About Us
Our History
We’ve been passionate about lampshade making for over 40 years.
Founded in 1982 in Hackney, East London, Dannells began life as Martin Dannell & Co Ltd, supporting the UK’s thriving lampshade manufacturing industry with specialist products and services.
Today, Dannells operates from a 20,000 sq ft factory in Essex, employing around 30 skilled, long-serving staff. We’re proud to be a British manufacturer, with craftsmanship and quality at the heart of everything we do.
The business is now led by Jamie Dannell and David Little, who together bring nearly 80 years of industry experience. Our founder, Martin Dannell, has retired — and is sensibly enjoying a well-earned life of holidays.
Creativity is what drives us. We love developing new designs, working with makers, and sharing our knowledge. Whether you’re creating lampshades for your home, gifting, or building a business, we’re here to help.
Education and community matter to us, too. That’s why we run a successful online forum with 7,000 members, supporting and inspiring lampshade makers of all levels.
Our Customers
We work with a wide and varied community — from members of the public and designers to entrepreneurs, retailers, tradespeople, schools, and educational establishments.
We support customers at every level and are always happy to offer friendly advice and technical guidance. We talk to everyone, so if you ever need help, just pick up the phone — we’ll be glad to help in any way we can.
A Trusted Partner
Dannells Limited is a long-established, reputable company known for high-quality products, reliable supplies, and excellent customer service. Our commitment to quality and innovation has made us a trusted name in the industry — and a firm favourite with lampshade makers and manufacturers around the world.
But don’t just take our word for it — read the reviews.
Our Team
We’re here to help — and we’re always happy to listen.
We set ourselves high standards and pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service, making ordering with us as easy and hassle-free as possible.
These are the people who make it happen.
Diane Harvey
Customer Service Manager
Usually our customers' first point of contact. Friendly and efficient, Diane really looks after our customers. If you have any queries about products, samples or orders, please contact Diane.
E-mail: diane@dannells.com
Melina Hayes
Accounts Manager
Our credit controller and also looks after our purchase ledger. Bringing lots of experience from a banking background. Contact Melina if you wish to discuss any financial aspect of your business or transaction with us.
E-mail: melina@dannells.com
Monica Franco
Marketing Manager
Monica joined us in 2019 and plays a crucial role in helping us promote, educate and present our products to our customers over all our social media platforms and channels.
E-mail: monica@dannells.com
Sam Sterken
Blog Coordinator & Demonstrator
Sam has been working with us since 2015, representing us on shopping channels, running workshops, and demonstrating at exhibitions and events. Sam looks after our blog and interviews our customers for our monthly Meet the Makers feature, which inspires and helps others. Take a look and click here
E-mail: sam@dannells.com
David Eddison
Procurement Manager
With responsibility for procurement and all aspects of managing the supply chain, since starting in 2020, David has brought his knowledge and ability to collaborate with colleagues to substitute manual processes with automation, in turn increasing efficiencies throughout the business.
E-mail: david.eddison@dannells.com
David Little
Director
Joined in 1990 as the company's Production Manager, David has expanded his remit to product development, marketing, IT management and is active in all areas of our evolution as a Company. His innovative mind is behind many of our best-selling products and ideas.
E-mail:david@dannells.com
James Dannell
Director
Joined in 1995, initially as our Sales Manager. He has since built up a wealth of product and manufacturing knowledge & is now active in all areas of our Company's management & diversification, as well as product development, sales & marketing. Along with David, Jamie is one of the company's major shareholders.
E-mail: Jamie@dannells.com
Martin Dannell
Consultant
Founded Martin Dannell & Company in 1982 having already worked in the fashion, lighting, interiors & soft furnishings industries for over 20 years.
Martin remains active in our Company & our ethos of quality products and superb customer service all stem from him.
E-mail: martin@dannells.com
Our EU Team
Malgosia & Nick Masters
European Distributors
Malgosia & Nick Masters of Lighthouse Crafts, a family business located near Warsaw, offer our EU clients some of our best-selling products for immediate dispatch direct from stock held in the EU, making it a more efficient, straightforward and pleasant experience to get hold of your lampshade making essentials and significantly reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and paperwork.
E-mail:malgosia@dannells.eu
Our Products
From hobbyists to manufacturers, we have products to suit every level.
Retailers
Our Needcraft Individual Kits are ideal for retailers and perfectly suited to haberdashery stores — a strong, creative product that encourages customers to use and buy fabric stock.
Manufacturers
Everything you need to produce lampshades for retail or commercial projects, supplied to professional standards and at highly competitive rates.
Workshops, Schools & Colleges
Our workshop packs are designed for shared, creative experiences, giving participants the chance to learn a new skill and leave with a professional-quality lampshade made using their own fabric and their own hands. Many who start with workshops go on to build successful, thriving lampshade-making businesses.
Our Services
Dannells offers a comprehensive range of lampshade manufacturing services and has built a strong reputation as a reliable, consistent partner to manufacturers worldwide.
Supported by an expert team and state-of-the-art machinery, we provide:
- Lampshade panel fabric printing
- Large-format flatbed cutting
- Soft and rigid fabric pleating
- Lamination
- Commercial printing
Our Trademarked Brands
Needcraft
Is our British creative kit brand, built on over 50 years of industry experience and renowned for its professional lampshade-making kits, all manufactured in Waltham Abbey, England.
Stick-IT
We manufacture an exclusive range of specialist self-adhesive lampshade materials, engineered for professional use and offered in a wide range of carefully developed finishes.
Our materials are used globally in retail lighting products and commercial installations where performance and design matter
Our Social Media
In today’s world, strong social media channels help us stay connected — sharing ideas, answering questions, and engaging with our community.
We’re active across multiple industry platforms. To visit our social media pages, simply click the links below.
Join Our Forum "The secret every lampshade maker should know"
Our forum is where makers from around the world share tips, solve tricky problems, and show off their gorgeous creations. From expert advice to endless inspiration, it’s a community powered by a genuine “we’ll help and inspire you” spirit.
Join 7,000+ lampshade-making enthusiasts worldwide — get involved and join the conversation.
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Contact Us
We hope this page has given you a helpful insight into our company.
If you’d like more information or have any questions, please get in touch via our contact page — we’d be delighted to help.