I have always enjoyed working with different fabrics and had a variety available from clothing, pillows, and craft items. When we were first married and I was a stay at home mom, my first lampshade project was to decorate my daughter’s room. After this first project was completed, I began receiving requests for lampshades from friends and family members. My husband, Kelly, suggested that we should try selling lampshades to local antique stores. This caused us to begin receiving calls from people who saw our lampshades in various stores and place specific requests with us. Once we became empty nesters, and with the encouragement and emotional support from our children, we quit our jobs (I was running a home daycare) to pursue creating lampshades full time. We then made a serious move from Colorado to Cincinnati, Ohio with the desire to expand our lampshade business. In 1994, we officially took the name Vintage Shades for our business. We began by taking our antique lamp shades to display at antique home shows while still selling our creations to shops. Our business began to flourish and grow. In 2000 we moved to a small community in Iowa, this allows us easy travel to find beautiful material for our shades as we can reach either coast quite easily, we also found a home we truly love. The internet has really given us the opportunity to expand our business and sell our shades to a variety of customers. Not only do we continue to sell and create lampshades for clients seeking décor for their homes, we now sell to movie production companies, historic hotels, museums, restaurants, and clubs worldwide. We have been making lampshades for over a quarter of a century. During this time we have found the best silk fabrics and trims to use, both new and antique. Kelly also now makes our wire frames which has allowed us to have truly limitless design potential. We can recreate old antique frames, work with ideas from our clients, or create our own original designs. Restoration of many wonderful old and original antique lampshades has also broadened our knowledge and inspires us as we create new shades. "Matador" - An Original Frame and Design by Us We have learned so much about color, textures, and design over the years, and we have continually gained knowledge and experience with lampshades. This has caused us to continually have new excitement and inspiration for our lampshades. We love creating truly beautiful designs in a variety of styles like Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Asian, and Edwardian. Our philosophy when creating lampshades is “Too much is never enough.” We hope you take the time to look at our beautiful shades and please reach out to us if you have any questions. Thank you so much for your time! Kathy

A small look at how the Victorians used bird imagery—and why I’ve come to love it too As the seasons begin to turn and the first signs of spring return, I find myself reflecting on how my love of birds has quietly shaped both my home and my work. Even though we’re not quite through February yet, I’m already starting to feel like spring is just around the corner. It’s my favorite season for so many reasons—the longer, warmer days, spending more time outdoors, watching new life push up through the soil, and listening to the birds as they sing in the morning. I especially love the little wrens. They may be tiny, but they can really belt out a song. Whether I’m sitting on the porch listening to one sing as it builds its nest, or watching the parents feed their babies out in the yard, I find so much joy in their presence. As the weather warms and their songs return, there’s a real sense of life and renewal in the air. Over time, I realized I’ve brought that fondness for birds into my home in many ways—through wallpaper, framed pictures, even a rug with a peacock design, and of course, in our Christmas decorating. I’ve also used bird images printed on silk as focal points on a few of my lampshades. Some time ago, I wrote a blog about an autograph book I found in an antique shop. What first drew me to it was the gold-embossed bird on the cover. That small detail caught my eye, and of course, inside were the beautiful penmanship, poetry, and sentiments that made it even more special. Because we live in a Victorian home and have decorated it as much as we can to reflect that period, I became curious about how birds influenced Victorians in their homes and even in their clothing. Bird imagery appeared everywhere. Birds were embroidered into upholstery and drapery, printed on wallpaper, worked into carpets and needlework, and even incorporated into fireplace tiles and lighting fixtures. We’ve had some beautiful bridge lamps with bird motifs, and we’ve restored older shades with bird images as well—some of those can be seen on our website in the recover section. Birds were also very present in fashion. I’ve always loved those grand hats with sweeping ostrich plumes, worn so proudly and adding such drama as ladies walked down the street. Bird motifs also appeared on brooches and hair combs. Victorians were very fond of symbolism, and birds carried special meanings for them: • Dove — peace, purity, spirituality • Swallow — homecoming and loyalty • Peacock — beauty, immortality, and pride • Songbirds — joy and domestic harmony Bird imagery reflected that wonderful Victorian mix of romantic symbolism, a love of nature, and a delight in ornamentation. They added life, color, and a sense of the outdoors brought inside. For me, there has always been a romantic feeling tied to that era—and birds only enhance that feeling.

