A table lamp does the quiet work in a room. It lights the corner the ceiling misses, makes a sideboard look finished and gives you something softer to switch on after dark. Our first lamps are on their way from European makers, with free delivery across the UK from €89.
Our first pieces are on their way. We are choosing them one by one from European workshops and makers. Tell me when they arrive.
Buying guide
Start with where it will stand and what you want from it, reading light or atmosphere.
Beside a sofa, the bottom of the shade should sit roughly at eye level when you are seated, which usually means a lamp of 55 to 70 cm overall. A table lamp on a console or sideboard can be taller, 70 to 80 cm, to balance the furniture. The shade should be a little wider than the base at its widest point.
For reading, choose a warm white LED of 400 to 800 lumens. Fabric and paper shades diffuse the light, while opaque metal shades direct it down onto a book. A dimmer or touch switch lets one lamp do both jobs. Check the cap, E27, E14 or B22, before buying spares.
Two matching table lamps either side of a sofa or bed look calm and ordered. A single, larger lamp works better on a sideboard or desk, where it becomes the focal point. Dust fabric shades with a soft brush now and then, and wipe ceramic or metal bases with a dry cloth, never while the bulb is warm.
Measure the furniture first. A lamp roughly as tall as the table it stands on, often 55 to 70 cm, puts the shade at eye level when you sit beside it.
A warm white LED of around 2,700 K and 400 to 800 lumens suits most rooms. Match the cap to the lamp holder, usually E27, E14 or B22.
Place them where the ceiling light does not reach, such as beside the sofa, on a sideboard or in a corner. Spreading lamps around the room avoids one bright patch and dark edges.