15 table lamps to illuminate your living room (2024)

FAQs

How many lamps should a living room have? ›

Usually, two lamps are enough in your living room; at most, four. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule; you can decide how many lights your living room should have by considering the following factors: The size of the living room.

Opt for softer 'warm white' or 'soft white' bulbs over harsh or 'daylight white' colour options. Natural finishes are preferable over lacquered ones. Lastly, look for sculptural details, elements of interest in your lights or any furniture in the room,” says Nikhil Paul, creative director of Paul Matter.

My go-to range is about 24-28” depending on the placement. If you'll be sitting next to the lamp, the bottom of the shade should be at about eye level. This ensures that the bulb won't be shining in your eyes, but that it's at a good height for reading and providing ambient light!

Living room lamps don't necessarily need to match, though it's fine to match two lamps to create a style statement. When choosing living room lamps, it's more important to consider whether they're in harmony with the style and atmosphere of the rest of the room, rather than if they match or not.

This means that living room lamps don't have to match – but they do have to create a cohesive look and feel. Let's begin by considering the different options that need to be considered when choosing lighting: Material: brass, bronze, aluminum, chrome, nickel, silver, gold, glass, wood.

The amount of light falling on a surface is measured in units called lux. Depending on the factors noted above, adequate general lighting is usually between 500 and 1000 lux when measured 76 cm (30 inches) above the floor.* Examples of industrial and office tasks and the recommended light levels are in the table below.

While aiming your lights at a particular area may be useful when performing a task, such as reading, this is not the best option when you are trying to brighten a room. To get the biggest impact possible, try casting light on walls or towards the ceiling.

A white or light-colored shade will reflect more light, while a darker shade will absorb more light. If you want a lamp that provides a warm, cozy glow, choose a shade with a warm tone, such as beige or taupe.

How do I choose the right size table lamp? ›

The bottom of the lampshade should be no higher than eye level. The lampshade should be approximately ⅓ the height of the entire lamp (including the bulb and/or harp). Your lamp should be a maximum of 1.5 times the height of the table. The shade should be twice as wide as the diameter of the base of the lamp.

Choosing the right-sized lamp for a table typically follows the Rule of Thirds: the lamp's height should be about one-third the height of the table, and its width should not exceed one-third of the table's width.

At the same time, you don't want to put a large lamp on a small, delicate piece of furniture – it will look totally out of balance. Large table lamps look fabulous on a console in an entryway. They also work well on a sideboard in a dining room when there are no sconces on the wall above it.

Let's recap how to gauge how much light you need for a space. Multiply your room square footage by the footcandle requirement. For example, a 100-square foot living room, which needs 20 foot candles, will need 2,000 lumens. A 100-square foot dining room, which needs 40 foot-candles, will need 4,000 lumens.

Not only do they provide functional lighting, but they also add style and ambiance to the space. One of the best ways to use table lamps in your living room is by layering the lighting. This technique involves using multiple lamps to create different levels of light and depth in the room.

“A single floor lamp can balance something weighty on the other side of the room, while a pair of lamps can emphasize a part of the room—something that you might be trying to guide the eye to like a window or a mantle. If you have two lamps that don't match, you don't want the two to compete; there should be balance.

Determine the needed lumens

A lumen is a unit measurement of light. To determine the needed lumens, you will need to multiply your room's square footage by your room's foot-candle requirement. For example, a 100-square-foot living room, which needs 10-20 foot candles, will need 1,000-2,000 lumens.