One problem that everyone in this area faces is replacing lampshades. The metal parts rust very quickly and the fabric covering frequently gets stained from salty, sea air. Unfortunately, shades are not typically sold in stores in the region without buying the entire lamp. So, replacements are something that we all need but struggle to find. There used to be a lampshade store in Cancún, but that’s now out of business. Nowadays, you can purchase shades online, but they’re expensive, the materials are just like the originals, and shipping costs can be high.
Good news! We have located a man in Mérida who custom makes lampshades, specifically with coastal living in mind. His name is Daniel Taboada, and he has been making custom lampshades for 20 years. We recently had two made to our specifications and they are of excellent quality. He starts with a metal core that is custom built to your dimensions and is then encased in plastic, so that only the attachment portion is exposed. He has a variety of fabrics and colors available that are then bonded to the plastic core. As he makes the core of the shade out of plastic sheeting it will not rust or stain and is easy to clean. All of the metal is painted with automotive paint, a great local technique, to prevent, or at least delay, rusting.
He can make shades in a drum shape or a conical shape, to whatever dimensions you need. Making a drawing or sending a photo with the right measurements, colors, fabric choice and details is the first step. This should include the type of attachment with dimensions, e.g. a harp and spider, a clip on, or one that attaches to the bulb socket – a photo of your lamp would be wise. Make sure that you get these dimensions right. He made ours recently in under a week and sent them to Akumal from Mérida using an inexpensive, reliable package delivery service. The cost was very reasonable and the design features mean that they will last a lot longer in this climate than the originals, and much longer than one you could buy on Amazon or bring from home.
The name of the service is Limani, and his contact information is shown below on his business cards . He prefers to work in Spanish, so have your details and information ready when you contact him.
Leave a Reply