Floor & Standard Lamps

Floor And Standard Lamps

Which type of floor lamp do you need?

Discover our range of floor lamps and explore our different types. Standard lamps have straight stems and are the most versatile option and work pretty much in any room. Together with the proper light bulb, they cast a warm, diffused light. Uplighters point light towards the ceiling and bounce it back down as soft, glare-free ambient light which is best in rooms with a lower or standard ceiling height and excellent for adding warmth to a corner without any harshness. Arc lamps curve out over seating or a coffee table, acting as the closest floor lamp equivalent to an overhead light. They tend to need more floor space than most people expect, so they're best suited to larger living rooms or open-plan spaces. Tripod lamps have a three-legged base and are exceptionally stylish but take up more room as well. They suit mid-century, Scandi and industrial interiors particularly well. Reading floor lamps have an adjustable arm or head that directs focused light exactly where needed. They’re ideally positioned beside an armchair with the arm roughly level above your shoulder when seated. Mother and child lamps combine both in one fitting - an ambient standard lamp with an integrated reading arm - which is a genuinely useful option if you want two light sources without taking up two spots on the floor.

Where to put a floor lamp

The most effective placement is beside a sofa or armchair, where a floor lamp provides comfortable reading light while also contributing to the room's overall warmth. Dead corners are worth considering too - a lamp in a neglected corner adds balance and atmosphere that no ceiling fitting can replicate as easily. For an arc lamp positioned over a sofa, aim to have the shade sitting slightly in front of and above where you're seated to avoid direct glare. Next to a bed, a floor lamp with a directional shade is a practical alternative to a bedside table lamp if surface space is limited. In a home office, an adjustable floor lamp placed beside or behind your chair reduces screen glare while keeping the desk surface clear.

Floor lamps as part of a wider scheme

A floor lamp rarely works well as the only light source in a room. The most comfortable spaces tend to layer different types of light - ceiling lights for overall brightness, a floor lamp for task lighting, and table lamps or candles for atmosphere. A floor lamp covers the task or accent layer of that scheme.

Sizing - matching the floor lamp to the room

Scale the lamp to the room. Larger rooms with higher ceilings suit taller, more imposing designs, for example wide arc lamps, tall uplighters, or large tripod styles. Smaller rooms are better served by slimmer, more compact options where a straight-stem standard lamp or a narrow tripod won't eat into the space.