{"id":1901,"date":"2025-09-24T12:34:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T12:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/?p=1901"},"modified":"2025-10-06T10:49:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T10:49:48","slug":"ivy-karlsgodt-marries-handcraft-with-social-media-for-her-lampshade-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/24\/ivy-karlsgodt-marries-handcraft-with-social-media-for-her-lampshade-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Ivy Karlsgodt Marries Handcraft with Social Media for Her Lampshade Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the vintage craft of making lampshades by hand meets the social-media-fueled modern age, you get the glorious world that is Ace of Shades<\/a>. From the hands of a former costume designer who worked on productions for television, film and Broadway, Ace of Shades is a one-woman show based in Brooklyn. With little else to do during the COVID lockdown, Ivy Karlsgodt decided to make a lampshade by hand, and she caught the lampshade-making bug. She then began documenting her process and sharing those videos on Instagram<\/a> and TikTok<\/a>, where she circulated her talent and lavish creations to the masses. She’s since cultivated a devoted follower base on social media who enjoy the soothing process depicted in her videos (set to soft, old-timey songs), as much as the finished products themselves.<\/p>\n

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@aceofshadesshop<\/a> <\/p>\n

[sold!] New one-of-one lampshade in the shop! \ud83c\udf50\ud83c\udf47\u2728 This one features hand-beaded glass fringe. Extremely time consuming but the effect is so worth it. I forgot to record the airbrushing step unfortunately but the green silk is airbrushed around the edges for some depth. In my shop now along with a few other shades! #lamptok<\/a> #lampshade<\/a> #handmade<\/a> #maximalism<\/a> #maximalistdecor<\/a> #victorian<\/a> #victorianhouse<\/a> #artdeco<\/a> #artnouveau<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c I’m Every Sparkly Woman – Ana Roxanne<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Karlsgodt’s gorgeous lampshade designs drew me in. I’m always interested in how modern-day artists share and tell stories about their creative processes, so I reached out to learn more about the Ace of Shades. Karlsgodt’s thoughtful responses to my questions are below. (Interview lightly edited for length and clarity.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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Why lampshades? What is it about lampshades that drew you in, and why did you decide to start making them yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I used to work in the costume industry in NYC, making costumes for Broadway, film, and TV. During the 2020 COVID lockdown, I was laid off for a while and wanted to make my apartment feel more “me,” since I was spending all my time at home. Having always had a love of vintage glamor and maximalism, I fell down a Pinterest rabbit hole of Victorian lampshades and decided to take a crack at making one myself. I loved the process so much I kept making them, and started posting short process videos online. <\/p>\n

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How did you go about learning the craft of making lampshades? Are you self-taught? What sort of resources did you seek out and use to learn such a unique skill? <\/strong><\/p>\n

I learned a lot of the basic techniques from Mary Maxwell’s instructional DVDs on the subject, and I was able to pick up the process pretty easily given my professional background in sewing. Some of it is similar to some hat-making techniques I had learned previously in the costume shop. I haven’t found many other good resources for learning this apart from the DVDs, and have had to develop some of my own techniques. <\/p>\n

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My process is rather slow and meticulous, given how quickly and cheaply most products are made today. Even most luxury products are no longer made with care these days, so it’s refreshing to see so much work being put into one piece. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Your lampshades have garnered a lot of attention through your process videos on social media. Why do you think people find these videos so appealing? What is it about the lampshade-making process in particular that is so captivating?<\/strong> <\/p>\n

My followers appreciate my style, which is very vintage-inspired, and often incorporates unique color palettes and lush combinations of silk, lace, beads and fringes. I also have many viewers who comment that my work is not their style, but that they love watching my videos because they find the combination of old music and my process relaxing to watch. I think my viewers also appreciate that my process is rather slow and meticulous, given how quickly and cheaply most products are made today. Even most luxury products are no longer made with care these days, so it’s refreshing to see so much work being put into one piece. <\/p>\n

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@aceofshadesshop<\/a> <\/p>\n

