At a glance
| Material | Light effect | Ageing and wear | Cleaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric (silk, linen, cotton, pleated) | Soft glow, tinted by the cloth; lamp hidden or shadowed | Light fades some colours; dust and marks show; hand and weave vary | Dry cleaning or vacuum only if the maker says so | Table lamps, wall lights, pendants |
| Paper (folded or laminated) | Warm, even, soft | Yellows and weakens over time; damp and handling mark it | Dust off; no wet cleaning | Pendants in dry, protected places |
| Parchment (vellum) | Warm, slightly mottled, even glow | Reacts to humidity and light; can cockle or darken | Dry soft cloth only; ask the maker | Wall lights, table lamps, pendants |
| Alabaster | Veined, glowing stone; every piece differs | Heavy; can chip; some alabaster marks with water | Dry cloth; ask for the maker’s regime | Bowls and pendants |
| Glass (opal, frosted, clear) | Opal: even, source hidden. Frosted: soft. Clear: lamp visible | Does not fade; scratches and shows marks; can fracture from heat difference | Wipes clean; see cleaning and glass-type sheets | Globes, cups, domes, bowls |
| Metal mesh or perforation | Lamp seen through the openings; sparkle and shadow | Finish can mark or change with heat; open to dust | Brush or vacuum; finish dictates the rest | Cylinders, cages, sculptural pieces |
Descriptions are general practice, in words. We found no measured transmission data and no fire data for these materials; the maker supplies both for the shade as built.
What a shade has to do
A shade does three jobs at once. It changes the light: how much passes, how soft it looks and what colour it takes on. It sits close to a hot lamp, so it is part of the heat path. And if it is made of cloth, paper or skin, it is part of the fire load of the room. The material that gives the best light is not always the material that suits the lamp, the cleaning regime and the place, so the choice should be made on all three, with the maker.
The drawing shows five common materials around one lamp. Only the light effect is described, and in words: we found no source giving measured transmission for these materials, and it varies with thickness, density and finish. Approve a real sample, lit with the specified lamp, at the dimming levels the room will use.
Heat and fire: what the standards say and what they do not
What decides the heat limit. The luminaire standard for general requirements, BS EN IEC 60598-1:2024+A11:2024 (listed by BSI as current, published 31 March 2025), is the one the maker tests to; we could not read its clauses. The IET’s own summary of the wiring rules (BS 7671, regulation 559.5.1, in the 2008 edition) says that in selecting and erecting a luminaire the thermal effects of radiant and convected energy on the surroundings must be taken into account, including the maximum permissible power dissipated by the lamps, the fire resistance of adjacent material, and the minimum distance to combustible materials, including material in the path of a spotlight beam. It adds that luminaires can be marked with a symbol giving a minimum distance from a lit object and a maximum lamp wattage. In plain terms: the rating and distances are written on the luminaire or in its papers, and they are limits.
What we cannot tell you. We give no wattage, no temperature and no distance. Those come from the maker for the fitting as built, with the lamp it was assessed with. A different lamp, a closed shade where an open one was tested, or a heavier lamp can change the answer, which is why our lamping sheet insists on the maker’s limit.
Fire behaviour needs a certificate, not a description. ‘Fire retardant’ is not a test result. If a shade is described that way, ask for the report, the name of the test method, what was tested (the whole shade, or only the cloth), the date, and the laboratory. The upholstery routes in our upholstery fire-test report sheet and fabric performance sheet are for seating, and a seat report does not prove a shade. We did not establish whether any statutory fire test applies to a decorative shade in a hospitality interior: the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 schedule we read covers foam tests, and its scope for shades was not checked. Ask your fire consultant, and see the fire documentation matrix for the paper trail.
Treatments change the material. A flame-retardant treatment can alter the colour, handle or translucency of a fabric or paper and may not survive cleaning. If one is required, approve the treated sample lit, not the untreated one.
What to ask for, material by material
The table sets out, material by material, what to ask the maker about heat and what evidence to ask for. It is a question list, not a rating: no material is declared safe here.
| Material | Heat and lamp: what the maker confirms | Fire evidence: what to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Lamp type and maximum rating for the fitting; clearance from lamp to cloth on the drawing; that the lamp suits the shade | A report for the finished shade (cloth, lining, trim and glue together) naming the test method, or a statement that no test has been done. An upholstery report does not cover it |
| Paper | As fabric; paper is light and the lamp is close | As fabric. Ask whether the paper has been treated and with what |
| Parchment | As fabric; humidity also moves it | As fabric |
| Alabaster | Lamp rating and the maker’s heat limit for the stone, and how it is held | Stone is not a fuel, but ask for the fitting’s luminaire test report (BS EN 60598-1 family) rather than assume |
| Glass | Lamp rating and the maker’s limit for the glass; whether the cup is closed. See our lamping sheet | The fitting’s luminaire test report; ask for any specific tests the glass has had |
| Metal mesh | Lamp rating; the temperature of the mesh near the lamp and where hands can reach it | The fitting’s luminaire test report; ask what the finish does when hot |
Specifying, replacing and keeping shades in hospitality
Replacement is where it goes wrong. In a hotel, a stained or broken shade is replaced by whoever is nearest. A paper or fabric shade swapped for one of a different material, or a lamp swapped for a stronger one, changes the heat and fire picture. Say in the specification that a replacement shade must be the same material and construction, supplied through the partner workshop or from an approved spare, and list the lamp.