"I came across this old shade and I’d like to have it restored” We hear this quite often in our business and we are always anxious to see what they have.  Many amazing frames arrive here in  shapes and styles we have never seen before! Often we fall in love with the antique shape and are able to reproduce the frames for our "collection" of future shades to make. When restoring a shade we try to come as close to the design of the original as possible if that is what the client wants.  It’s great when we can save the trims and beads in order to reapply them. Fabrics can be a challenge, as they change often and disappear from the shelves, this applies to both colors and patterns. But we have been fortunate to come very close most of the time! We had one come to us with painted images on some of the panels. They were worn and a few torn beyond repair. We were able to reproduce them and recreated the same look as it must have had previously. The customer was amazed but bewildered as to how we mended them so they didn’t even show the tears and holes!  We were so glad that they were happy with the restored shade! But my favorites are the requests that are made by a grandchild (or great), with the intent of returning the shade to their still living grandparent. "This shade was on my grandmother’s lamp for as long as I can remember. I now have her lamp and would like to have the shade restored." Restoration becomes even more important to us then! A couple of years ago we were fortunate to be able to work with a woman that lived a hundred miles from us and she hand delivered the lampshade to us. It was her grandmothers shade that she really wanted it restored as close as possible to the original look. Fortunately there were actual fabric panels we were able to carefully remove and reuse. Some of the trims were still on the shade, and in good enough condition, to show us what to look for with the final touches. We were proud to show her the results when she made the trip back to pick it up after completion. Both she and her grandmother were excited and happy with the final product! We are pleased that we include restoration or replication in our work. A wonderful old lamp looks even more spectacular when an original style shade adorns it. We LOVE the follow up emails, sometimes hand written thank you cards and pictures. Hearing the compliments from the client that the shade is back in its rightful place, on the lamp and in their home, and that it looks just like they remembered it from back in the day are some of our favorite things to hear.

We work with hotels to create beautiful lighting and vintage style lampshades worldwide. Contact us today for details. Looking for beautiful lampshades in Victorian, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, or Asian styles to light up your hotel? We are here to help! Lampshades for Hotels, Bed & Breakfasts, or Resorts. We custom design and create stunning lampshades for hotels, bed and breakfasts, and resorts. Some of our past work can be seen at The Beekman in New York City and Hotel Boulderado in Boulder, Colorado. We take the time to discuss with your designer exactly what type, style, and color of lampshades are needed to ensure these beautiful pieces will be the perfect fit for your hotel! All of our shades are handmade, including our frames, allowing us to have quality and creative control throughout the entire process. Whether you are looking for shades for every room or just a few accent pieces, Vintage Shades is the perfect fit! Give Us A Call Email Us Customers

Beautiful vintage style lampshades and hospitality lighting for restaurants, hotels, and clubs worldwide! Contact us for rates. Looking for beautiful lighting for your business, we are here to help with our custom lampshades! LAMPSHADE ARTISTRY FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS We create lampshades for companies worldwide! If you are looking for beautiful and unique lighting for your hotel, restaurant, club, or bed and breakfast, see what we can do for you! Give Us A Call Email Us Hotels Hotel Shades Looking for beautiful and unique lighting for your hotel? See what we can do! Read More Restaurants Restaurant Shades We have created beautiful shades for restaurants worldwide! What can we do for you? Read More Disneyland Disneyland Shades We have worked with Disney artists to provide beautiful lighting in the Mad Hatter Shop. Read More

