soft lampshade work right now as I have a repetitive strain injury but I am hoping this will resolve with rest and time.


 

You're a long standing member of the Dannells Lampshade Makers Facebook Forum. What do you feel are the benefits of the group?

It's such a friendly, welcoming group with so many talented and knowledgeable makers who are always willing to share their expertise. If you're stuck on a problem or need advice, someone will always step up to help whether it be a tricky technical challenge, figuring out how to handle an unusual customer request, or even navigating the business side of things.

 

If you were to make a lampshade for yourself, what type and shape would you make with which fabrics and trims?

That's a tricky one, but I do love a vintage style dome with an extra deep fringe, and animal print is always a favourite. But in a way, every shade I make is for me as I never design anything I wouldn't be happy to have in my own home; my own taste is woven into everything I create. In fact, a few of the soft shades I've created never quite made it to my website because I loved them too much to part with them!


 

How do you manage the different elements of running your own creative business?

Every day is different and that's both the joy and the challenge of running your own business. When I'm particularly busy with website orders or commissions, the making has to take priority, but that can mean other things like social media and website maintenance end up sliding down the to-do list. What I've learned is that you have to make peace with the fact that you can't do everything at once. Some days you're a lampshade maker, some days you're a photographer, a copywriter, a social media manager, and an accountant all rolled into one and that's just the reality of being a small business owner. It keeps life interesting!

 

When are you at your most productive?

Mornings are not my finest hour, but I begin to hit my stride around lunchtime. Quite often I will end up working until 8pm to get something finished.


 

And your favourite sustenance when you’re working?

Tea and lots of it, the stronger the better. I try not to snack, but I could be tempted by a ginger biscuit!

 

Could we take a peek at your workplace?

Yes of course. This is my studio, otherwise known as the spare bedroom! It's nothing fancy and was put together on a tight budget, but it works perfectly for me. I have lots of shelving to make best use of the available space and everything I need is within easy reach. It also means I can keep my overheads down and that I don’t have a miserable commute to contend with.


 

Where would you like to be in 5 years?

I'm 61 this year so in five years' time I hope I'll be thinking about slowing down a little.  But I like to keep busy and I can see myself continuing to make lampshades into retirement but in a more relaxed, part-time way. Doing what I love, but very much on my own terms.


What have you learned that’s been invaluable to your creative process?

If you like it someone else will – don’t be afraid to be bold with your design choices.


Any future plans for the Posh Lampshade Co. that you'd like to share?

Nothing too dramatic! I would like to continue to evolve quietly, introducing new designs, refining what I offer, or finding new ways to reach customers who appreciate my handmade creations. It's been quite a journey so far and I'm excited to see where it takes me next.


 

 

Browse Sharon's striking fabric lampshades, in a range of soft or hard lampshade styles and shapes at poshlampshades.com. Why not give her a friendly follow on Instagram and Facebook too!


Instagram: @posh_lampshades






Comments

bottom of page