How To Choose A Table Lamp
Do you know how to choose a table lamp? Many people think a lamp is just a lamp. But is it? No, not at all! Any old lamp may easily serve its primary purpose of providing light in a room. Choosing the wrong size and style can change the whole look of your lamp’s surroundings.
So how do you pick the right one? There are some simple steps you can consider when buying a lamp to get the best fit for your room. We’ve chosen 4 essential tips to help you create an effective and balanced look!
The height of your lamp
Where is your table lamp going to sit in the room? On a side table? On a console table? On a tv unit? Height is probably the most important factor to look at when making your choice. You want to make sure that your lamp isn’t so tall that it shines into your eyes when you are sitting on your sofa. To prevent this, the bottom of the lampshade should not be higher than your eye level.
A tall lamp on a shorter side table can throw off the balance of the look significantly. It also presents the opportunity for the lamp to be knocked easily.
The width of your lamp
As much as the height of your lamp is important, the width holds just as much weighting. Why choose a shorter lamp and then stick a super wide shade on top? The balance factor doesn’t add up. Generally speaking, the shade should be around twice the diameter of the base and no wider.
Remember that no-one is going to take a tape measure to your lamp. However the overall visual and proportion will look so much better if you consider sizing somewhat carefully. Another more straight forward aspect is the width of the shade. Make sure it doesn’t overhang the sides of the table it’s sitting on. This creates another great opportunity to knock it off accidentally.
Choosing shade style
The shape and look of your lamp shade is the fun part of your purchase. If you have a big chunky table, you can probably get away with a big chunky lamp. Whereas a super skinny lamp would just look awkward and out of place.
Also think about the style of the whole room, not just the table your lamp is on. Your lamp is a design element so have some fun with different ideas! Just make sure it fits the space.
In terms of brightness, choose a shade that matches how you will be using the lamp. If you want to use it for watching tv choose a more opaque shade or darker colour. This will help stop glare or bright light reflecting back at you.
A semi-opaque shade will let more light out making it ideal for a reading nook. It allows for more room lighting which can also be more cost effective than turning on the ceiling lights.
Buying the right bulb
If the purpose of the lamp is for reading, we recommend using a light bulb that is 60 watts or higher. If you’d like to use an energy saving LED bulb, consider a LED and the comparable rating. This way you can compare against a regular watts brightness measure.
If you want maximum flexibility you can go for a dimmable bulb. If you are going to go with LEDs, make sure that the LED bulb is dimmable, as some designs are not.
Now that you have everything in mind, enjoy shopping for your new table lamp! Remember, if you want to choose a table lamp House & Garden stocks a fantastic range of beautiful table lamps and floor lamps to create beautiful rooms in your home.
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