Choosing the Right Table Lamp

I have been on the hunt for new bedside lamps for as long as I can remember. The ones in the picture above were not purchased for our bedroom, but it's where they landed and have lived for the past several years. There is nothing wrong with the lamps or even the shades for that matter, except that they are small in relation to the size of the room and have zero "wow" factor. Because this is the view you see from our living room, I felt like I needed something with a pop of color as the room overall is very neutral.

After looking for a long time, I recently found this lamp at Tuesday Morning, I bought 2. They were on sale for $48 each, which was a steal for the size and style. Anywho, I thought this would be a good time to share some aspects I consider when I am trying to choose a table lamp.

First, it is important to consider the size of your room along with the ceiling height. For standard 8-foot ceilings, a good height is usually 26" to 33". Larger rooms and greater ceiling heights can accommodate 31" to 36" high table lamps. The new lamps are 31", a few inches taller than the ones in this photo.

Another aspect to consider is the size and shape of the table top. You never want your lampshade to hang over the sides of the table or stick out over the front. The size of the lamp and table should be in proportion. While the old lamp looks ok on my bedside table, the scale is not great enough for my husband's bedside table, which is actually a large square cedar chest.

The appropriate scale makes a big difference.

Lamp color is an important consideration. For me, I was wanting to find a blue lamp that would blend with the color of the monogram. I like to use different shades of the same color to create more of a blended rather than matching look. This approach takes time and patience.

For example, at first glance this lamp looks as if it would be perfect. However, while it worked well with the monogram, it did not complement the Sea Salt wall color. Again, patience, time and usually a fair amount of hunting. This lamp was also not in my budget as I needed two. If you are interested, it can be found at www.caitlinwilson.com. Her website has beautiful things!!

If colored lamps are not your thing, metals are always a good option. I am intrigued with the return to brass!!

Other considerations include texture and style. These go hand in hand. While I think it's great to mix modern with antiques or contemporary with vintage, I also think it needs to be ascetically appealing and it needs to make sense. The latest trend is not always a good fit for your style.

For example, this lamp is super cool, however the industrial style and texture would look out of place in my home. It would not make sense. Visit www.overstock.com if you think this lamp would look good in your home.

The color, scale, and texture of the lamp works. It checks all the boxes and makes sense in the space.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have found these few suggestions helpful for you to choose the right table lamps for your home.