A drum shade on a metal base in brass or brushed steel brings a small touch of hardware to your bedside table. Brass bases have warmth and a slight visual richness that plain steel does not have. Brushed steel reads as more contemporary and understated than polished metal. The metal base should be substantial enough to feel solid and stable not spindly or flimsy. A neutral drum shade in white or cream linen works with either metal finish. The shade diffuses light while the base provides visual grounding. These lamps work in bedrooms with contemporary or transitional sensibilities where you want bedside lighting that has a bit of refinement without being ornate.