Let’s Talk About Lighting!

Since homes began being wired for electricity in American homes in the late 1800’s, the modern lamp as we know it has come a long way! I often think of lamps as the most important accessory in a home other than art.

For this blog we will focus on tips to help you sort through the thousands of lamps available and choosing the perfect one for your living area, tables, or bedroom nightstands:

 The Lamp Shade

It is best to think about the functionality of the lamp shade first. The bottom of a lamp shade should be low enough that the light bulb does not shine in your eyes when seated. After that, you’ll want to consider proportions. An ideal proportion for a lamp would be 1/3 lamp shade to 2/3 base. A perfect example would be this lamp from Visual Comfort.

For contemporary and transitional décor, a rectangular shade and this see-through unique base are timeless. 28” from Visual Comfort. By choosing design elements that are eye-catching but also not too trendy, you are able to feel better about investing in a high quality piece you will use for a long time.

 

The Base

When thinking of your lamp choice as a décor piece, it can be easy to get carried away with some trendier shapes that you could regret later. When you are choosing your base, you want to think about not only what it looks like, but what your upkeep will look like. Is the base of the lamp you are considering cleanable? Beware of fun and trendy bases that have pointed metal or glass parts, or ceramic knobs that make dusting impossible!

 The Placement

Choose a lamp that will enhance the color scheme of your room. You can choose to blend with the current color scheme or instead find one that acts as a pop of contrast! For the room in the picture above, I chose a lamp that coordinates with the picture frames and wallpaper. This lamp reminded me of one of my favorite décor tips for table lamps. If you are looking to add a little height to your lamp you can easily stack a couple of books under the lamp which gives you the height and and added décor element!

 

The Organization

Cords can be clunky, but you have options! These 24” cordless rechargeable lamps from Visual Comfort are cordless, and make a perfect pair for a buffet top or sofa table.

 

They also make smaller 17″ cordless lamps that are good candidates to light kitchen counters or bathroom counters because they are not hazardous if the base gets wet.

 

For The Floor

Floor lamps are a great way to enhance the lighting of a room. They can add brightness to low-lit areas, and lamps with multiple settings can add a lovely evening ambiance to a room that a ceiling light could not achieve when they are set to the lowest setting.

Floor lamps that are used for things like reading, instrument playing, or other tasks need to be adjustable in height to suit the posture of the individual. Having a dimmer switch to adjust the amount of light needed for a variety of tasks is also essential. This one has a sturdy base which I love because it is so functional but the base is designed to slip underneath a sofa, chair, or bed so it does not impact the sleek style of the lamp.

The most important feature for a floor lamp is that it must be sturdy and stable to withstand a run-in with your pet or a pillow toss that really showed off your (lack of) aim! The floor lamp below, for example, has a tripod frame and a heavy iron base to provide a solid base.

Stay tuned—my next lamp blog on wall lamps and picture lights is coming soon!