table lamp

Table Lamps Galore

Did you “accidentally” break your husband’s favorite, and tacky, table lamp from his first apartment after the dorms? Make up for it by replacing it with a much more attractive and functional option. Home lighting is important, so we understand!

There are many table lamps to choose from. Start narrowing down your options by assessing your needs.

Start With What You Have

What is the natural lighting in the room? If you have to have a general lamp on all day, plus task lighting at night, layered lighting or multifunctional lamps are advised. If the space is too small to use multiple lamps to provide layered lighting, choose a lamp that has dimming capabilities.

Picking The Lamp Size

You want the shade to be eye level when seated next to it. This requires measuring the difference between the top of the table it will be on and eye level. This determines

the height of the lamp base. Be careful not to choose a lamp that is oversized to the table or undersized to the task.

Table Lamp Styles

Mix table lamps with other light fixtures in the same room. It is also okay to mix styles, but not metals. Also choose shade colors and bulb hues that do not clash.

The new Edison design style is perfectly suited for table lamps meant to provide general illumination or ambience. Since the bulbs are visible, they may not be comfortable as task lighting.

Finding the Best Shade Shape

The shape of the shade determines how the light is distributed. This is especially important for task lighting.

Best shapes for task lighting

  • The Coolie shade is the most common and pushes the light downward to the task.
  • The eye shape shade is contemporary and sophisticated. It sends light up and down, making it more suitable for a narrow table.
  • The square shade brings a more modern feel to a room and has uplight and downlight.
  • The tapered square shade is the best choice for a reading light with a swing arm.
  • The conical shade sends most of the light down. Unless it has an inverted cone, which sends the light up.

Best Shapes for Ambience, Accents or Illumination

  • The cylinder shade distributes narrow light best suited for accent or supplemental lighting.
  • The drum shade sends uplight and downlight equally.
  • The oval shade is similar to the drum, but more suitable for a small space.
  • The rectangle shade is contemporary and good at a bar or side table.

The Most Useful Table Lamps

Desk lamps are the workhorses of your house lamps. Thus, they deserve their own headline.

  • The clamp-on lamp is best for small desks and allows for directional change.
  • The magnifier lamp is for the coin collector in your life.
  • The banker lamp is perfection that cannot be improved upon.
  • The organizer lamp comes equipped with storage compartments perfectly suited for supplies, making it perfect for the Marie Kondo in your life.

Whether you are picking a table lamp for bedtime reading, hobbying, or late night studying, there is a lamp out there made for you. Go forth and find it.

BUYERS GUIDES – Chandeliers – Wall Lighting – Table Lamps – Pendant Lighting – Floor Lamps