Table lamp and floor lamp: the right height and shade size, with worked examples

A table lamp or floor lamp is in the right place when, sitting in your usual spot, you see the shade but not the bulb. That is the whole rule; the rest is measuring. The bottom edge of the shade should be at about your eye level when you are seated, the shade must not be wider than the furniture beneath it, and the lamp holder must disappear inside it.

The mistake you see most often is a lamp that is too small on furniture that is too low: the shade sits below your shoulder, you look down into the open top, and the light falls mainly on the little table itself. The opposite mistake is a tall lamp on a tall cabinet, where you look up into the bulb from below when seated.

How high should a table lamp next to the sofa be?

Work it out from your eyes, not from the lamp. Sit in your usual spot and have someone measure how high your eyes are above the floor. That figure varies from person to person and from seat to seat; a deep, low sofa puts your eyes a good deal lower than an upright armchair.

Then add up:

• the height of the side table or cabinet the lamp stands on;
• plus the height from the base of the lamp to the bottom edge of the shade.

Together that should give roughly your eye level, or a little below. If the bottom edge is much higher, you look up into the bulb when seated. If it is much lower, you see the bulb from above when you stand or walk past, and it mainly lights the tabletop.

How wide can the shade be?

Three rules, from strict to loose:

1. Never wider than the furniture. A shade that hangs over the edge of the table gets knocked and looks out of place. On a side table 45 cm wide, a shade of at most 45 cm fits, preferably a little less.
2. The lamp holder disappears inside. From where you sit and from where you stand, you do not see the bulb. A shade that is too short for the base shows the lamp holder and part of the bulb.
3. In proportion to the base. A commonly used design rule: the diameter at the bottom of the shade roughly equal to the height of the base, and the shade itself about two thirds to three quarters of that height. That is a rule of taste, not a law, but a lamp that is far off looks top-heavy or lost.

The shape counts too. A shade that is wider at the bottom than at the top sends more light down onto the tabletop and your book. A cylindrical shade divides the light more evenly upwards and downwards. What the material of the shade does with the light is explained in what light does a shade give.

A lamp on the bedside table

In bed you sit differently than on the sofa: half upright against the headboard. The bottom edge of the shade is best at roughly shoulder height when you sit like that. Higher, and you look into the bulb when you turn your head; lower, and the light falls on the bedside table instead of on your book.

Think of your partner too. A shade that gives light in all directions keeps the other half of the bed awake. A shade that mainly shines downwards or an adjustable reading lamp on the wall is then a better choice. More about light beside the bed in bedroom lighting.

Where do you put a reading lamp, and how high?

Licht.de gives a simple rule: the best place for a reading lamp is beside or just behind the reader. Then the light falls on the book without you looking into the lamp, and without the paper dazzling you with reflections. Choose a lamp you can swivel and tilt, and preferably dim.

How much light do you need? For reading and writing, licht.de gives 500 lux on the paper as the minimum at a workplace at home, with a colour rendering of Ra 80 or higher. You will not get that from a mood lamp two metres away. A reading lamp of 300 to 700 lumens placed an arm’s length from the book will. Further away the light level drops quickly: at twice the distance, only a quarter of the light falls on the same spot.

If you wear glasses with a reading section or read for long periods, choose a warm-white to neutral-white light around 3000 K and good colour rendering; more on that in colour rendering and CRI.

Floor lamps: with a shade, as a reading lamp or as an arc

A floor lamp with a shade usually stands next to the sofa, a little behind the armrest. Because it is higher than your eyes, you look at the underside of the shade when seated; that is why the shade must be closed enough at the bottom or the bulb must sit high enough. A floor lamp of 150 to 165 cm with a shade 35 to 45 cm wide is a common size next to an ordinary sofa.

An arc lamp brings the light over the coffee table, while the base stands next to the sofa. Measure two things before you order: the reach of the arc, from the centre of the base to the centre of the shade, must be at least the distance to the centre of your table. And the shade must hang high enough that you do not bump into it when you walk round the table.

If you want to light a whole room with a floor lamp, choose one that (also) shines at the ceiling, with enough lumens. More on that in lighting a rented home without drilling.