It’s officially the season of darkness. Minnesota winter months bring brisk air and reduced light, which makes it the perfect time of year to amp up your lamp situation! With so many options to consider, it can be difficult to know which lamp type is best for your particular space. We can help! Check out our quick guide on how to best brighten up your home with the proper portable lamp selections.
MIX IT UP
Use a combination of table and floor lighting in your rooms. Floor and table lamps go together like peanut butter and jelly. They each provide different layers of illumination and fulfill different needs, but work harmoniously together in providing better overall light for your space. Don’t be intimidated- that large floor lamp will not only add visual interest and definition to your room, but will give your environment more lumen output and add an additional layer of ambient lighting that we desperately require this time of year. These individual pieces don’t have to “match”, and in fact, we’d prefer they didn’t. A trendy and structural tripod floor lamp, can pair beautifully with a metal or ceramic table lamp. A third, more task-style desk lamp, may also be added to a nearby reading area. Mixing different lamp types & styles will create an interesting and curated look for your space, while performing differently dedicated types of illumination.
PLACEMENT MATTERS
Consider exactly where your lighting needs are within your room, and what type of lighting will provide the best solution. Are you desperately in need of better reading or task lighting? Where is it that you read the most? Having a small task lamp near the end of the sofa, or beside your favorite chair is a good place to start. Which portion of your space seems the darkest overall? Placing a tall floor lamp near the edge of this area will completely transform the room. One trick? Use your wall space. The more surface area the light source has to reflect off of, the further your light will travel. That forgotten corner area is often a missed luminary opportunity!
THINK IN PAIRS
Two (are often) better than one. Approach your lamp selection as an opportunity to add something special to your space. Not only can using portable lamps in pairs give you double the illumination, it also can add visual interest to your room. Think about using two matching floor lamps on either side of a sofa table, or two slim table lamps on top of a buffet. Applications like this will frame in a focal area of your room, as well as keep it well illuminated.
SOCKET SURPLUS
One of the biggest tricks of the lighting trade is finding pieces that are versatile. Great lighting applications will often include a lamp or two with a multiple socket cluster. These lamps have the capacity to take two, three, or even four light bulbs, giving you ample lighting opportunity with only one portable structure. One of our favorite examples of this is the Vernon floor lamp from House of Troy. This handsome lamp boasts three, 100 watt sockets underneath that shade. The more lighting opportunity you gain from one portable fixture, the better!
No two applications are ever the same. Be sure to gather your lighting needs and head into our showroom to receive expert advice on how to better illuminate your home with the proper portable lamp selections.
PHOTO CRED: Uttermost/Revelation, Surya
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