Are You Going to Buy A Designer Table Lamp? Read This Article First!
So you have a beautiful room – but does it glow? Table lamps are the interior
designer’s secret weapon – not only can they be lovely ornaments in themselves, but with a bit of thought you can use their light to give a room atmosphere and really bring it to life.
This article is about choosing the designer table lamp that best suits your home, and here are the four P’s of buying a designer a table lamp:
1) Purpose – what are you actually using your table lamp for? There are four kinds of lighting – ambient (the general light in a room), task (light for a specific job, such as reading), accent (a lamp used to highlight a particular feature) and decorative (lamps that are there purely to look good in themselves). Table lamps can be used for any or all of these types of light, and they are crucial tools for the interior designer when layering light.
If you want to use your table lamp for reading, when positioning the lamp you should make sure the bottom of the shade is at eye level. And if you’re using your table lamp as a bedside lamp, then it should generally be positioned around 40 – 45cm (16 – 18 inches) above the top of your mattress.
2) Proportion – choose the right size table lamp Proportion is always the watchword when designing a room. A table lamp needs to be in proportion to two things: the room, and the table you’re putting it on.
The other proportion to consider is between the lamp shade and the lamp base. As a general rule of thumb the height of the shade should be about 50-75% the height of the base, and have a diameter roughly equal to two-thirds of the height of the base up to the level of the bulb.
3) Personality – what is your table lamp saying about you? Art deco or industrial? Classic or modern? Is your table lamp making a bold statement or subtly blending in with its surroundings?
The sheer variety of beautifully-made designer options available now means that you can choose a designer table lamp that matches your personality, and the personality of your room.
4) Pairing – can matching lamps transform your room? Why have just one beautiful table lamp when you can have two? Paired table lamps not only give you more flexibility when layering light, they can give a space a really pleasing symmetry and balance.
That could be on a shelf area as alternative book ends, or at either end of a long dining table. In a hallway, a pair of table lamps on a bureau or side table can give you the general ambient lighting you need, while also helping to make a really impressive entrance to your home.
While almost any lamp can be used purely for its lighting function, a designer lamp can not only do the practical stuff but also contribute to the decorative beauty of your room, and show off your individual style.
