Ideas for Choosing a Floor Lamp

It's important that you choose a floor lamp that fits aesthetically with the rest of your house.
Ideas for Choosing a Floor Lamp

Last update: 14 November, 2018

Lighting is very important when it comes to decor. We would say that it’s one of the key elements of design. It allows us to play with the ambient light, its intensity, and even its color. Something that facilitates a warm environment in our homes is a good floor lamp.

We place floor lamps directly on the ground, and they remain standing without needing another point of attachment or security. Without a doubt, they manage to create a unique and special atmosphere in the room.

In addition, they can be either totally functional, working to illuminate different areas, or they can also serve a decorative purpose. Therefore, it’s important that the lamp is in accord with the rest of the elements in the house.

Types of floor lamps

In this section, we’ll discuss different types of floor lamps for you to consider.

Japanese style

This type of lamp has a lampshade that is usually made of paper, silk, or linen. It can go from the floor all the way up to the top of the lamp. It may even cover the base of the lamp.

Tapered lamp

This type of shade has a very wide base, which helps direct more light towards the ground. These are more traditional, and that makes them perfect for a rustic, retro, or classic rooms.

Drum type

The drum type shade has the same opening above and below. This distributes the light evenly, creating a very warm, ambient atmosphere.

With a moving head

This type of lamp is a great alternative for reading or workspaces. This is because they allow you to direct the light where you need it.

Our recommendation is that you graduate the intensity to 400 lumens with a height of 150 cm.

floor lamp

Tips for choosing a floor lamp

One of the things we have to think about is how we’re planning on using the lamp. That is, are we going to use it to light an entire room and as the main source of lighting? Or is it only going to be responsible for lighting a specific area?

The answer to these questions will change the amount of intensity of the bulb. It will also decide if you need a light with an adjustable arm or if you’ll need more than one source of light in the room.

Depending on this choice, we can play with the amount of light by making a few adjustments to the way we incorporate lighting in our home.

Another thing you’ll want to consider is the color of the walls, ceiling, and floor. Dark colors will need more light to achieve the same brightness as a lighter room.

floor lamp

Types of light bulbs

Choosing the right bulb is essential to save on energy consumption. There’s a wide range of light bulbs that we’ll talk about here.

  • LED. These bulbs have the longest useful life, and therefore, they’re the most efficient. LED bulbs last up to 50,000 hours and consume 80% less energy compared to other traditional bulbs.
  • Fluocompacts. These bulbs have a lifespan of between 6,000 and 10,000 hours. The problem with them is that they take a while to reach their maximum power. Therefore, it’s advisable to use the bulb for a long period of time.
  • Halogen. These, on the other hand, become bright instantly. They have a useful life of about 2,000 hours and consume 30% less energy than incandescent bulbs. This type of bulb is most frequently found in floor lamps.

How to regulate the intensity

Depending on the room that we’re in, we’ll have to adjust the intensity of the light. You don’t want the same amount of light in a bedroom than you want in a kitchen or a living room. Different activities take place in various rooms, and they require different amounts of light.

That is why standing lamps, in addition to lighting, help us differentiate the different environments in our house. Our recommendation, therefore, will be that you buy a floor lamp with a dimmer. 

There are models on the market that have two lights. The main light has a greater intensity of light and the other has an additional arm that you can move and manipulate. This is very useful because it allows us to direct the light towards the area where we need it the most. We’re also able to use the amount of lighting that we’re most comfortable with and in need of.

floor lamp

Maintenance

Floor lamps can accumulate a great deal of dust without us noticing it. Even in summer, it can be hard for us to tell how dusty our lamps are.

Therefore, we recommend moistening a cloth with the lamp unplugged and using it to clean your floor lamp. The cloth can be made of fabric, and all you’ll need to do is use a cleaning agent or a duster to get rid of the accumulated dust. You can also remove dirt with a sponge and a little bit of soap.