Lighting is one of my favorite aspects of a room, but I often find it can be one of the trickiest. Adding in a chic table lamp truly can change the look of something like a console table or nightstand. I recently got a question about how to know what style lamp to choose for which application, so I thought it might be helpful to share my tips and some of my all time favorite styles.

One of the biggest components with lamps is to pay attention to the scale. I am admittedly bad at this and have gotten lights that are way too short or too big for a space. If you are placing a lamp on a console you want to think of it as an anchor point and lean towards something with a bit more heft so it doesn’t get lost on the surface. Do be mindful of the height and the shade projection if the table is going to be against the wall. Sometimes you have to pull the piece of furniture out a bit to accommodate the large shade.

This also applies when sourcing a nightstand lamp. It is also important to keep in mind the headboard height and projection. You don’t want these massive lights that you have to reach up to turn off so getting something that is more in line with the headboard or shorter looks great visually and works functionally. Remember when looking for lamps that you can always replace the shade. Websites like Shades of Light offer great options in all styles so an ugly shade isn’t a reason to not buy a lamp if you love the base.

I am all about investing in at least one nice lamp in your space. Over the years I have noticed the difference in spending a little more for lighting and find the size options are a lot more broad when getting out of the cheaper price range. I also do love scouring vintage shops for cool old lamps like the alabaster one on my desk.

SHOP (left to right)

Glass: one, two, three, four, five

Natural: one, two, three, four, five

Brass: one, two, three, four, five

Classic: one, two, three, four, five