Hey Fly, so sorry to hear you're feeling bad.

As for lampshades, I looked at my go-to sites for vintage lighting and all I see is round round round. I think it is the default for sure. I think I would consider function if I were heading for an oval. Will it help the lamp fit in its spot more readily, for instance? Often, when I break the rules, I use function as a justification.

Then, the other thing to consider is if it pleases you. That's all that counts anyway since you don't post pics of your house. (nudge nudge....just kidding!) But seriously, who gives hoot if it looks good to you.

Have you dragged the lamps to the store yet? Or brought the shades home for an audition? I am big believer in that....after ordering a custom shade for my MIL's ginormous Chinese lamp, which is now even more ginormous with the shade in place. And it's orange. Yes, the shade. And yes, that was a low-on-the-decorating-learning-curve purchase.

Sorry to hear you are in a flare.

My gut tells me that an oval shade requires an oval footprint for the lamp (or perhaps even a rectangle). You know, so they kind of relate to each other.

That said, pick what you like.

Fly sorry to hear that you are feeling poorly. I grew up in the mcm times and I don't recall ever seeing oval lamp shades. They were all tall round cylinders or drum shades, no matter the lamp shape. At least that is my memory, I could be mistaken.
In any case rules are meant to be broken. Get whatever you like best, I would!

Hey you all--thanks for your sympathetic thoughts :) We have been over putting in unpaid time at a catsitting "client" of DD's, a beautiful tortie girl who is living in a really SAD situation and we're trying to give her as much love as we can while she's in DD's charge...long story but I'm CHILLED now and trying to warm up with some chai while I type to you :)

Anyway, you're all confirming what I was pretty much thinking, both ways...that round cylinder or drum shades are probably how they were intended, and you know what, I think I'll be going with the cylinder anyway because I like the way the main lines of the linen are oriented -- horizontally -- on the cylinder as opposed to vertically on the oval. Now if I could find an oval with horizontal lines on the shade, I'd have a problem :) but so far no go. So it will be matching round (11") horizontally-oriented linen. The fabric made the decision!

And amy, I've been thinking that I really should take pics of the paint job now that it's pretty much done -- but I realized that I didn't take any before pics -- there may be some hanging around, but they may have people in them and I'm not sure I want to post those -- WHY didn't I take before pics??! Because the change is really just huge, from the first-generation Devine drab depressing look to the beautiful but not overexcited overlapping flow of BM Brandon Beige, Pleasant Valley, and Richmond Gray (including one wall of Great Northwest Gray, as I call my personal mix of BB and RG :) -- it really does work, it's not completely muddy, although that would certainly fit the name :)) to a peek of Titanium in the hallway to the Master suite. We have flow and atmosphere now, vs. stop-dead Dried Blood and Dead Skin up on the walls. The matte I'm now completely o.k. with, too -- it really does minimize the horrible sprayed crud they put on the walls out here. But you all can't appreciate it for the change, and maybe it wouldn't come across as wonderful as it does to us...and we're SO not done yet, have to finish stripping the stair rail and waxing/repainting it, finish doing the popcorn and repaint the ceilings...so much...and um, amy, I would actually think that maybe *you* might be close to a photo-share, yourself...?

Uh-oh...ya got me there fly!!! The accuser is accused! And rightly so. I keep telling myself I have to find the card reader, yadda, yadda. But the truth is, my perfectionism is rearing its ugly head. This house is such a long way from what I had in FL (I know, I know) and I am underfunded and unmotivated. Next time I clean up for company, I'll take pics. I seem to have sprained my ankle last night, so I'll try to dig around and find something to post today.

I would love to see the paint pics. As for the people...do you use photo bucket? They have an editing capability now and I bet you could blur out the faces. I'd really like to see the flesh and dried blood!

I am really relieved that the matte paint suits you. I assume DH is still happy with it. Does your daughter have an opinion? Just wondering where she is on the decorating spectrum....does she give a hoot yet? My daughter has never been interested in any of the things I love -- art, gardening, cooking -- but she does seem to be more and more interested in decorating in the last couple of years. Fun.

The lampshade with the nice fabric sounds perfect. The horizontal lines could balance the tall-skinniness of the lamp.

("Do, I look fat in this?", said one lamp to the other.)

LOL -- actually the lamps tall and slim so with the horizontals high up, it just makes them look bustier :)

Sorry about your ankle! I guess we'll just have to take our time with the pics. I use flickr and I know they have an editing capability-I'll check that out.

DD says that she likes the new blue in the stairwell up to her room because it makes her feel like she's flying up into the sky :). We'll be painting her room next, if I can ever stand to be in it long enough to do anything more than pick up dirty clothes...