HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT FLOOR LAMP FOR YOUR LIVING ROOM
Floor lamps are so much more than simply ‘overgrown table lamps’. These elegant additions to your décor allow you to create a multi-layered lightscape, emphasising key elements within your room and enhancing the mood, ambience, and aesthetic of your space. Here are our top tips on how to choose the perfect floor lamp for your living room.
What do you want your floor lamp to do?
The purpose of your floor lamp can be broken down into different functions:
Ambient lighting—This is general lighting for an entire room. If you want your lamp to act as the secondary ambient lighting source (after your ceiling light), choose one with a large shade to diffuse the light evenly throughout the space.
Task lighting—If you have a favourite accent chair for reading or a space in the living room where you play board games or do craft activities, a lamp that can be angled or adjusted is the right choice. This allows you to customise your light as you need it.
Accent or mood lighting—Use a floor lamp to illuminate a specific feature, such as wall art or sculptural pieces, or to add a layer to the ambient lighting and create ‘warm spots’ within the room. Multi-spot floor lamps add a whole new dimension to your lighting effect and can be angled to suit your needs.
Think about style and design
As with any addition to your living room, your floor lamp should harmonise with your style. A modern style complements a contemporary space, while a more classical shape sits comfortably within a heritage interior.
Think about the colour of the lamp as well as its design. For a bright, light living room, brushed steel feels fresh with a touch of elegant modernism. To add interest, consider more unusual finishes, such as black or brass, combined with neutral shades so that the lamp becomes part of your décor without dominating the room.
How big is your room?
Floor lamps are a large addition to your space. So, if your living room is a little on the bijou size, choose a lamp that feels in proportion to the dimensions and takes up a little less room. A single-column floor lamp with angled spots is ideal for a small living room. For a larger room, you have so many more options, from the iconic ‘Big Dipper’ style to giant angle-poise lamps that are a nod to the design classic of the 1950s.
Getting the right amount of light
It's not just the lamp that's important; the amount of light it produces plays a key role in choosing the right floor lamp. Modern floor lamps can take LED bulbs, but these often produce quite a harsh 'blue' light. An Edison-style filament bulb may deliver a softer, warmer glow, or you can control the light in your lamp with a dimmer switch to create different moods.
At CB2, we've curated an exclusive selection of exquisite floor lamps suitable for any living room. Combining form and functionality, practicality and perfect proportions, our floor lamps are a sophisticated way to create your own lightscape in your living room. Browse our floor lamps online now.