Things to Consider When Looking to Buy a Floor Lamp

Lighting is a tricky element in home design. It takes some effort to choose the right fixtures that will give you enough illumination for your activities while contributing to the overall appeal of your space.

According to interior designers, a successful lighting plan consists of several layers of light – one for creating ambient, another to illuminate certain décor elements in your space and a third layer to help you with your tasks. Floor lights are popular lighting fixtures that can work for any layer of lighting that your home needs.

Made for Different Purposes

Though, to clear something up – not all floor lights are designed the same way. They don’t all produce the same type of light or use the light in the same way. Depending on the effect you want to achieve, you may need a certain type of lamp style or lampshade.

As Ambient Lighting

The best spot for placing ambient floor lamps are the edges of the room. These typically produce filtered or diffused light. They either reflect the light off the ceiling or use a dimming shade to create a more soothing light. To serve as ambient light, the floor lamp shouldn’t produce a strongly focused light such as a reading lamp, pharmacy lamp or arc lamp. Another thing to keep in mind is the colour of the light. Warm light with a value of 1000K to 2000K is ideal to help you relax and create a soothing ambient in your home.

As Task Lighting

These lamps give you great illumination for tasks such as reading or finishing some office work. They’re similar to the old reliable table lamps. The only difference is that they’re brighter and don’t take up your precious desk space, which is a big issue for those with smaller desks. The right floor task light should have a focused beam of light and preferably a metal or clear glass lamp shade. This way you will have enough illumination and won’t damage your eyes while reading. The colour temperature should be around 4000K to 6000K, as cooler light helps you stay more alert and focused.

As Decor

Lastly, people often use floor lights as décor. Even though modern task floor lights mainly serve for practical purposes, they have stunning minimalistic designs as well. They’re simple, elegant, and come in different finishes ranging from gold and brass to neutral black and white.

Lamps with metallic shades or simple bare light bulbs work well in contemporary homes, while lamps with fabric shades and an ornate base are great for traditional homes.

How Does a Floor Lamp Direct Light?

Most floor lights use some type of light bulb or LED light elements mounted up on the lamp. The other elements are the shade and additional floor lamp arms which the fixture may or may not include. The classic fabric lamp shades usually let a small amount of light shine through and direct the rest of the lighting upwards and downwards. Glass shades and reflectors reflect or aim the light in one direction. The light bounces off the shades and shines either upwards or downwards.

Where Do I Position a Floor Lamp in a Room?

Floor lamps tend to radiate a significantly strong light, so you should always pay attention to how you pair them with your other lighting fixtures. One floor lamp is often enough, except if you’re designing an extremely large room. You can place it in a dark corner to radiate a bit of light and make the space bigger. You can also use it near or behind seating so that you have light coming down from above whenever you use it for reading or crafts.

Another factor to consider when choosing a location for a floor lamp is the spot where you will be spending most of the time. This is where you will need the most light so it’s wise to place an additional light layer to brighten up the spot. If your ceiling area is already well-lit, it’s good to choose a downward lighting floor lamp. On the other hand, if the upper part, or the overall ambience of the room is low, go for an upward lighting floor lamp.

Floor Lights for Different Rooms

These lights have a different function depending on the room they’re placed in. They’re versatile fixtures, so they fit into almost any room of the house. They most commonly serve to refresh the look of a living room. There, they often stand in corners or next to a frequently used chair.

In the dining room, floor lights need to stand in corners or somewhere out of the way of the usual foot traffic around the dining table. Here, they help to set up an atmosphere and serve as ambient lights. In the bedroom, floor lights either act as task or ambient lights. For task lighting, you can place them next to your reading chair or beside the bed as an alternative for a bedside table lamp. Other rooms can also make use of the floor lights; however, they’re not ideal for small utility rooms and narrow hallways where they will only clutter the already small available space.