A large arc floor lamp with a chrome shade beside a tan leather sofa, with framed art leaning against the wall. Save to Pinterest

Living Room

How to Choose a Floor Lamp for a Small Rented Flat

Height, shade, bulb, footprint: what to check before you buy a floor lamp for a small rented living room, so it lights the room warmly without crowding it.

Photo: shche_ team / Unsplash

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If a rented living room only gets one new light, make it a floor lamp. It lights the room from head height in a corner, which is exactly where a ceiling bulb can’t reach, and it needs nothing more than a plug socket. But floor lamps are easy to get wrong in a small space. Here’s what to check before you buy.

Decide what the lamp is for

There are two jobs a floor lamp can do, and most do only one well.

Room light: a lamp with a fabric drum shade that glows in every direction and washes the wall with warm light. This is the Scandinavian look, and it’s what makes an evening room feel cosy.

Reading light: a lamp with a directional head or a small shade that throws light down onto a book. Useful beside a chair, but it won’t light the room.

In a small flat, a room light usually earns its place first. If you want to read too, choose one with a shade that’s open at the top and bottom.

A wooden tripod with a pale linen drum is the classic Scandi room light:

Get the height right

Too short and the lamp lights your knees. Too tall and you see the bare bulb from the sofa. For a lamp beside a sofa, the bottom edge of the shade should sit around eye level when you’re sitting down. That usually means a lamp of about 150 to 165 cm.

Check the footprint

This is the one people forget. Tripod lamps look slim but their legs spread wider than you think, often 45 to 55 cm across. Arc lamps need a heavy base and a wide sweep. Measure the corner and leave space to walk past. In a really tight spot, a straight lamp on a small round base takes up the least floor.

For a tight corner, this slim one stands on a small round base:

Choose the shade for the mood

A linen or cotton shade in white, oat or natural gives a soft, warm glow. Paper shades are lighter and cheaper but can look flimsy up close. Dark or metal shades throw light only up and down, which is dramatic but less cosy. For the classic Scandi feel, pick a pale fabric drum.

The bulb matters more than the lamp

Buy warm white, 2700K or lower. Anything above about 4000K will feel like an office in the evening. A dimmable bulb, or a lamp with a dimmer switch built in, lets you turn it down as the evening goes on. An E27 fitting gives you the widest choice of bulbs.

All three lamps here come with a bulb. If yours looks too cool, or a lamp comes without one, swap in a warm 2700K bulb like this:

Make sure it’s stable

Cheap floor lamps can be top-heavy. If you have a cat, a dog or small visitors, look for a weighted base or a tripod with a wide stance, and push it into a corner rather than leaving it in a walkway.

Think about the cable

A lamp in the middle of a wall with a cable across the floor is a trip hazard and looks untidy. Put it within reach of a socket, run the cable behind furniture, and add a foot switch if the switch is hard to reach.

Or skip the reaching altogether. This lamp has a foot switch and a remote built in, and its hanging shade doubles as a reading light:

Frequently asked questions

How tall should a floor lamp be?
For a reading lamp next to a sofa, the bottom of the shade should sit roughly at eye level when you're seated, which usually means a lamp of about 150 to 165 cm. For general room light, taller is fine.
Is an arc lamp a good idea in a small room?
Only if you have the floor space. Arc lamps need a heavy base and a wide sweep, so they often take up more room than they look. A tripod or a slim straight lamp fits a corner better.

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