We are very pleased with the look of this lamp.  Note...the black on the shade is painted on a raised surface not pieces of metal.  That being said, it is a nice heavy glass and the shade glows warmly. It shines downward so when turned on the bulb is not visible. We use it on a small dining table so another good feature is that one can put a cup or other item on the base which is 6x8 inches, and wipes off easily.  We like that it takes a CFL 60 watt bulb.