One of the most common worries when buying a new ceiling lampshade is the fitting. Will it work with my light? Do I need an electrician? Is it going to be a whole afternoon's job? For most homes the answer is reassuring: fitting a shade like this is simple, quick and something you can do yourself. Here is how it works.
First, check your existing fitting
Almost every Maison Halo shade is designed as a simple cord pendant with a standard E27 fitting. E27 is the most common ceiling fitting in UK homes, so there is a good chance your existing light already uses one. The quickest way to check is to look at your current bulb: if it has a large screw base, you have an E27 fitting and you are ready to go. A smaller screw or a two-pin bayonet base means you may need an inexpensive adaptor, which is widely available.
What you are actually doing
It helps to know that you are not rewiring anything. Our shades come as a pendant on an adjustable cord, so fitting one is really two steps: connecting the pendant where your old fitting was, and hanging the shade. If you are simply swapping one plug-in or cord pendant for another, this takes minutes and needs no tools beyond your hands.
The one case to flag: if your ceiling currently has a hard-wired fixture and you are replacing the wiring itself, that part is a job for a qualified electrician. Swapping the shade is easy; anything involving mains wiring at the ceiling is not something to improvise. When in doubt, a quick call to an electrician for the initial fitting means you can then change shades yourself whenever you like.
Setting the height
Because the cord is adjustable, you decide how low the shade hangs. Over a dining table, leave roughly 70 to 90cm between the tabletop and the base of the shade, low enough to feel intimate but high enough to see across the table. In a hallway or living room, hang it so the base sits comfortably above head height. Adjust once, and it stays where you set it.
Choosing the right bulb
Our shades take a standard E27 bulb, which is not included so you can choose the light you prefer. An LED bulb is a good choice: it runs cool, which suits a woven shade, and it lasts for years. Think about warmth too. A soft, warm white bulb (around 2700K) gives the cosy glow that natural fibre shades are made for, while a cooler bulb feels more clinical.
A few things worth checking
Before you order, run through these quick questions:
- Does my current light use an E27 fitting, or will I need an adaptor?
- Is my ceiling fitting a simple pendant, or hard-wired and better left to an electrician for the first fit?
- Do I have enough drop for the shade to hang at the right height?
- Have I got a warm white LED bulb ready to go?
Answer those and there are no surprises left. For most homes, a new shade really is a five-minute change.
A simple change, done yourself
Fitting a ceiling shade does not have to mean calling anyone or spending an afternoon on it. With a standard E27 fitting and an adjustable cord, you can hang a new shade yourself and set it exactly where you want it. At Maison Halo, every shade lists its fitting and dimensions clearly, so you know what you are getting before it arrives. Explore the collection and find the shade your room has been waiting for.
The finishing touch your room has been waiting for.