The shade decides what the light looks like long before the bulb does. These are the four materials that appear most often in our collections, and what each one does to a room.

Alabaster

A dense, translucent stone. Light passes through rather than around it, so the bulb disappears and the shade itself becomes the light source. The result is a warm, even glow with very little glare — flattering over a dining table or beside a bed. Because alabaster is quarried, every shade carries its own veining and no two are identical.

Marble

Similar density to alabaster and a comparable softness, but with a slightly cooler cast and stronger, more graphic veining. Where alabaster whispers, marble has structure. It suits rooms with cooler palettes — grey, white, steel — and reads especially well against dark joinery.

Glass

The clearest transmission of the four. Blown or moulded discs, rods and globes throw highlights and cast patterns on the walls behind them, so glass is the material to choose when you want the fixture itself to be the focal point. It is also the most reflective, which makes small rooms feel taller.

Paper

Washi and similar papers diffuse hardest of all, turning a bright point source into a broad, glare-free panel. Nothing else spreads light so evenly across a surface. It is the right choice over a desk, a reading chair or anywhere the eye is close to the shade.

Choosing between them

• Want the glow, not the bulb? Alabaster or paper.
• Want the fixture to be the statement? Glass.
• Cool palette and crisp lines? Marble.
• Mixing materials in one room usually works — keep to two, and let the metals match.