Master Class - How to Choose the Right Lamps for Your Home

Picking the right lamp for each location in your home is not as easy as you might imagine. 

Choosing the type of shade for the lamp will be one of the biggest choices you will make. This choice will determine how the light is emitted into your room. 

One of the things that I like about table lamps is their versatility. They can provide a range of light from super bright to a dim glow. This is why on all of my lamps I like to add a dimmer, which gives me the ultimate control. If I can't add that, then I try for a 3 switched bulb that gives me different brightness settings.

Science of Lighting:

Another element to consider is the issue of why a lamp in the first place? When I am designing the lighting in any room, I have to consider two very fundamental things: the way light falls on horizontal surfaces like tables, floors etc and the way light falls on vertical surfaces, such as walls, art, and even large pieces of furniture. A careful balance between the two creates a room that is easy to navigate as well as interesting to the eye with high and low spots. The light on horizontal surfaces is easy to achieve with ceiling lights. The light that falls on vertical surfaces is what provides the drama in a room. It can be harder to achieve unless you use lamps. Lamps provide exactly that kind of lit dimension to a room.

Lighting for Specific Purposes:

Reading Lamps:

There are several considerations when choosing the best lamp for reading. If you are sitting in a chair, next to a lamp, the bulb should be at about eye height when you are seated and not too close to you - about 18-24 inches away so you don’t get too much glare. In this situation, you would want to use a translucent shade, (for instance, linen, which lets the light transmit THROUGH the shade). This will give you an even quality of light that is easy to read by.

Dramatic Lighting: 

To create drama, I like to limit the light. I might use a blackout shade that will only allow light through the top and bottom openings. This creates dramatic pools of light in the room, rather than a broad illumination.

General Lighting:

General lighting also requires a translucent shade that will throw a dispersed light through the room. You might choose to put a lid on the shade so to avoid a bright spot on the ceiling, rather than having an even amount of light throughout the room.

Lamp Style

After all the discussion about lighting, it may be easy to forget about the actual style of the lamp itself. I often use a lamp made from an antique object such as an old moneybox or a child's toy, to add interest to a room. In a monochromatic space, the lamp may provide a bright shot of color. Think of your lamp almost as a piece of sculpture, not just a utilitarian object.