Exclusive LightingWhere: Unless you have provided lighting from another source, a table lamp should be placed beside each seating piece.
Size: Although table lamps on either side of a sofa need not be identical, they should have the same “visual” weight and height. The correct height for a table lamp is determined by the chair/sofa and the height of the table beside it. To avoid glare, the lamp should be tall enough for the bottom of its lampshade to reach the eye level of the person seated next to it.
Style: Designers recommend using table lamps as the principle lighting source in a room. By bringing the light down to task level, table lamps provide a warmth and intimacy unmatched by overhead fixtures.
Wattage: The average table lamp will light 40-50 square feet. You may need up to five lamps in a standard 12×20 foot living room.
Shades: The proper shade will add the finishing touch to your lamp. Bulb wattage is determined by the size of the lampshade.
Anatomy of a table lamp:
Tags: lighting, table lamp
Can a table lamp be too tall?? I bought a 35″ tall lamp. Do you have to have the right table and setting for this tall of a lamp. I have until Friday to return it. Thank you.
There is no height limit per say…but typically they make better accent lamps like on a buffet or console. For reading areas…it really depends on size/height of the table on which you are using the lamp….you want the light (bottom of shade) to be at eye level.
Do the lamps on either end of the sofa have to match? Do the shades need to be the same color if the bases don’t match?
If the question is: do they usually? I’d say statisically: “yes”. – But I can think of a few great exceptions. Obviously, you have an interesting idea in mind, don’t be afraid of being “great.” Try it…. “mock up a test” give it a look and decide if it’s the look that you are after.