Lighting Tip #31 - Floor Lamps

Floor lamps are often placed around the home for many different uses, such as next to a reading area, to illuminate a room, or to add some ambiance by layering the lighting. Check out these tips on how to choose the best floor lamp for your room. 

  1. While seated, measure the height from the floor to your eye level. The bottom of a shade should be equal to or below eye level, which is average 50”.
  2. The further away from the seating area that you place the lamp, the taller it needs to be for a larger overall cast of ambient lighting. The average height is 5’-6’.
  3. When placing a lamp next to a chair or couch, make sure that the switch or pull cord is reachable from the seated position, typically around 30” is maximum.

Tip: Choose a lamp with adjustable arms or heads for task lighting such as reading or writing.