Lamps

Lamps Ideas & Advice

When it comes to shopping for a lamp, whether it’s for your office desk, an entryway table or for the nightstand next to your bed, it’s easy to get caught up in the lamp’s design and aesthetic rather than its functional features. Before you get caught up in searching for a look you love, consider first the room you’re buying it for.

A desk lamp for the office will require different lighting than a floor lamp for the living room. This is especially true if the desk lamp will be placed next to a computer screen which emanates its own light. If you need the lamp for reading late at night, you may require more illumination than an ambient lamp might give. And if you want a floor lamp to provide general lighting for a large space, then you should shop for one that can accommodate a bulb with more lumens. As a general rule, the higher the lumen count, the brighter the bulb. The brighter the bulb, the more light that is distributed.

So before you consider anything else, determine how much light your room needs. Once you’ve assessed the room and lighting needs, you have options to choose from between floor lamps, desk lamps, table lamps and swing arm lamps. Table lamps and desk lamps can sometimes be interchangeable but again, consider the lumens and the color of the bulb that the lamp specifies.

When you have decided on the lamp category that will work best for you and your space, you will need to narrow it down by the type.

• Floor Types: Console Lamp, Torchiere, Arc Floor Lamp, Track Tree Floor Lamp
• Desk Types: Adjustable Arm Desk Lamp, Gooseneck Desk Lamp, Clip-On Desk Lamp, Tree Desk Lamp, Magnified Desk Lamp, Banker/Piano Desk Lamp
• Table Types: Buffet Lamp, Accent Lamp, Hurricane Lamp, Torchiere Lamp, Cordless Lamp
• Swing Arm Types: Hardwired, Plug-in