It makes sense, if you have a tight budget, to save as much money as possible when decorating your home, but only where it means that you will still be happy with the finished look you have created.

If you love the final picture, then you have succeeded, but if all you can see are items that you are not quite happy with, because you didn’t buy for the room you want, but based on the low price of the products, then you have not saved money wisely.

When looking for lamp shades you will come across exquisite designer shades as well as many low cost ones. If you have a contemporary room, it is likely that a low cost plain shade will suit it very well and you can get away with paying very little for lamp shades.

You will also find many shades in the latest colors, which are suitable for contemporary interiors, at discount stores at very reasonable cost. This might seem surprising but the discount stores rely on selling a lot of each product line they stock and therefore it makes sense to sell the lamp shades, which are in the colors which are most in demand.

If your room is more traditional in character however, these cheap lamp shades will stand out like a sore thumb. In that case, you are better to pay a little more for something, which is more in keeping with the style of the room. If you are on a low budget, look for shades in rayon rather than silk and plainer shades rather than fancier ones. You could also wait for one of the frequent sales held by lighting and department stores to pick up your shade at a discount, rather than paying full retail price.

If you would like something a little more special but it is a bit out of your league, think about adding your own trimming to a lower cost shade to get that special look without breaking the bank.