About Couture Shades

Couture Shades is the source for bespoke and custom-made lampshades.  Our team of artisans in our Manhattan atelier constructs and sews every shade by hand. Together the team enjoys decades of experience and still employs the time-honored and meticulous techniques of 19th century French craftsmen whose workmanship in sewing and finishing has never been surpassed.

The hallmarks of a perfectly tailored lampshade you will find at Couture Shades include: 

·     Completely hand sewn from start to finish.  All sewing is done by hand. We do not machine pleat and then merely finish by hand; each pleat and trim element is hand-pinned and sewn with the kind of attention to detail usually only found on an haute-couture gown.

·     Custom handcrafted artistry: Each shade, whether crafted from silk, linen or paper stock, is designed from the ground up to suit the lamp for which it is intended.  Our staff, with their knowledge of technique and materials, are here to assist designers realize their goals; essentially limited only by their imaginations. Tom Walko, head of Couture Shades, is available to consult on any lampshade project.

·     We never use glue.  Inferior fabric shades are glued to secure seams, bindings and decorative trims.  Glue yellows and degrades over time, ruining the look of a shade and drastically shortening its useful lifespan.  On paper shades, we use opaque seams to cover any glue required in construction.

·     French bias seams: This is a traditional technique that creates an elegant and inconspicuous seam along the base and top of the shade for a “seamless” look.  This avoids the bunching and discoloration formed by the more obvious and unsightly folded over blunt-end seam.