Table Lamps and Floor Lamps: The Light You Turn On at Night
A lamp earns its place at low height, where an overhead fixture never reaches. It is what makes a room livable after dark: a table lamp on a console, a floor lamp tucked beside a sofa, and a living room changes character entirely without anyone touching the ceiling light.
The most useful rule concerns height. On a nightstand or a side table, the bottom of the shade should land at roughly eye level for someone seated — a 16 to 22 inch lamp on a 22 to 26 inch surface. Too tall and the bulb shows; too short and it lights the furniture instead of the room. For a reading floor lamp, aim for a shade about 47 to 51 inches off the ground, set slightly behind your shoulder.
A dimmer, or simply a dimmable bulb, transforms this kind of fixture: it is what takes a lamp from working light to late-evening light. See them in context in our living room and home office selections.
