Fabric Ceiling Lights

What fabric does to light

Fabric is a woven or knitted textile, and when light passes through it the fibres scatter the glow in many directions. That is why a fabric shade looks lit from within and why it takes the glare off a bare bulb. The room gets a softer, more even light, with fewer harsh shadows on faces and walls.

The colour and weight of the fabric shape the result. A pale, fine weave lets more light through and keeps a room feeling bright, while a deeper colour or a denser weave holds more back, so more of the light falls downward and the shade itself glows warmly. It is a material for rooms where you want comfort as much as brightness.

Ceiling lights with fabric shades: what goes into them

Fabric rarely works alone on a ceiling light, so many of ours pair it with iron for strength, and many combine it with PVC, a material fabric is often bonded to so that it holds a clean shape. Some use other metals too, and you will also find a few with touches of glass or acrylic.

Finishes vary widely across the range. Among them you will find white, chrome, nickel, gold, brass, black, ivory, silver, grey, bronze and beige, some polished, some satin and some with an antique look. A few of our lights lean traditional, and some have a clean, modern line, so it is worth matching the finish to the handles, curtain poles and picture frames already in the room.

Choosing a fabric ceiling light

Start with the size of the room and the height of the ceiling. Some of our lights are medium sized and sit well in a bedroom, a hallway or a smaller living room, while many are large and give a dining room or a generous living room a proper centre point. As a rough guide, add the length and width of the room in metres and multiply by eight: the result is a sensible diameter for the light in centimetres.

Then think about how much light one fitting needs to give. Some of ours have three lights and a few have four or five, which spreads more brightness across a larger space. Over a dining table, a light around half to two thirds the width of the table looks balanced. In a hallway or under a low ceiling, leave at least two metres between the floor and the bottom of the light so nobody has to duck.

Bulbs, brightness and dimming

Most of our fabric ceiling lights take an E27 bulb, the standard large screw fitting, so replacements are easy to find, and a few use the smaller E14. With fabric, LED bulbs are the sensible choice: they run far cooler than old incandescent bulbs, use much less energy and last for years. Keep within the maximum wattage stated for the fitting.

Most are dimmable, and dimming suits fabric well, since a lowered shade glows gently rather than looking dull. You will need dimmable bulbs and a dimmer switch made for LEDs, as an older dimmer can cause flicker or a faint buzz. A warm white bulb of around 2700K brings out the warmth of the fabric in the evening.

Where fabric ceiling lights work best

Many of our fabric ceiling lights suit a hallway, where a soft overhead glow makes a welcoming first impression without glare at eye level. Some are well suited to a bedroom, a living room or a dining room, and some are designed for ambient light, filling a room evenly rather than lighting a single task.

Many are rated IP20, which means they are made for dry indoor rooms. Keep fabric lights out of bathrooms and away from anywhere they could be splashed or caught in steam, such as directly over a hob. Installation of a mains fitting is for a qualified electrician.

Caring for fabric ceiling lights

Switch the light off and let the bulb cool before you clean. Dust is the main thing fabric collects, so go over the shade once a fortnight or so with a soft brush, a lint roller or a vacuum cleaner on a low setting with the brush attachment, working from the top down so the dust falls away from cleaned areas.

For a small mark, dab gently with a barely damp cloth and a drop of mild washing-up liquid, then blot dry. Never soak or scrub the fabric, as water can leave rings and loosen any glue that holds it in place. Wipe any metal parts with a soft, dry cloth, and clean any glass with a damp cloth once the power is off.