How to Choose the Perfect Table Lamp (Without Regretting It)

A good table lamp does two jobs at once: it lights the task in front of you, and it furnishes the room even when it's switched off. Here's how we help customers choose one they'll keep for decades.

1. Get the scale right

The most common mistake is buying too small. As a rule of thumb, the lamp's total height should be roughly the height of the surface it sits on — a 50–60 cm lamp suits most side tables. Seated next to it, the bottom of the shade should sit at about eye level so the bulb never glares.

2. Choose the shade for the job

• Smoked or tinted glass — a soft, ambient pool of light; perfect for living rooms and bedrooms.
• Fabric drum shades — diffuse light in every direction; the friendliest all-rounder.
• Metal domes — directional light, ideal for reading corners and desks.

3. Warm bulbs flatter everything

For homes we recommend 2700K filament bulbs — the colour of candlelight and early evenings. Pair with a dimmer and one lamp covers everything from dinner parties to midnight reading.

4. Placement beats wattage

Two modest lamps at different heights will always feel better than one bright one. Corners, sideboards and window sills are the spots that repay a little glow the most.

See our edit of table and desk lamps — including the smoked-glass Nordlys that started it all.