Read what our customers say about us! We design and create beautiful handmade lampshades in Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Asian styles. We also restore antique lampshades. Looking for a custom order, contact us today! Main Customers HAPPY CUSTOMERS "I received the lampshades a few days ago. I couldn't be more pleased with the way they turned out. The colors are beautiful and the craftsmanship and materials, excellent. Thanks so much for taking such care with my order. The shades are a work of art." "The Aztec shade was certainly well worth waiting for. It arrived today, neatly packed and it is meticulously made. It certainly is an added feature to my living room." "This is not a lampshade....this is a WORK of the finest ART!!!!!!! Thanks so very much! It is the MOOOOOST beautiful Victorian lampshade I've ever seen" "Just wanted to also drop you a line and say what a fabulous lamp! Just wonderful and more proof of your artistry and professional craftsmanship! Many thanks for being so great to deal with, so professional and so very very courteous! The lamp looks great with my cockatoo one that was purchased here. Keep up the good work!" "I wanted to let you know how much I love the Mission bed lamp I received on Friday! I can't even begin to find words to describe how awesome the lamp is and just how wonderful it looks - the color combination and choice of fabrics couldn't have been more perfect for the room and the beads are breathtaking. The bed lamp makes all the pillows on the bed standout and the copper/rose fabric on top blends exquisitely with the amber lamps I have on the night stands.The best way I can sum it up is to say "WOW!" Thanks again!!!" "What an amazing 60th birthday present! My husband and I can't stop staring at its magnificence! Your workmanship and expertise is apparent in every adoring detail. For any of you out there in the world that might be reading this I encourage you to give yourself a truly special gift and have Kelly and his wife make you one of their lamps. They're magical, really. Thank you once more for such an incredulously beautiful lamp." "The riser and the lampshade both arrived here today. I couldn't be more pleased! It is absolutely beautiful! It fits the standing frame perfectly and looks wonderful. The only problem is that now I want to locate more old stands so I can buy more shades from you !!!...Many thanks for a job well done!" "The sage lampshade was delivered today, and all I can say is, "WOW"! It is absolutely beautiful, and adds so much to my "parlor". I am so pleased with it." "Our new vintage lamp and lampshade are a beautiful addition to our Pre-School book corner. The children love looking at the images of children on each of the pannels. It is also one of the first things parent comment on when we give tours of the classroom. Thank you so much for the love you put into your work; It shines for our kids each time they turn the light on." "Hi Kelly and Kathy, My shade arrived and I love it! I was sort of worried that I wouldn't like it because I never had anything made by discussing the details via e-mail, but when I saw it and put it on my lamp it's exactly what I wanted. It's perfect. I can't believe how well it blends in with the colors already in my room. You did a great job and I hope to buy from you again in the future." "We want to thank you and Kathy for your outstanding design of our Fan Lampshade. We know we picked fabrics and talked to you about the design several times, but the fabric you added to our choices turned out to be stunning (remember we forgot to send you one of the fabrics). The colors, textures, contrasting elements, lines are all more than we could have asked for. We could not have chosen a better lampshade for our living room. It is exactly what we wanted, something that would draw attention to that corner of the living room: a work of art." "I just wanted to let you know how much I love my 'Blossom' lampshade. It is truly spectacular. I was a teeney bit apprehensive about buying this just from photos, but when I opened the box and saw the beautiful shade, well I was thrilled. I made a call to Kelly this afternoon to tell you how pleased I am and also that my Grandmother in heaven is happy that I finally am using her lovely floor lamp!! Thank you so very much." "The riser and the lampshade both arrived here today. I couldn't be more pleased! It is absolutely beautiful! It fits the standing frame perfectly and looks wonderful. The only problem is that now I want to locate more old stands so I can buy more shades from you !!!...Many thanks for a job well done!" Just wanted to let you know that I got my lamp Monday, exactly as you said I would, and it is absolutely GORGEOUS! I just couldn't be happier with it, Kelly. I wish I could buy one of everything you have! Thank you so much and I hope I can buy something again soon!" "The Aztec shade was certainly well worth waiting for. It arrived today, neatly packed and it is meticulously made. It certainly is an added feature to my living room."