How to Creatively Decorate Using Floor Lamps

When it comes to setting the mood or atmosphere in a room, not only does proper illumination add to the allure of your personal space, but also the sources of light. While table lamps and ceiling lights serve a functional purpose, floor lamps are expansive in the many different ways one may decorate their space and showcase their creativity. Whether you choose an antique selection to brighten your den or side with a traditional Victorian fringe design for the bedroom, the never-ending possibilities of a floor lamp shine through in the mind-boggling variety in choices.

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There is a certain elegance and intrigue associated with displaying an antique floor lamp. In home design, the mystery and unknown past of such an item is enough to spark the imagination, as well as provide a delightful conversation topic when family and friends visit. Today, there are manufacturers that strive to recreate this very look by emulating flowery, ornamental approaches towards antique furniture, which allows homeowners to match their lighting sources with other elements of their décor.

A few common features of antique lamps include the stained-glass lampshade, brass finishes, and intricate designs. When one is interested in truly decorating their home with antique floor lamps, genuine specimens may cost quite a bit, such as French antique lamps carrying a price tag of more than thousands of dollars. Usually, an antique or antique-styled floor lamp is selected because of its look and fit within a setting, rather than bringing light into the room.

Floor lamps are also known to serve as a work of art, as some artists fashion one-of-a-kind pieces that sometimes depict odd, creative, or unusual displays. Some of the unique possibilities of artsy floor lamps include planetary designs, sculpted wooden figures, wild animals, and abstract images. Artistic floor lamps may also use unusual objects to construct the base of the lamp, such as animal antlers, petrified wood, branches, or heat-treated metal. They may rise in the air like an ivory torch or bring the look and feel of fantasy with fairies decorating their base.

Some floor lamps are fashioned with a specific art movement in mind, such as colorful Art Deco pieces. Artists may also hand craft their samples and hand paint customized detailing on the outside of the shade to add characteristic touches for home and/or office use.

Floor lamps are sometimes used to represent or pay homage to regional pride, as seen in Southwestern selections showcasing characteristic elements added to a lamp, such as images of cacti and rattlesnakes. A New York City-themed floor lamp may showcase a silhouette of the Empire State Building. Cozy wilderness scenes of Colorado and other rustic locations may utilize the image of wild critters, such as the grizzly bear or bald eagle.

Floor lamps allow individuals to create a mood within their home or office that becomes the focus of the space when one enters the room. A gateway to the past may come alive with a Victorian-style street lamp displaying the soft, burnt orange glow of a custom crafted glass lampshade. Perhaps, the theme of your living room is Oriental – a solid hardwood floor lamp with a Chinese raw lacquer finish with mother of pearl and metal chrome accents will fit into the décor. Color also helps create a mood, such as the vibrant shades of red in Asian-style floor lamps.

The unique part of purchasing a floor lamp is that you may change lampshades to the base of your favorite lamp, just as you can match different colored light bulbs to create varying effects within a room. Depending on the time of day and other outside factors, various lampshade colors transform light into an array of shades, but red, blue, green, and even yellow lights can establish the atmosphere into a controlled setting, such as a romantic environment to a room set aside for contemplation, withdrawal, or reflection.

Choosing the Right Table Lamp

One part lighting and one part sculpture, the table lamp is an important design element in any room. Table lamps can affect the entire tone of a room, from bright and cheery to dimly-lit and mysterious. Lighting can change the entire ambiance of a room. Following are a few tips to think about when choosing a table lamp for your home or office.

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Identify the existing style of the room and determine your style objectives. Keep in mind that there is no one “right” table lamp – it is really a matter of what style or mood you want to express – but some choices are certainly better than others.

Choosing a lamp that is the same style as the rest of the room can make a strong statement about that particular style. On the other hand, mixing styles can add an interesting complexity to a room. Contemporary or modern style lamps can be successfully introduced into a traditional setting. Conversely, a traditional style lamp can look very nice in a contemporary or modern setting. However, when mixing styles, it is usually important to make sure that there are some other unifying accessory elements in terms of style.

Identify the function of the lamp in terms of lighting needs. Is the lamp’s purpose to provide general area (also called ambient), reading, or accent lighting?

If there are other light sources in the room, a 60 watt bulb may provide enough light for a living room. However, if only using one or two lamps to light up an entire room, it may be best to invest in a 100 to 150 watt bulb or a 3-way bulb. This also gives sufficient light for reading. A reading lamp should offer 150 or more watts. In general, rooms should have a light source every 10 feet or so.

For general purpose lighting, it is better to choose a lamp with a lampshade that has some degree of transparency such as a fabric, weave, or glass that is light in color. A semi-transparent lampshade gives a room a softer look. On the other hand, a lampshade that has little transparency will provide a stronger, more concentrated light pattern which can create a dramatic effect. A lampshade that has a wider brim at the bottom will spread the light out toward the bottom which is good for a reading lamp.

In determining the lamp’s sculptural qualities such as size, bulk, and color, the location and visual function of the lamp needs to be considered. Also, the table lamp should look good whether it is turned on or off.

Typically, short or narrow lamps are more appropriate on smaller tables and bulkier and taller lamps are better suited on larger tables or surfaces. A lamp located on a buffet table and other narrow surface should typically be more narrow or shorter. On a petite nesting table or a narrow console, a tall and narrow candlestick lamp may be the best choice.

If the table lamp needs to assist in visually anchoring an area – then a lamp with more bulk or visual weight such as a pottery jar lamp may be the most appropriate. Table lamps should not compete with the overall design of the room – rather compliment it.

The color or material of the lamp can also affect a table lamp’s dominance in a room. When there is greater contrast in the color of the lamp to the color of the walls or room setting, the lamp will be a stronger design element.

The table lamp should not block a view in get in the way of conversation. If a lamp is on a table between a sofa and a chair, consider a thin or transparent base so sight lines and conversation flow freely.

Most living rooms can handle a lamp that is 26 to 34 inches tall. The hardware should not be visible to someone sitting in a chair. The bottom of the shade should be about even with a person’s cheekbone when sitting on a chair and the light’s beam should fall on the page when reading.

In general, drum shades look more modern and conical ones look more traditional. The diameter of the lampshade should never extend beyond the edge of the table.

And finally, make sure that there is some weight or other stabilizing feature to the base of the lamp so that is cannot be easily toppled over.