10 Best Floor Lamps

Well that month flew past didn’t it and so we find it’s time for the second of my 10 Best series. Last month I showed you 10 of the best dining chairs and this time we’re going to be looking at 10 of the best Floor Lamps.

Lighting is so often left to the last minute and then dictated by where the sockets are, which is a shame on both counts. Firstly, lighting is absolutely key to creating the right atmosphere in a room and secondly, just as candlelight is said to be flattering to the skin, so the right lighting will conceal a multitude of cheap furniture sins. Not that we all have to have expensive furniture ( I certainly haven’t) but you can go a long way towards hiding the cheap bits and playing up the good bits if you get the lighting right ( you can read about that in more detail in my room by room series).

In short, you need to layer the lighting and that means including lamps at different heights. So, this month we are looking at floor lanps, with table, task and ceiling to follow in the future. So, in no particular order:

ECLIPSE

Hollys House 

£161

Why not have a floor light by the bed instead of the more usual table light? It will free up space on said table for, as I’ve said before, that ever-growing pile of books that you mean to read but probably won’t get round to and which is now creating a smaller, baby table next to the real table. See? Floor lamp. Solves the problem. This is so elegant too. It would also be great by an armchair in the sitting room or perching by the end of the sofa.

MILO ANGLED FLOOR LAMP

Atkin & Thyme

£129

This makes a good change from all metal lights as the wood brings a softer element and means that this doesn’t immediately scream office at you. Copper is still screamingly fashionable but silver is fighting hard to make a comeback. Either way the mix of wood and metal looks great and means this lamp will be equally at home in the aforementioned office or in the sitting room. By the way, it’s totally ok to mix metals these days so you can have silver and copper and silver and brass. I’m less keen on copper and brass but that may be just me. Actually it isn’t. Don’t.

OLIVER FLOOR LAMP 

Graham & Green

£130

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that I believe strongly that every room should have some black in it. Black will never go out of fashion and this rather upright, elegant lamp is the perfect addition to any room in the house. It’s understated and timeless so you don’t need to be nervous (as you might with the copper and brass lights) that it will date. One thing to be aware of though, that tight neck means the pool of light will be quite restricted. Perfect for a spot of reading on the sofa, less good if you are eating supper on your lap and that’s the only light you have… see earlier paragraph about layering lights.

PALM TREE FLOOR LIGHT

Rockett St George

£540

Oh how I love this gloriously over the top show stopper of a light. It was possibly inspired by a Maison Janson from 1960 which will now set you back some £3,000, but actually I prefer this one with its bulbs hanging down like illuminated coconuts. Yes it’s expensive but you would totally hand this down through the generations. Put it in the sitting room for now, even the bedroom for a touch of cheering exotica and love it for ever. Personally, I would like it in my kitchen by the table because I think you should always try and bring the unexpected into your interiors and this doesn’t look like it should be in the kitchen. But, at that price, you want to see it and enjoy it as much as possible and for me that means it should be in the kitchen as that is where I most often am.

SELT

Zoe Darlington

made to order

Now don’t panic at the made to order bit. Zoe has lots of ready-made lamps on her site and she specialises in combining tradition with a bit of edge. I once called it antique punk and I rather like that description so I’m sticking with it. Have a look at what she’s got and if you want something a little bit different then get in touch and talk it through with her.

MR FANG

Norr 11

€279

I mean who doesn’t want a light called Mr Fang. That’s reason enough and bear in mind it’s priced in Euros not pounds – and I’m going to leave you to convert that as things are somewhat up and down at the moment so who knows what it will cost by tomorrow or the day after. Anyway, this is a great lamp and its high gloss material will bounce more light around. It’s a stand-out piece and I love it’s unusual proportions.

CHICAGO TRIPOD FLOOR LAMP

made.com

£189

Now I’ll confess I’ve had a bit of a change of heart on these lamps. I have been rather anti in the past as I can’t see why you would want a giant film-style lamp shining a gigantic spotlight at everyone. But, BUT, when I saw this one in the flesh (at my book launch if you want to know *twirls hair*) it actually gave off a really soft light – that’ll be the brass interior – and I rather fell in love with it. It comes in antique copper and gold, muted grey and brass or black and silver (which I personally wouldn’t have as I think it’s the gold that makes it work).

SILHOUETTE LED FLOOR LAMP

£275

DesResDesign

I posted this lamp as part of a 10 Beautiful Rooms post a while ago and lots of you wanted to know where it was from. Well here you are. It’s rather fun and again would happily multi-task its way round the house. Playroom, office, kitchen, this would sit in any of those. I love the cartoon outline of a classic shape which brings a modern twist.

SPUN BLACK FLOOR LAMP BY FLOS

£886

Heals

Every now and then in a house hunt Phil and Kirsty will throw in something completely off brief, or wildly expensive and you think “Uh? worra they doing? Have they gone mad?” and then you realise it’s not because they actually think their clients will want that particular house but because they are doing a reality check. Finding out how much the people actually want what they say they want and what they are prepared to compromise on things. This lamp is that part of the show/post. It’s gorgeous. It’s a classic. It’s sleek and elegant and will never go out of date. It’s £886. Some of you, having seen this, will decide that no other light will do. The rest of you will look at the other nine and feel like there’s a lot of choice around and perhaps you can stretch to a matching pair. Me? Suddenly the palm is looking like a bargain in comparison…

EUAN 

Habitat

£225

Finally, a lamp that arches over the sofa or the table meet Euan. He also comes in yellow but I don’t do yellow so I’m showing you the black version. He is elegant and classic and would contrast well with the more buttoned up Oliver.