Without the right lighting, even the most stylish space isn’t truly complete. Every room needs a combination of general lighting, task lighting and accent lighting to achieve sufficient illumination and set a mood. So, no matter what kind of lighting you have in your home, LED downlights, track lights or pendant lights, floor lamps can be an extra element that can help brighten your space and provide a unique decorative detail. Depending on the design of the lamp and the materials it’s made of, it can really influence the overall look of the room.

How to Use Floor Lamps?

In living rooms, floor lamps should be arranged in a way so they won’t be in your way but still positioned to make the most of their light. The light provided by these lamps is ideal for reducing shadows created by overhead lighting. The height of the lamp and its style should hide the bulb from sight when you’re sitting or standing near it. It should be around 1.70 metres high so the shade conceals the bulb whether you are sitting or standing next to it. Here are a few examples of how you can use a floor lamp.

Next to a Sofa or Chair

This is the most common placement for a floor lamp. Shedding light on an entire ensemble of sofas and chairs or just on a single armchair in a quiet corner, both ways will lead to a well-lit seating area that can be either a useful or welcoming space. This setup also allows you to run the electrical cord beneath the sofa or chair so it’s not an eyesore or tripping hazard. For ambient light, consider a torchiere floor lamp with an upturned shade. For a more localized illumination, go for club floor lamps with a traditional shade.

In the Corner of a Room

Adding a floor lamp in a corner is a great way to add secondary lighting to a room with an existing ceiling light or just to keep the lamp out of high-traffic areas. If the lamp will be the only source of illumination in the room, then consider using multiple lamps in different corners to ensure the whole room is properly lit. Adding multiple lamps will also reduce shadows and bring an even feel to your space.

Highlighting a Specific Element

Floor lights can also be used to emphasize a certain piece of furniture, like antique furniture, a coffee table or an accent chair. Place a club-style floor lamp with a downward-facing shade right nest to a piece of furniture or decor to shed direct light on it. An arc floor lamp is also a great option for highlighting decor as the base can stay in a corner or by a sofa while the shade can be positioned to illuminate your piece of choice.

How to Choose a Floor Lamp?

The first decision you’ll have to make is what type of floor lamp you want. There are many different styles that can have different impacts, so you want to be sure you get it right.

Club or Traditional Lamp

Simple yet classic, a club lamp has a tall pole in the middle holding a single bulb covered by a bell shade. This type of lamp is a great option for area lighting. The shade is designed to direct light down and out, creating a circle of bright light in one spot. Club lamps are pretty versatile and their different materials and shades can make them fit in almost any design style.

Torchiere Lamp

This type of lamp has a solid base and a tall pole that holds a single light – it’s pretty similar to a club lamp. However, instead of directing light down like a club lamp, the torchiere directs light up, reflecting it back out into the room. It provides a good general light source, it is subtle and fades into the background. Due to its design, this type of lamp can easily tip. So, make sure the base of the lamp you choose is heavy and solid.

Tower Lamp

For ambience lighting, a tower lamp is a great choice. These sculpture-like lamps create a subtle, soft light which is great for reading a book. Tower lamps come in many different styles. So, when you aren’t using the lamp, this unit can be a beautiful artistic addition to your room’s decor.

Downbridge and Arching Lamps

These two types of lamps are very similar. They both have a base-and-pole design, but instead of the light source being at the top of the pole, it’s on an arm that stretches out from the pole, allowing light directly into one specific area, like a reading chair or desk. With the arching floor lamp, the arm that contains the light source extending from the main pole stretches up and bends over to hang above a set or desk. So, if you are looking for a lamp specifically for your reading nook, seriously consider this lamp type.

What Type of Floor Lamp Gives the Most Light?

For the biggest source of light, you may want to look at torchiere lamps. Because their shades point upward, the light goes to the ceiling as well as all around. But you can also consider a club floor lamp with a large linen shade with a 3-way switch so you can turn up the brightness as needed.