I finally have a new stock design available! This time in lovely pastel tones. I can\u2019t pick a favorite! I\u2019ll continue making these in small batches for the forseeable future. \ud83e\ude70 \ud83e\udd0d\ud83c\udf37\ud83c\udf70\ud83c\udf80 #lamptok<\/a> #maximalism<\/a> #homedecor<\/a> #lampshade<\/a> #victorianlampshade<\/a> #coquette<\/a> #coquetteaesthetic<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c Dream – The Pied Pipers<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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Process videos like yours are a critical exposure tool for artists. What are the pros and cons of this approach for working artists? Do you enjoy making your videos, or is it an effort that takes away from focusing on creating the lampshades themselves?<\/strong> <\/p>\n

My process videos are completely responsible for the growth of my following on social media and the success of my business. Given my workload, I really only have time to record like 5% of the lampshades I make now. So I prioritize recording unsold one-of-a-kind lampshades, or my favorite\/most ornate commissions. The only thing that really changes from video to video is the design of the lampshade I’m making. The recording process can be disruptive, but my videos are pretty formulaic at this point, and editing is fairly quick. It’s definitely worth the extra work!<\/p>\n

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@aceofshadesshop<\/a> <\/p>\n

New commission using the absolute prettiest peach kimono silk & dip dyed fringe for Lexi! Thanks, again! \ud83c\udf51 \ud83e\udd8b #victorian<\/a> #victorianlampshade<\/a> #maximalism<\/a><\/p>\n

\u266c Moon River – Audrey Hepburn<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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Unique color combinations are my signature, so I’m always on the lookout for color combinations that catch my eye and would be cool on a lampshade.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What\u2019s your typical design process like for a lampshade? How do you go about deciding on color, shape, or pattern? <\/strong><\/p>\n

It depends on the design. Sometimes I start with a frame shape I really want to use, or a fabric, appliqu\u00e9, beaded fringe, color combination, etc. Then I design the rest around that. I draw everything on my iPad in detail and will compare different fabric, trim, and color options before finalizing the design and buying the supplies. Unique color combinations are my signature, so I’m always on the lookout for color combinations that catch my eye and would be cool on a lampshade. If I’m working on a commission for a customer, I’ll let them be as involved as they want in the design process; I will sometimes draw several versions of the design for them before it’s finalized.<\/p>\n

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A beat-up old dress or a bit of embroidery can make a fabulous lampshade!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Where are you sourcing your materials from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My frames are made to order by a welder in LA, I order my rayon twist fringe and braid trim wholesale from Spain, and my fabrics and other trims come from various shops in NYC’s Garment District or online from sellers on Etsy and eBay. I also love to reuse vintage materials for lampshades when I can get my hands on them. A beat-up old dress or a bit of embroidery can make a fabulous lampshade!<\/p>\n

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When I first posted, I thought maybe if I could get a few thousand followers, I could sell one of these every now and then, just to fund the hobby. It’s amazing that it’s my whole job now. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What aspect of your Ace of Shades business are you most surprised by? What are you proudest of? <\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m surprised that it even became a business in the first place! I’d never even considered starting my own business before I got into lampshade-making, and had a totally different plan for my career. When I first posted, I thought maybe if I could get a few thousand followers, I could sell one of these every now and then, to fund my hobby. It’s amazing that it’s my whole job now. <\/p>\n

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My proudest moment was when photos of my work were licensed for use on the concert backdrop for Stevie Nicks’ most recent tour. I’ve loved her since I was a little kid, and was definitely influenced by her style. It was such a cool, full-circle moment for me to see huge photos of my work on stage behind her. I don’t think I can ever top that!<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Ace of Shades (@aceofshadesshop)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The post Ivy Karlsgodt Marries Handcraft with Social Media for Her Lampshade Practice<\/a> appeared first on PRINT Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When the vintage craft of making lampshades by hand meets the social-media-fueled modern age, you get the glorious world that is Ace of Shades. From the hands of a former costume designer who worked on productions for television, film and Broadway, Ace of Shades is a one-woman show based in Brooklyn. With little else to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1901"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1933,"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901\/revisions\/1933"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurenhwhite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}