These were pretty much what I expected, though I did have a small problem with the fabric covered cord (I think quite a bit of the cord itself is stuck inside the lamp) and it's quite short from the lamp to the plug. But, it's tucked behind a bedside table so an extension cord fixed the issue quickly. The black shade diffuses much of the light so I wouldn't advise using them as a reading lamp by a bed or chair, but they are stunning at night when on and they look quite a bit more expensive than the price you pay. The black shade has a suede like texture to it and the inside of the shade is a golden tan color. It works amazing in the bedroom with a hide hair rug and white bedding accents, very modern but without being over the top. I highly recommend them!