Choose the Perfect Size Lamp for Every Space
A lamp is a lamp is a lamp, right? WRONG. Although a lamp may easily serve its main purpose of lighting up a room, choosing the wrong size can really skew your design. But how do you pick the right size lamp?
You wouldn’t think picking out a lamp would be difficult, would you? I certainly didn’t… until I tried to pick one out for my desk.
As I was perusing my options, I quickly realized I have no clue how to choose the right size lamp! Standing in Target, I found myself with lamp paralysis, second-guessing every lamp I laid eyes on. (Don’t worry, I don’t think it’s contagious.)
You see, all these years, I’ve just been winging it. Sometimes I’ve bought the right size, but other times I’ve been way off base.But since I just ran into this issue, I figured other folks have likely had this conundrum before too - and that’s okay! There’s more to it than you’d think.
That’s why in this post, we’re going to talk all about how to choose the correct size table lamp, so you can select the perfect size lamp on the first try (and not try out a bunch like I did).
I’ve been researching this topic a ton, and I’ve learned that there are two main questions to consider: “what size lampshade do you need?” and “how tall should your lamp be?”. Simply picking out a lamp that’s pretty won’t cut it.
To buy the right lamp for your space, answering these two questions can make or break your room design. And the answer to both of these questions is more mathematical than I expected.
How to Choose the Right Size Lamp
Lamp base and shade requirements can vary depending on the room and what types of tasks are performed there. Height, width, and style all play an important role in choosing the best lamp for your space. And to demonstrate how these elements come into play, I’m going to regale you all with my astonishing photo manipulation skillz once again. You’re welcome.
Height
Height is one of the most involved factors in choosing the right lamp. Let me explain what I mean.
First of all, when considering the height of your lamp, you want to make sure that whatever surface your lamp is on, it isn’t so tall that it shines into your eyes. To prevent this, make sure the bottom of the lampshade is no higher than eye level. This should hide the glare from the light bulb and actually allow you to see. You’re trying to light the space - not blind yourself.
For example, in the image below, if you were to sit on the couch, the bottom of the lampshade should hit at or below eye level.
Width
To make things more complicated, it’s also advised that the measurement across the bottom of the shade should be twice as wide as the diameter of the base of your lamp.
For example, if the base of your lamp is 6 inches wide, the bottom of your lampshade should be 12 inches wide (give or take an inch or two). For a square or rectangular lamp base or shade, measure diagonally.
But don’t give up yet! In the example below, you can see how that measurement isn’t exact. Remember - within an inch or two is close enough! No one is going to take a tape measure to your lamp - and if they do, do you really want that person in your house anyway?
Style
The last element of picking the right lamp is definitely the most intuitive, least math-involved (yay!), and dare I say most important? Simply enough, you want your lamp to “go” with the style of the table it’s sitting on (say whaaat?).
For instance, if you have a big, chunky table, you can probably get away with a big, chunky lamp. But a super skinny lamp (even if it was tall) would look odd.
I would also think about the style of not only the table but the entire room. Your lamp is essentially a functional design element - have fun with it - but make sure it fits the space.
Granted, I want to save some face by saying that a) I’ve always felt like something was “off” with this lamp but never quite knew what and b) I stole this lamp from our bedroom because I needed one in my office in a hurry. It was never meant to be permanent. Excuses aside, I figured it was a prime example of what not to do when choosing a lamp. And here’s why:
Mistake #1: The biggest no-no here, and the reason I now realize why this lamp has always felt “off”, is the giant lampshade. It’s half the height of the lamp! And it’s probably 3 times as wide as the base.
Mistake #2: I know the desk looks pretty in the picture above, but in real life, I have my giant desktop up there and it feels CROWDED. This lamp is way too big to be functional in this space.
Mistake #3: I know I mentioned above that this lamp was a temporary fix, but to really drive the point home I think it’s important to point out the mismatching styles going on. First of all, the wall is so busy that the lines on the lampshade almost make you dizzy. And second, the style of the base is a little more traditional than this room can handle.
