The best floor lamps that will light up a room
The finishing touch on any living room, a good floor lamp allows for soft uplighting, targeted task lighting, and a serious style statement. Chances are, you'll be making far more use of a floor lamp than the ‘big light’, so consideration should be given to the one selected to take pride of place beside the comfiest armchair or nestled in the corner. In fact, some of the most iconic designs in history come in the form of floor lamps: from Isamu Noguchi’s paper creations, to the minimalist elegance of Michael Anastassiades, and task-lighting icons such as Anglepoise and Bestlite.
How to choose a floor lamp
When choosing a floor lamp, think about how much of a decorative feature you want it to be. There are plenty of striking, angular contemporary designs out there that can add a little punchiness to an interior, or if your space is more traditional, you can find stylish lamp bases in turned wood, topped off with a pleated, patterned lampshade. If, on the other hand, you want targeted light without distracting too much from other objects in the room, choose something streamlined and understated with a small shade. Size should also be a consideration: look at the measurements carefully before you buy to make sure you're not getting anything too tall (especially if you have low ceilings), or too short (if you have a large, airy room).
Where do floor lamps look best?
A floor lamp can be great for positioning next to a sofa or chair for reading, in which case you may want to go for something like a tall task lamp with an angled arm so that you can arrange the light to suit yourself. An adjustable lamp like this can also be used to create an atmospheric effect by tilting the shade to cast light and shadows on a wall, bookshelf or sculpture. This is also a great way to bounce and soften the light on the occasions that you don't want to utilise its full directional glow.
For more ambient lighting, a straight lamp base with a wide, translucent shade will provide a softer glow. A standard lamp like this, when tucked into an alcove or corner of a room, can give it lovely, cosy glow. The colour and type of bulb is also key to helping to achieve the right feel of lighting that you're looking for. Make sure to not choose an aggressively cold, white bulb, as this will look clinical and immediately kill the mood of a room. And remember that you presumably have other lighting in the room, so think about how it will work with your existing table lamps and ceiling lights. As a general rule, allow for spatial balance between your different lights around the whole room. Scroll down for our picks, from affordable high street options to design classics, that will light your rooms with style on a gloomy autumnal evening.
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