Contemporary Floor Lamps: The Dos and Don’ts

I’m on the hunt for a new floor lamp. After decorating the living room and living with it for a few months, we absolutely love it, but I really haven’t included enough lighting in there yet. With the dark walls, the light is just sucked from the room, so even with the 4 we currently have, there isn’t enough to do anything useful in there in the evenings, apart from watch TV.

So, another floor lamp it is. And whilst I’m in the throws of decorating the dining room (yes it’s still not finished) I’m looking around for some more contemporary lighting for that room too.

Let me show you some that I’ve spotted from an online store called Utility .

They really are my ideal style, so I think you’ll like them too.

This one is the Flos Arc Floor Lamp, and I’m loving it’s simplicity and clean lines. I also think is has an art deco feel in its design which lends itself well to my living room decor. I love how the main feature is really the light ball, and so it sits well to the side of a chair or behind the sofa.

This beauty is the Orsjo Lean Lamp in Black as you can see (it’s available in other colours too, but I like the harshness of the black in this case).

Now be careful where you put this one, and I think I’d need a bigger space than the one I’m thinking of, simply because of the base. I think a base like this deserves to be on show, so I don’t want to hide away at the corner of the room behind the sofa. Do you agree?

Finally, this is the Moooi Dandelion Floor Lamp. Now I’m not going to tell you the price, suffice to say it’s an investment but, wow, just look at it!

Floor lamps can be a real statement piece and this would look great in my dining room area. I don’t think it’s the lamp for my living room, it’s too wide and powerful in design, and there’s enough going on in that room already. BUT, it’s lush. I love it, and I bet it casts a beautiful light too.

The Dos and Don’ts of Using a Floor Lamp:

It’s important to judge if the light source, particularly from a task light will shine. It’s no good if it shines directly at the sofa at head height as it will just shine straight into the eyes of whoever is sat there.

Consider how much actually floor space you have. The base of many floor lamps is often wide, and doesn’t fit in smaller spaces. I’ve made this mistake many a time.

Some floor lamps are pretty much works of art and deserve to be on show. Get the right style for the right space, and don’t hide your stunning design behind an armchair.

Decide what kind of lighting you need. Is it task, ambient or general? Find the right kind of lamp to do the job, and you won’t need to hunt around for another when it doesn’t fulfil the brief.

Think carefully too about the kind of light source you add to it. Will it give a warm or more cooler light? Which one is right for your room and which do you prefer? It’s often very subjective, and will depend on your personal preference. You can read the ‘rules’ around lighting as much as you like but it’s often down to what you feel good living with.

So what do you think? Would you go for floor lamps like these? Or do you have your eyes on a few others?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Jen.

All imagery courtesy of Utility.