Shades

The first shades vary in size by a few inches, due to the fact that Johnny was experimenting with size and shape. A side note; the very first frame that was made couldn’t be used as a lampshade, due to the fact that the opening at the top was too narrow and wouldn’t fit on any hoop. This frame later became the hanging lamp known as Haku (Flower Halo) and is currently offered on Johnny’s site.

Every pattern is custom made and cut by hand. After the patterns are made, they are traced onto an Fijian tapa, cut, then an industrial glue made specifically for shades is applied to the opposing sides of the shade. The tapa is then wrapped around the wire frame so the wire is invisible.

Once the glue is dried, the neighboring sides are hand cut, so they lay directly along the spine of the frame. Raw tapa is then glued to the center of each spine to give contrast and detail to the shade. Once dry, holes are marked then punched through. After experimenting with different kinds of thread and small gauged cord, Johnny decided on hemp cord as being the best match.

The hand stitching takes anywhere from 6-8 hours depending on the shape of the shade. Lastly, the shades get an hand brushed coating of polyurethane on top and underneath for added durability.

All shades are one of a kind, and are numbered 1/1.

If you have any questions, click here to ask Johnny directly. Otherwise, we hope you enjoy his work both on the site and in your home.