Plan the cleaning. Fabric, paper and parchment cannot be wiped; glass can. Choose the material against the housekeeping regime, and write the regime in the care sheet (see O&M information). Glass shades follow the advice in our glass types sheet; metal shades and finishes in our metal finishes for luminaires.
Hold spares. A bespoke shade cannot be bought off the shelf. Ask the partner workshop what spares it recommends, and keep them from the same batch, as hand-made materials vary (see spares and replacement cycles).
Judge it lit. A shade seen unlit says little. Use the lamp, colour temperature and dimming that will be installed (see our sheet on shop drawings and mock-ups), and photograph the sample at full and low levels.
Specification wording
Paste into your schedule or specification and replace anything in [square brackets] with your own figures. Wording is a starting point: your specification governs.
Shade [fabric / paper / parchment / alabaster / glass / metal mesh] to the approved lit sample [ref], in [colour], with [lining / diffuser] and [trim]. The maker is to state the construction of the shade as supplied (material, lining, adhesive, treatment) and its maximum lamp rating [ W], and is not to change them without written approval.
The maker is to state, for each fitting tag, the lamp type [ ] and the maximum lamp rating [ ] it was assessed with, the clearance between lamp and shade [ ] mm shown on the shop drawing, and whether the shade is open or closed. The fitting is to carry the markings required by the luminaire standard [BS EN 60598-1 family; edition to be confirmed]. The lamp is not to be changed without the maker’s written approval.
Where the shade is cloth, paper, parchment or another combustible material, the maker is to supply [a test report for the finished shade] naming the test method [ ], the laboratory [ ] and the date [ ], or a written statement that no test has been done. Treatment, if any, to be named [ ] and approved on a lit sample. No claim of fire performance is to be made without the report.
Replacement shades are to be the same material and construction as approved, supplied by [the partner workshop / from the approved spares]. Spares of [quantity] per [ ] fittings from batch [ ] are to be supplied with the handover pack, with the cleaning regime [ ].
Terms used on this page
- Lattimo
- An opaque white glass; in lighting it diffuses the lamp so there is no visible source.
- Diffuser
- Any material, such as opal glass, paper or fabric, placed over a light source to spread its light and hide the source.
- Lamp-to-shade clearance
- The distance between the lamp and the shade, set by the maker for the lamp and fitting. It limits heat on the shade and is shown on the shop drawing.
- Normally flammable surface
- In the luminaire standard, a surface such as wood or wood-based board over 2 mm thick, as summarised by the IET. A luminaire to be fixed on it is marked as suitable. Check the current edition.
Standards and sources
- BS EN IEC 60598-1:2024+A11:2024, Luminaires, general requirements and tests: BSI Knowledge: Current, Edition 10.0, 31 Mar 2025; clauses not read; confirm the edition your maker tested to.
- BS 7671 Section 559 (IET summary, Wiring Matters, Autumn 2008): a 2008 article on the 2008 edition; regulation 559.5.1 headings used; later editions not read.
- Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, SI 1988/1324: Schedule 1 read (foam tests); scope for shades not established.
Questions we are asked
Can I put any LED lamp in a fabric or paper shade?
No. The maker states the lamp type and the maximum rating the fitting was assessed with, and the clearance to the shade. A different or stronger lamp can change the heat on the shade. Ask the maker in writing before changing a lamp.
Is a fire-retardant lampshade the same as a fireproof one?
No. ‘Fire retardant’ describes a treatment or a test result, and it needs the report behind it: the test method, what was tested and the date. Without a report, treat the claim as unsupported.
Does an upholstery fire certificate cover a shade?
No. Upholstery tests are for seating and the way it is used. A shade needs evidence for the shade as built. Whether a statutory test applies to a decorative shade in your building is a question for your fire consultant.
Which shade material fades?
Light and time change many dyed cloths, papers and skins, and the effect depends on the dye, the lamp and the hours lit. Glass and metal do not fade, but glass can mark and metal finishes can change with heat. Approve a sample and plan to replace soft shades on a cycle.
Is alabaster safe near an LED lamp?
Stone is not a fuel, but the maker should state the lamp and heat limit for the bowl and how it is held, and supply the luminaire test report for the fitting. Alabaster varies from piece to piece, so approve the actual stone.
Can a hotel replace a damaged shade with a similar one?
Only with the same material and construction, supplied through the partner workshop or from approved spares. A different material or a different lamp can change heat and fire behaviour, so write this into the care sheet.
Download the factsheet
A two-page A4 PDF with the six shade materials compared, the heat and fire questions to put to the maker, and wording to paste into your specification.