Fun. Fabulous. Frockz.

Quite simply, Frockz are slipcovers for your lampshades that allow you to create a designer look in mere seconds. And, more importantly, the look can be changed just as easily.

Made out of a special stretch fabric, the covers conform to practically any shape, making them extremely versatile, said Shelly Dick, who created Frockz along with her friend and neighbor Wanda Guadamud.

“Once you put one on, other lampshades don’t appeal to you anymore,” she said.

Currently available in an array of bold graphic prints and bright colors, Frockz slipcovers transform a usually overlooked accessory into a designer element of the home, she said.

“Up until now, you don’t really even see the lampshade. It’s a nonissue in decorating. You look at everything else … rugs, couch, pillows. You spend tons of money on it all and then put on a plain lampshade.”

The shade covers come in two basic shapes, cone and drum, and three sizes. Cone shades are those where the top is smaller than the bottom, while drum shades are those that are the same size at the top and bottom.

Dick said determining the proper size to get can be figured by using a standard basketball as a gauge. If the shade is smaller than a basketball, then get a small Frockz. If the shade is larger than a basketball, a large cover is needed. Shades that are about the same size require a medium, she said.

At the moment, Frockz slipcovers are available in 29 patterns. Dick said they are divided into four basic categories: traditional, animal print, modern and fun. New patterns will be introduced regularly, retiring others along the way.

She said customers have asked them to add solid colors, which is planned, as well as seasonal and holiday prints.

They are priced from $26 to $34.

In addition to being used to create a new designer look for a lamp, Dick said Frockz slipcovers are ideal to refurbish old, discolored or damaged shades.

“As long as the frame is in good condition, it doesn’t matter if the fabric has long since rotted or if it’s torn, faded or dented. If the frame is OK, Frockz will give new life to it.”

Another money-saving aspect of the shade covers is that they are machine washable and can be tumbled dry.

According to Dick, anyone interested in decorating their homes would like and appreciate the shade covers. They can be used in dorm rooms, homes being staged for sales, second homes or to accommodate visiting grandchildren.

Frockz slipcovers were born out of frustration. Dick, an attorney, and Guadamud, a business manager for a network of physical therapists, were looking at design magazines one day while watching football with their husbands. At the same time, they were lamenting the lack of contemporary and modern lighting resources near their homes in Baton Rouge, La.

Their original plan was to open a retail store. They visited several lighting events for the trade and became intrigued with the idea of creating decorative shades for pendants and lamps. Further research, however, proved that to be a cost-prohibitive enterprise and too trendy.

Instead, they started thinking about ways to cover a lampshade, taking something that is ordinarily plain white or beige and transforming it into something exotic.

“Once we found the mechanism, four-way stretch fabrics that we have printed just for us, then it became obvious that we needed to change our focus from retail to getting our idea patented,” Dick said.

Frockz debuted in June of last year at an international trade show for lighting, home and gifts in Dallas. The company made its first visit to Las Vegas last month during the home-furnishings trade show at World Market Center Las Vegas.

Dick said the slipcovers are getting a lot of attention and that they opened a number of new accounts with retailers during the market as well as began negotiations for a West Coast representative. In the meantime, they can be purchased online by visiting www.frockz.com.