Table Lamps, the most used source of lighting in interior decorating
In the world of surface placed lamps (end table, chest, dresser, etc) there are three categories; they are Accent, Table and Buffet. This is the second in a series of three articles covering the different kinds of lamps.
Table Lamps ..The number 24 designates the amount of inches for height, from where an accent lamp ends and a table lamp begins. In the first post for this series Interior Decorating with ACCENT LAMPS (click on title to read), I wrote accent lamps can be 24 inches high from base to finial, if it has one, but most accent lamps are 22 inches high or shorter. Table Lamps on the other hand start at 24 inches and go up to about 36 inches high which is the measurement from the bottom of the base to the top of the finial if the lamp has one.
The table lamps is probably the number one source of lighting in a room; followed by the floor lamp, and then the accent lamp, with the buffet lamp used only on occasion. Table lamps are used next to a sofa or chair, on bedside tables, low chests and on sofa tables. They usually have a three-way switch / socket that holds a 150-watt bulb.
Table lamps have shades with base diameters that are anywhere from 18 to 23 inches wide. Though, a 24 inch tall lamp, with a small shade that has a 17 inch wide diameter, is on the border line between being a table lamp and an accent lamp. This is due to the width of the shade.
Oval and rectangular shaped shades can put a table lamp into the accent lamp category due to base measurements. The table lamp’s shade might be the proper width dimension, but the narrow depth of the oval or rectangular shade puts it into the accent lamp category.
Table lamps with shades in colors like black, burgundy, dark green or navy which don’t allow light to emit out through them, but only direct light up to the ceiling or down toward the floor should also only be looked at as accent lamps.
In my 5-19-2012 post titled The Right Height of table lamp for your end table I wrote about how when matching an end table and table lamp, their combined height should be 58 to 64 inches.
So there you have it, the basics that you should know when it comes to Table Lamps. Hope this post inspired you.
Companion Post .. Interior Decorating with BUFFET LAMPS 12-19-2012, The answer to..Can you put a Floor Lamp next to a Sofa? 10-4-2012
Useful info about selecting a height of lamp to combine with your tables for a total of 58-64″. Thanks!
Hi. I’m very glad I found your blog. I like the topics, the way you explain and describe, the format, the pictures, steps, and style.
Irma
Hi there and Thank You Irma for your comment. Here at FGGH, i try my best to write things really easy, the way I want to read them myself. Too often people write for their so-called equals (people who already know the subject). I write for people like my sister, friends, neighbors and anyone else who has some interest in a certain subject, and wants to get a job done. I want to empower my readers, so they can calmly do a project, and get on with their lives. Maybe after reading my posts a decorating or gardening enthusiast will be born.