Anybody who has just finished decorating a new house knows how little things can suddenly become very important. Even something as small as a table lamp may take a lot of time, effort and creative thinking. Ordinarily, when we shop for a lamp, we only look at its shape and materials, but there is a lot more to consider if we want it to look beautiful and seem at the right place.
There are so many factors to keep in mind when choosing a perfect table lamp that it is impossible to discuss them all in one article. Instead, we shall only consider the significance of its size and technical features, and discuss different types of light bulbs. We shall also provide you with some tips on how to select a good table lamp. Finally, we shall address the question of the lamp's location in your house.
The size of the lamp
By far the most important factor to consider is the lamp's size, especially its height. The lamp's height determines how the light will disperse over the entire area, so it is crucial to choose a lamp that will illuminate the room properly and at the same time will not hurt your eyes when you sit next to it.
Besides, its size, particularly its width, should correlate with the size of the table in order to create an impression of spatial harmony in the room.
The general rules for these purposes are:
- the lamp should be smaller in width than the table it stands on, and the higher the table, the smaller the lamp;
- it should be at least half as tall as the table, but its height should not exceed 1.25 the height of the table;
- not to hurt your eyes, the light bulb should be above your eye level; which means, the low edge of the shade is to be at your eye level when you sit next to it, and above the level of your chin when you lie in bed.
The lamp's technical characteristics
As the table lamp will help create the general atmosphere in the room, it is a good idea to buy the one with a dimmer switch. This option will allow you to control the intensity of lighting, depending on whether you want to read a book at the table or to provide some soft and dim illumination for the entire area.
It is always better to get a table lamp that has a movable ram. You can adjust its position in order to direct the light wherever you need it. And even when the light is off, the actual physical positions of the ram and the lampshade focus one's attention on the space they point towards. In other words, an adjustable table lamp can also contribute to the 3D structural design of the room.
Finally, you may want to consider buying a table lamp with USB ports. This way, you can plug in your electronic gadgets wherever you will be sitting or lying, without having to stretch the cords all across the room.
The right light bulb
When we try to choose the best lamps for our rooms, we compare them in terms of their styles and materials, and we forget that the actual light will be shining from the light bulbs, not the lamps. And the texture of the light they provide will make a big difference too. This is why selecting proper light bulbs is as important as choosing the lamp itself.
The three basic factors to keep in mind when deciding which light bulbs you are going to use are
- the type of bulbs,
- the amount of light required for your purposes,
- the light color you would like to have in the room.
There are four types of light bulbs generally used for table lamps, namely incandescent, halogen, compact fluorescent and LED. All of them produce different kinds of light, and none of them is better than the rest as it all depends on what you would like to use the lamp for. All of them have their own pros and cons anyway.
By familiarizing yourself with their technical features, you will be able to decide which ones will suit your purposes best. Incandescent bulbs, for instance, produce warm yellow light, while fluorescent light is quite cold and impersonal. Of course, you should also consider the quality of light in conjunction with the color and the material of your lampshades as they will always affect each other.
It is the LED light bulbs, however, that seem to be gaining in popularity nowadays. They are particularly suitable in case you prefer natural sunlight or the so called white light. And even though they may cost more than the others, LED bulbs provide proper high-quality modern lighting and consume less energy too.
The lamp's location in the house
Finally, your table lamps should blend harmoniously with the room's overall decor style, including its design, colors and furniture. They are to be selected with the general physical proportions of the room in mind.
Your choice will also depend on which rooms you intend to use the lamps in.
- In the living room, for example, the lamps should be positioned on some small tables near the couch or the armchairs slightly above your eye level to radiate welcoming and cozy light.
- In the dining room, on the other hand, it is best to place them away from the main table, which also means the light should be bright enough to illuminate the entire room.
- A table lamp in your house office will probably be small, stand on your desk and be used for bright focused lighting.
- And the bedroom needs weak and gentle dimmed light at the head of the bed. The bedroom lamps especially should be dimmable as you might occasionally want to turn them on a little brighter for reading in bed.
Summary
Sometimes, small means big, and it is definitely true for the table lamps. It seems to require a lot of knowledge and creative imagination just to decide on the source of light from your table. We hope the tips we have shared with you in this article will help you find the perfect table lamps for your house.