Stained glass is transparent colour, and the colour of the wall behind it changes how it reads more than any other factor. A sapphire lamp against a white wall looks like a blue lamp; against a navy wall it looks like a lantern. This guide goes through each glass colour we sell and the paint families that suit it. The principle underneath all of it: the wall should be plainer than the glass, and either the same family as the glass or a warm neutral.
Blue glass
Sapphire and the blues in Sunset and Blue and Yellow are the coolest colours in the range and the most dramatic when lit. They want either a warm neutral wall to contrast with (stone, putty, warm white, pale clay) or a deep wall in the same family (navy, ink, teal). Avoid cool greys, which make blue glass look cold and clinical, and avoid pale blue, which makes the lamp disappear.
SAPPHIRE · WARM NEUTRAL WALL
SAPPHIRE · OVERHEAD
Amber and cream glass
Amber Mission, Amber Floral Scroll and Cream and Amber Mission are the easiest to place because amber glass reads as warm light rather than a colour. They work on almost any wall. The best pairings are warm whites and off-whites, sage and olive greens, terracotta and plaster pinks, and dark walls in brown, aubergine or bottle green, where the amber glow is at its most atmospheric. The one thing to avoid is a strong yellow wall, which cancels the glass.
Green and teal glass
Teal and Green Dragonfly sits between blue and green and is flattered by both warm neutrals and by deep greens. Sage, olive and eucalyptus walls make it look like part of the room; a dark forest green wall makes it glow. It is also the design that works best with natural materials, cork, rattan, oak, because the glass colour is close to foliage.
Red glass
Scarlet Dragonfly is the boldest colour in the range unlit and softens to rose when lit. It needs a restrained wall: warm white, cream, pale grey-green or a deep neutral such as charcoal or chocolate. Red glass against a red or pink wall is too much; against a green wall it is a Christmas card. Against black it is superb.
Multicolour glass
Garden Floral has a dozen colours in it and will pick a fight with any strong wall. Give it a neutral: white, cream, stone, pale sage. Let the lamp be the colour in the room. If you want a coloured wall with a floral lamp, choose the wall colour from the quietest colour in the glass, usually a soft green, and keep it pale.
The quick reference
| Glass | Best walls | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Blue (Sapphire, Sunset, Blue and Yellow) | Warm white, stone, putty, navy, teal | Cool grey, pale blue |
| Amber and cream | Almost anything; warm white, sage, terracotta, dark brown or green | Strong yellow |
| Green and teal | Sage, olive, warm neutrals, deep forest green | Turquoise, mint |
| Red (Scarlet) | Warm white, cream, charcoal, chocolate, black | Red, pink, mid green |
| Multicolour (Garden Floral) | White, cream, stone, pale sage | Any strong colour or pattern |
Test with the lamp on. Paint colour looks different under coloured light. Hold a sample card next to the wall in the evening with the lamp lit before committing; amber light warms every colour, blue light greys them.
